Jackie McLean - Demon's Dance (1967) (RVG)

Jackie McLean - Demon's Dance (1967)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 265MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2006

Allmusic:
Demon's Dance was Jackie McLean's final album for Blue Note, closing out an amazing streak of creativity that's among the more underappreciated in jazz history. The record retreats a bit from McLean's nearly free playing on New and Old Gospel and 'Bout Soul, instead concentrating on angular, modal avant bop with more structured chord progressions. The whole session actually swings pretty hard, thanks to drummer Jack DeJohnette, who manages that feat while maintaining the busy, kinetic style McLean had favored since Tony Williams' appearance on One Step Beyond. Pianist Lamont Johnson and bassist Scott Holt both return from New and Old Gospel, and trumpeter Woody Shaw is in especially fiery, muscular form, rivaling the leader in terms of soloing impact and contributing two of the six compositions. McLean's originals tend to be the most intriguing, though; there's the angular title track, the bright, up-tempo "Floogeh," and the spacious ballad "Toyland," a warm, soft piece anchored by Johnson that runs counter to typical descriptions of the impressions McLean's tone creates. While Demon's Dance didn't quite push McLean's sound the way its two predecessors had, there was no sign that the altoist was beginning to run out of creative steam. Unfortunately, Blue Note's ownership change and resulting commercial direction meant the end of McLean's tenure with the label, and ultimately the prime of his career; he would resume recording five years later, often with rewarding results, but nonetheless, Demon's Dance marks the end of an era.

Tracks
-1. "Demon's Dance" - 7:09
-2. "Toyland" (Cal Massey) - 5:24
-3. "Boo Ann's Grand" (Woody Shaw) - 6:57
-4. "Sweet Love of Mine" (Shaw) - 6:04
-5. "Floogeh" - 5:23
-6. "Message From Trane" (Massey) - 5:29

Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Woody Shaw - trumpet, flugelhorn
* LaMont Johnson - piano
* Scott Holt - bass
* Jack DeJohnette - drums

sample & buy: Demon's Dance

Jackie Mclean - Consequence (1965) (Blue Note Connoisseur series)

Jackie Mclean - Consequence (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Blue Note Connoisseur edition | 24-bit remaster

Allmusic:
This 1965 session pairs Jackie McLean with Lee Morgan in the front line and features a rhythm section of pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Billy Higgins. Right -- a powerhouse band. Originally recorded in 1965, it wasn't released on LP until 1979, and then on CD as part of the Mosaic box set (The Complete Blue Note 1964-1966). This is its first release as a separate title on CD. The music here is much more straight-ahead than on other McLean dates from the 1960s. The presence of Morgan puts McLean in the position of having to be at his best, as on the stellar opening cut, "Bluesanova," which combines bossa, soul-jazz, and hard bop. Another tight moment on the set is McLean's "Tolypso," a sideways take on calypso that reaches over into hard bop. The interplay between the saxophonist and trumpet player is air-tight and rousing. Other cuts of note are Morgan's fine swinging ballad "Slumber" and the steaming title cut. This is a welcome addition to the McLean catalog on disc.

Tracks
-1. "Bluesanova" (Lee Morgan) - 7:30
-2. "Consequence" - 5:32
-3. "My Old Flame" (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) - 5:19
-4. "Tolypso" - 6:02
-5. "Slumber" (Morgan) - 6:06
-6. "Vernestune" - 5:52
All compositions by Jackie McLean except as indicated
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on December 3, 1965


Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Lee Morgan - trumpet
* Harold Mabern - piano
* Herbie Lewis - bass
* Billy Higgins - drums

sample & buy: Consequence

Jackie Mclean - Jacknife (1965) (BN Connoisseur)

Jackie Mclean - Jacknife (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Blue Note Connoisseur series 2002 | 20-bit SBM

Allmusic:
Jackie McLean's Jacknife sessions have had a peculiar and somewhat disjointed history in his discography. Initially issued in 1975 on a vinyl two-fer as part of the Blue Note reissue series, it included separate previously unreleased sessions from 1965 and 1966, the former with trumpeters Lee Morgan and Charles Tolliver, the latter in a quartet with only McLean as the leading horn. In CD form, the five tracks from 1965 were offered on a single CD. Pianist Larry Willis and a young drummer named Jack DeJohnette were on both recordings, with Larry Ridley (1965) or Don Pate (1966) filling the bass chair. As both sessions could not fit on a single CD, it's understandable but a shame that a double CD could not be produced including the fine quartet date. Nonetheless, the 1965 group has many worthwhile and often challenging moments for the then 33-year-old alto saxophonist. Of the five tracks here, "On the Nile" at over 12 and a half minutes should be a favorite, as its modern modal mainstream mystery wafts slowly over time like sands in an hourglass, a steady caravan trip with the deep piano chords of Willis, the evocative trumpet of Tolliver, and McLean richly harmonizing. Tolliver also wrote the title track, a sour-toned hard lemonade bopper on the cutting edge considering this mid-'60s time frame. McLean penned the tuneful, enjoyable "Blue Fable" on the steady swing side, briefly dishing out calypso beats. Morgan's feature is DeJohnette's "Climax" in a chopped-up piano riff with the drummer, as a bop line from the horns takes up the urgent, kinetic charge. The only track with both trumpeters, "Soft Blue" is easy as the title suggests, harmonic and warm, with solid solos showing the stark contrast between the approach of the two brassmen and the ruminating piano of Willis. These recordings do not tell the complete story of this time period -- please explore the Willis composition "High Frequency" and McLean's incredible "Combined Effort" from 1966 for examples of the quartet really cutting loose sans the trumpeters. The Complete Blue Note 1964-1966 Sessions four-CD limited-edition box set on the Mosaic label houses both Jacknife recordings. The single CD is quite worthwhile by itself, but tells only half of the story.

Tracks
-1. "On the Nile" (Charles Tolliver) - 12:31
-2. "Climax" (Jack DeJohnette) - 9:18
-3. "Soft Blue" (Lee Morgan) - 7:28
-4. "Jacknife" (Tolliver) - 6:14
-5. "Blue Fable" - 5:59
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 24, 1965
All compositions by Jackie McLean except as indicated

Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Charles Tolliver (tracks 1, 3 & 4), Lee Morgan - trumpet (tracks 2, 3 & 5)
* Larry Willis - piano
* Larry Ridley - bass
* Jack DeJohnette - drums

sample & buy: Jacknife

Jackie McLean - McLean's Scene (1956)

Jackie McLean - McLean's Scene (1956)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 220MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Altoist Jackie McLean tends to downgrade his Prestige recordings due to the low pay, the little prior preparation and the jam session feel of the music. Although all of the above is true, the music (while not on a par with his Blue Notes of the 1960s) is still pretty worthy, particularly when compared to the output of his contemporaries. McLean never really copied Charlie Parker and was one of the first in his generation to develop his own sound. Three of the six selections on this CD reissue (a pair of standards and a blues) feature McLean with trumpeter Bill Hardman, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. The remainder of the set is from a marathon quartet set with pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Arthur Phipps and drummer Taylor that would result in material that was used as part of five separate albums. McLean is in lyrical form on "Our Love Is Here to Stay" and "Old Folks" while playing with great intensity on his accurately-titled original "Outburst."

Tracks
-1. "Gone With the Wind" - Magidson, Wrubel - 7:28
-2. "Love Is Here to Stay" - Gershwin, Gershwin - 4:19
-3. "Mean to Me" - Ahlert, Turk - 8:46
-4. "Mclean's Scene" - McLean - 10:18
-5. "Old Folks" - Hill, Robison - 4:53
-6. "Outburst" - McLean - 4:33
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on December 14, 1956 and February 15, 1957. Originally released on New Jazz (8212). Includes liner notes by Jack Maher.

Personnel
*Jackie McLean (alto saxophone);
*Bill Hardman (trumpet);
*Mal Waldron, Red Garland (piano);
*Paul Chambers, Arthur Phipps (bass);
*Art Taylor (drums).

sample & buy: Mclean's Scene

Jackie McLean - A Fickle Sonance (1961) (RVG)

Jackie McLean - A Fickle Sonance (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 210MB

RVG 24-bit remaster 1999

Allmusic:
Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the few jazz players to come up through bebop and incorporate free jazz into his style. Even though A Fickle Sonance preceded McLean's intense 1962 album Let Freedom Ring, the playing remained in a swinging blues-oriented style, showing no hint of the direction his music was about to take. The sidemen on the date (Tommy Turrentine [trumpet], Sonny Clark [piano], and Butch Warren [bass]) prove to be an invigorating combination of musicians, however not as involved in the burgeoning free music as drummer Billy Higgins. At the time of these sessions, Higgins had already played with Ornette Coleman, providing a link to the avant-garde, but nevertheless his playing follows the hard bop pace of the others. McLean provides two original compositions, "Subdued" and the title track, while Clark, Turrentine, and Warren fill the remaining tracks.

Tracks
-1. "Five Will Get You Ten" - Sonny Clark - 7:06
-2. "Subdued" - Jackie McLean - 5:54
-3. "Sundu" - Clark - 4:54
-4. "A Fickle Sonance" - McLean - 6:49
-5. "Enitnerrut" - Tommy Turrentine - 5:47
-6. "Lost" - Butch Warren - 4:48
*Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on October 26, 1961.

Personnel
*Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
*Tommy Turrentine - trumpet
*Sonny Clark - piano
*Butch Warren - bass
*Billy Higgins - drums

sample & buy: Fickle Sonance

Jackie McLean - A Long Drink Of The Blues (1957) (eac-log-cover)

Jackie McLean - A Long Drink Of The Blues (1957)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

OJC

AMG:
This CD reissue begins with what is titled "Take 1" of "A Long Drink of the Blues." After a false start, the musicians argue for two minutes about the tempo; why was this ever released? "Take 2" is a much more successful 20-minute jam featuring Jackie McLean (doubling on alto and tenor), trombonist Curtis Fuller, trumpeter Webster Young, pianist Gil Coggins, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Louis Hayes. The second half of this reissue is from a quartet session that showcases McLean on three standard ballads with pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Arthur Phipps, and drummer Art Taylor. Although not quite as intense as McLean's later Blue Note dates, the ballad renditions show just how mature and original a soloist he was even at this early stage. Despite "Take 1," this CD is worth getting.

Tracks:
-1. Long Drink Of The Blues (take 1) 2:18
-2. Long Drink Of The Blues (take 2) 20:45
-3. Embraceable You 7:05
-4. I Cover The Waterfront 6:24
-5. These Foolish Things 8:19

Personnel:
1-2:
Webster Young, trumpet
Curtis Fuller, trombone
Jackie McLean, alto sax
Gil Coggins, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Louis Hayes, drums
Recorded: August. 30, 1957
3-5:
Jackie McLean, alto sax
Mal Waldron, piano
Arthur Phipps, bass
Art Taylor, drums
Recorded: Feb. 15, 1957

sample & buy: Long Drink of the Blues