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31 plays
Jackie McLean - Two For One (1962)
Happy late birthday wishes to the legendary Jackie McLean.
This particular session sadly sat on the shelves for 17 years before it was finally issued in Japan in 1979. The presence of my favorite groove merchant, Sonny Clark, in his penultimate appearance for Blue Note before his death—along with label stalwarts Butch Warren and Art Taylor—ensure that the proceedings swing hard, and their bluesy legerdemain is everywhere in evidence. Jackie tackles this particularly complicated composition with his signature relish. He is one of a handful of musicians that you can positively identify in just a note or two.
On an unrelated design note, the difference between the 1979 Japanese Blue Note sleeve art below and the incongruous 1984 American vintage above is, shall we say, stark.
Luckily, the music shines either way.
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30 plays
Hank Mobley - Advance Notion (1967)
To these ears, this is one of those quintessential Blue Note records and with the likes of J Mac, Bob Cranshaw, Billy Higgins, John Hicks and Horace Silver veteran Blue Mitchell alongside the Mobe, the swing is relentless.
Listen to Billy Higgins’ energy on this entire track, as well as his sympathetic snare behind Mobley’s solo. It’s a tour de force.
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40 plays
Charles Mingus - Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (1959)
From the mouth of Mingus:
“This record is unusual—it presents only one part of my musical world, the blues. A year ago, Nesuhi Ertegün suggested that I record an entire blues album in the style of “Haitian Fight Song,” because some people, particularly critics, were saying I didn’t swing enough. He wanted to give them a barrage of soul music: churchy, blues, swinging, earthy. I thought it over. I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I’ve grown up and I like to do things other than just swing. But blues can do more than just swing. So I agreed.”
Jackie McLean and Larry Willis during the recording of McLean’s Jacknife session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, September 24 1965 (photo by Francis Wolff)
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111 plays
atane:
bainer:
Jackie McLean - Das’ Dat (1964)
From allmusic’s review:
McLean’s butt funky “Das’ Dat,” which follows, owes a debt to Horace Silver to be sure, but the blues element, which is in the tune’s head, is pure Jackie McLean. McLean’s own playing isn’t particularly adventurous, though he pushes his tone to the limits at times. He swings tough with the hard bop sensibility that put him on the label in the first place, and “Das’ Dat” is the most enjoyable thing here.
From all about jazz:
“Das’ Dat” - a pretty straight blues in Bb - enters as if to remind listeners from where McLean’s music comes. Hancock’s solo and comping on this are revealing; he plays right inside the tune, with only the slightest references to the more exploratory playing elsewhere on the recording.
I’d put this under-the-radar LP up there among Herbie Hancock’s finest moments. Repeated listens reveal additional harmonic complexities and stunningly sympathetic interactions.
This is a great album, and it’s one of the albums that Jackie McLean put out in the 60s that a dear friend called Jackie McLean’s “state of emergency” period. A time between 1962 and 1965 where McLean released some albums with titles that coincided with the urgency of the civil rights movement. The first one being Let Freedom Ring! Some others being Right Now!, Action Action Action, and the album above, It’s Time! His Mosaic boxset has all the pivotal work from 64 to 66. Let Freedom Ring! was in 62, so it’s not included. The boxset is out of print, but it’s worth tracking down.
Sadly, I don’t think many listeners today are able to connect the dots with the climate of the time and some of the titles the musicians used for their albums. The rebellion aspect has been lost in the narrative.
A documentary I highly recommend is Jackie McLean on Mars. It’s only 32 minutes, so it’s not terribly long and it’s well worth the watch. Click here to view it. J Mac was a visionary and a champion for the people.
Atane, thanks for taking the time to add much-needed context and historical perspective to Jackie’s “state of emergency” period. I hadn’t put it together that these McLean titles—and the especially urgent and anguished cries from his horn during this period—were intimately linked to the civil rights movement of the early 60s.
By the way, I loved the video you shared above. It should be required viewing for fans of J Mac.
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111 plays
Jackie McLean - Das’ Dat (1964)
From allmusic’s review:
McLean’s butt funky “Das’ Dat,” which follows, owes a debt to Horace Silver to be sure, but the blues element, which is in the tune’s head, is pure Jackie McLean. McLean’s own playing isn’t particularly adventurous, though he pushes his tone to the limits at times. He swings tough with the hard bop sensibility that put him on the label in the first place, and “Das’ Dat” is the most enjoyable thing here.
From all about jazz:
“Das’ Dat” - a pretty straight blues in Bb - enters as if to remind listeners from where McLean’s music comes. Hancock’s solo and comping on this are revealing; he plays right inside the tune, with only the slightest references to the more exploratory playing elsewhere on the recording.
I’d put this under-the-radar LP up there among Herbie Hancock’s finest moments. Repeated listens reveal additional harmonic complexities and stunningly sympathetic interactions.
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50 plays
Jackie McLean - The Three Minors (1962)
From the Jazz Shelf:
The earlier session is straightforward and high quality all the way. McLean’s solos infuse bop stylings with lessons he’d learned on the other side of the fence. “The Three Minors” is a typical modal Jackie tune, stated by alto then trumpet, with a Latin bridge, and the solos travel the modes four bars at a time.
This is a blistering set featuring McLean and Dorham’s frontline fireworks over essential rhythms care of Sonny Clark, Butch Warren and Billy Higgins. This set also exists as the second half of Blue Note’s Connoisseur Series edition of McLean’s Vertigo.
Jackie McLean and John Coltrane during Mal Waldron’s Mal-2 session, Hackensack NJ, April 19 1957 (photo by Esmond Edwards)
(Source: jazztimes.com)
