Tag Archives: Jackie McLean

Listening Room – “Action”

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Action

Jackie McLean – Plight from “Action”

Jackie McLean – Hootnan from “Action”

From “Action” : 1964 : Blue Note BLP 4218

A great album from a period when it seemed Jackie McLean could do no wrong, “Action” is full of exciting and challenging music.  McLean is joined by Charles Tolliver (who was one of his main collaborators at this time) and Bobby Hutcherson’s righteous vibe playing is featured prominently throughout the record.  Plight is a classic written by Tolliver and the Mclean composition Hootnan would probably be considered the most in line with the classic Blue Note sound as it best known, while still fitting in with the adventurous sound of the album as a whole.

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Charles Tolliver – Trumpet
Bobby Hutcherson – Vibes
Cecil McBee – Bass
Billy Higgins – Drums

Listening Room: “New Soil”

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“New Soil” was the first Jackie McLean album released on Blue Note (although it wasn’t the first session he recorded for the label) and it firmly shows the roots of the classic recordings that would soon follow.  Mostly bluesy, the music also stretches out a bit and featured two McLean originals and four (very good) tracks penned by the pianist Walter Davis, Jr.  Donald Byrd sits in on the trumpet as does Paul Chambers on bass.  All of McLean’s Blue Note albums are worth owning, and “New Soil” is no exception.

New Soil
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Released 1959  :  Blue Note Records  :  Catalog # BLP 4013

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Walter Davis, Jr. – Piano
Paul Chambers – Bass
Pete LaRoca – Drums

Jackie McLean – Minor Apprehension from “New Soil”

Jackie McLean – Greasy from “New Soil”

Listening Room – “Cool Struttin’”

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Blue Note released this beyond classic Sonny Clark record in 1958.  Featuring a group of young players (including a then relatively unknown Jackie Mclean) “Cool Struttin’” is considered by some to be one of the best examples of Hard Bop ever made.  The two Clark compositions – the title track and Blue Minor – have both entered the jazz repertoire, and the two remaining tracks Miles Davis’ Sippin’ at Bells and Henderson & Valle’s Deep Night are just as classic.  A legendary record from the very underrated talent of Sonny Clark, all of whose records are well worth checking out.

Cool Struttin'
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Released 1958  :  Blue Note Records  :  Catalog # BLP 1588

Players:
Sonny Clark – Piano
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Art Farmer – Trumpet
Paul Chambers – Bass
Philly Joe Jones – Drums

Sonny Clark – Blue Minor from “Cool Struttin”

Sonny Clark – Deep Night from “Cool Struttin”

Listening Room – “The Happy Blues”

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The Happy Blues

Gene Ammons – The Happy Blues

Gene Ammons – Can’t We Be Friends?

From “The Happy Blues” : 1956 : Prestige PRLP 7039

A great jazz jam session from 1956 on Prestige Records.  Led by tenor Gene Ammons, this recording features the talents of Jackie McLean, Art Farmer, Duke Jordan and Art Taylor.

Players:
Gene Ammons – Tenor Sax
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Art Farmer – Trumpet
Duke Jordan – Piano
Addison Farmer – Bass
Candido – Congas
Art Taylor – Drums

Listening Room – “4, 5 and 6″

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4, 5 and 6

Jackie McLean – Abstraction

Jackie McLean – Confirmation

From “4,5 and 6” : 1956 : Prestige PRLP 7048

A bit of pre-Blue Note Jackie McLean, “4, 5 and 6″ was released in 1956 on Prestige Records.  The title refers to the fact that McLean performs with a quartet, quintet and on one track (Confirmation) is joined by Hank Mobley to make the group a sextet.  A great early Hard Bop session that just starts to hints at the classic records McLean would head up only a few years later.

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Mal Waldron – Piano
Doug Watkins – Bass
Art Taylor – Bass

Listening Room – “Demon’s Dance”

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Demon's Dance

Jackie McLean – “Demon’s Dance”

Jacke McLean – “Floogeh”

From “Demon’s Dance” : 1967 : Blue Note

Jackie McLean recorded “Demon’s Dance” for Blue Note in 1967.  The title track is a classic and the up-tempo Floogeh is one of many highlights of a great record.  Amazingly, this was McLean’s final Blue Note recording, ending an amazing streak of nearly ten years and over twenty consistently high-quality records for the label.

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Woody Shaw – Trumpet
Lamont Johnson – Piano
Scott Holt – Bass
Jack DeJohnette – Drums

Listening Room – “Destination Out!”

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Jackie McLean – Esoteric

Jackie McLean – Riff Raff

From “Destination Out!” : 1963 : Blue Note Records

Jackie McLean recorded Destination Out! in 1963 on Blue Note Records.  It was a very forward looking set and featured three compositions by the trombonist Grachan Moncur III and one by McLean.  Esoteric is a complex and rhythmic track, while Riff Raff is more of a strolling blues.

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Grachan Moncur III – Trombone
Bobby Hutcherson – Vibes
Larry Ridley – Bass
Roy Haynes – Drums