Native Son

A deeply affecting project that runs the gamut from the churning percussion-fueled title track to tender ballads, a slamming funk laden number in seven, and spirited tributes to masters Nana Vasconcelos and Elvin Jones.
Bill Milkowski

Well known throughout Europe for decades, the virtuoso Serbian pianist Vasil Hadžimanov only became known to drummer Michael Waldrop while performing in a Belgrade club that Waldrop dropped in on during one of his yearly visits with in-laws. Later, stuck in his Pacific Northwest home during the pandemic, Waldrop thought to include Vasil in a remote recording session of his tune "Belgrade," which he had composed in 2001, reflecting the feelings of his first exposure to the city. Thrilled with the outcome, they eventually met in a Belgrade studio in 2024, joining with the equally inspired Macedonian bassist Martin Gjakonovski, to record this set of Waldrop originals as a trio. Waldrop then enlisted Brad Dutz and Jose Rossy to enhance the proceedings with an array of Afro-Cuban and Middle Eastern percussion instruments. Running the gamut from the churning percussion-fueled title track to tender ballads, and spirited tributes to masters Nana Vasconcelos and Elvin Jones, Native Son is another vibrant offering from Waldrop's growing catalog of ambitious releases.

Production Info:

Produced by Michael Waldrop & Tim Reppert
Recorded by Danijel Vuković at Future Nature Sound,
Pančevo, Serbia, on August 14-16, 2024
Percussion recorded by Jimi Tunnell
at Buffalo Sound, Denton, TX
and Brad Dutz, Kelso, WA
Mixed by Tim Reppert, Dorchester, MA
Mastered by Scott Kinsey, Los Angeles, CA
Liner notes by Bill Milkowski
Front photo by Mikkel Kvist
Artist photos by Jordan Lewis (dr),
Marko Vulevic (pno), Gerhard Richter (bs)
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Native Son

Jazz'halo (Belgium) (Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther)
About the album from the label's point of view: "Well known throughout Europe for decades, the virtuoso Serbian pianist Vasil Hadžimanov only became known to drummer Michael Waldrop while performing in a Belgrade club that Waldrop dropped into during one of his yearly visits with in-laws. Later, stuck in his Pacific Northwest home during the pande ...

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Drummer Michael Waldrop explores deep and exciting grooves with percussionist Jose Rossy joining in with his team of Martin Gjakonovski/b (and cameo work with Chris Symer) and Vasil Hadzimanov/p for a collection of mostly originals. The grooves simmer on the jungle pulse of "Native Son", with Hadzimanov sparkling over the galloping joy of rhythm. W ...

Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
A Bridge Between Eastern Europe and the U.S. Michael Waldrop's Transatlantic Vision 4-STARS A bridge between Eastern Europe and the United States that's precisely what composer and drummer Michael Waldrop sets out to create with his latest album. To understand how this ambitious musical dialogue came to life, it helps to know the story behind i ...

All About Jazz (Album Liner Notes) (Bill Milkowski)
Following two successful big band projects—the swinging and swaggering Time Within Itself and Origin Suite—drummer-composer-bandleader Michael Waldrop has brought things down to a more intimate level on Native Son. In some ways a return to his first album as a leader, 2002's Triangularity, a sterling piano trio outing which he reissued in 20 ...