This Impulse LP is a soundtrack to an obscure movie from the late '60s, scored and performed by Mal Waldron. The film marked the acting debut of comedian Dick Gregory as a drug-addicted jazz musician at midlife on the decline, with Robert Hooks and Don Murray also in the cast. While the plot sounds a bit hackneyed, the music by Waldron is brilliant. Known for his lyrical yet often dark compositions, Waldron's work on this session will surprise some of his biggest fans. Loser's Lament, the movie's theme, catches the bleak mood of the film perfectly. A trio feature, Della's Dream, seems to have been inspired by Waldron's earlier composition Fire Waltz. The brisk, hard bop-flavored Hillary and the swaggering Espresso Time showcase George Coleman on alto sax. Trumpeter Dave Burns, tenor saxophonist Charles Davis, bassists George Duvivier and Richard Davis, as well as drummer Alfred Dreares round out Waldron's tightly knit ensemble. Nat Hentoff's liner notes are excellent, though they focus more on the film than the music. Long out of print (though reissued on CD in Japan), this unusual record is well worth searching for. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi

1		Loser's Lament (Theme From "Sweet Love, Bitter")
2		Della
3		Hillary
4		Espresso Time
5		Keel
6		Smokin'
7		Della's Dream
8		The Search
9		Candy's Ride
10		"Bread"
11		Eagle's Flips Out
12		Brindle's Place
13		Sleep Baby Sleep