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Jackie McLean

Jackie McLean is an NEA Jazz Master

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.

His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During high school he played in a band with Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, and Andy Kirk Jr. (the tenor saxophonist son of Andy Kirk).

He recorded with Miles Davis, on Davis' Dig album, when he was 19 years old. Rollins played on the same album. As a young man McLean also recorded with Gene Ammons, Charles Mingus, andGeorge Wallington, and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (he reportedly joined the Jazz Messengers after being punched by the notoriously violent Mingus and, fearing for his life, stabbing him in self-defence). His early recordings as leader were in the hard bop school. He later became an exponent of modal jazz without abandoning his foundation in hard bop. Throughout his career he was known for his distinctive tone (often described with such adjectives as withering, piercing, or searing), his slightly sharp pitch, and a strong foundation in blues.

McLean was a heroin addict throughout his early career, and the resulting loss of his New York City cabaret licence forced him to undertake a large number of recording dates; consequently, he produced a large body of recorded work in the 1950s and 60s. He was under contract with Blue Note Records from 1959 to 1967, having previously recorded for Prestige. Blue Note offered better pay and more artistic control than other labels, and his work for Blue Note is highly regarded.

In 1962 he recorded Let Freedom Ring for Blue Note. This album was the culmination of attempts he had made over the years to deal with harmonic problems in jazz, especially in soloing on his piece "Quadrangle." (*"Quadrangle" appears on BST 4051, Jackie's Bag, recorded in 1959). Let Freedom Ring began a period in which he performed with avant-garde musicians rather than the veteran hard bop performers he had been playing with. His recordings from 1962 on, in which he adapted the innovations of modal and free jazz to hard bop, made his body of work distinctive.

In 1964, he served six months in prison on drug charges. The period immediately after his release from prison is known as his acid period because the three albums he released during it were much harsher in tone than his previous albums.

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7
Interview

A Conversation with Jackie McLean

Read "A Conversation with Jackie McLean" reviewed by AAJ Staff


From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in October 1998. All About Jazz: You grew up in the same neighborhood as Bud Powell. How did he impact your life? And, what was Bud Powell the man like? Jackie McLean: He certainly lived in the vicinity of my neighborhood. He wasn't really a neighbor. I lived on 158th street and he lived on 140th, so it was quite a distance to walk. ...

10
Album Review

Tina Brooks Quintet: The Complete Recordings

Read "The Complete Recordings" reviewed by Chris May


Mosaic Records' spring 2020 release The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70, the second of the label's box sets devoted to the copiously recorded (and rightly so) Hank Mobley, prompts thoughts of another of Blue Note's singular hard-bop tenor saxophone stylists. Unlike Mobley, Tina Brooks was woefully under-recorded, making just four albums under his own name. But like Mobley, Brooks had an instantly recognisable sound, was a spellbinding soloist and was also a gifted composer. In addition to his ...

18
Album Review

Hank Mobley: The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70

Read "The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


The music world has changed considerably since Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie founded their boutique reissue label Mosaic Records back in 1983. From its inception, vinyl was still the preferred format, shortly to be overtaken by the popularity of the compact disc. At the cusp of vinyl's recent resurgence, Mosaic briefly got back into that format only to find themselves on the brink of closing up shop. Fortunately, the powers that be have forged on and recent CD boxed sets ...

6
Radio & Podcasts

Two Different Fates - Jackie McLean & Tina Brooks (1960 - 1963)

Read "Two Different Fates - Jackie McLean & Tina Brooks (1960 - 1963)" reviewed by Russell Perry


Fate could not have treated Blue Note saxophonists Tina Brooks and Jackie McLean more differently. While McLean released nine LPs for Prestige and two dozen for Blue Note between 1956 and 1967, only one of Tina Brooks' four Blue Note sessions was released in his lifetime. Yet their collaborations on McLean's Jackie's Bag and the unreleased Brooks session Back to the Tracks, are among the highlights of the hard bop era. McLean went on to the record a series of ...

44
Radio & Podcasts

Worktime, One Step Beyond and Questions

Read "Worktime, One Step Beyond and Questions" reviewed by Marc Cohn


Charenee Wade starts us off offering wisdom, followed by questions posed by Jimmy Raney, Danny Grissett, Kenny Werner, John Ellis & Tal Farlow. Then, a major Sonny Rollins celebration with tracks from his monumental Worktime recording. We've also got a Jazz Times 'Top 50 of all time' alto sax session from Jackie McLean. More? Of course: Cassandra Wilson & The Fat Babies (doing Hoagy Carmichael), Brad Mehldau, J.J. Johnson & Ferenc Snétberger. Do enjoy the show! Thanks to ...

277
Album Review

Jackie McLean: New Soil

Read "New Soil" reviewed by Greg Simmons


Jackie McLean's New Soil, is not the most acclaimed album in the classic Blue Note catalogue, but this 1959 release deserves more attention that it gets, being supremely well-played, well-written and--within the limitations of its time--well-recorded. This vinyl reissue, remastered from the original tapes by the good folks at Acous-Tech, is part of a series of albums--fifty titles in all, so far--that includes some of the most well-known Blue Note recordings from the 1950s and '60s, and may well represent ...

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Multiple Reviews

Jackie McLean: 4, 5 and 6 (RVG) & New Wine in Old Bottles

Read "Jackie McLean: 4, 5 and 6 (RVG) & New Wine in Old Bottles" reviewed by Graham L. Flanagan


Jackie McLean 4, 5 and 6 (RVG) Prestige-Concord 2007 Jackie McLean New Wine In Old Bottles East Wind-Test of Time 2007

Although the late Jackie McLean might be best remembered for his more adventurous, improv-based recordings such as Destination Out!, Right Now!, Vertigo, etc., he made a major mark in the ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw\'s orchestra. After his father\'s death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell... Read more.

Place our ...

TV / Film

Documentary: Jackie McLean

Documentary: Jackie McLean

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers


Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw\'s orchestra. After his father\'s death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell... Read more.

Place our ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw\'s orchestra. After his father\'s death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell... Read more.

Place our ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw\'s orchestra. After his father\'s death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell... Read more.

Place our ...

3

Recording

"The Music Of Jackie McLean," New CD By Saxophonist Steven Lugerner & His Band Jacknife, To Be Released April 22

"The Music Of Jackie McLean," New CD By Saxophonist Steven Lugerner & His Band Jacknife, To Be Released April 22

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

For the last year and a half, jny: San Francisco Bay Area woodwind expert Steven Lugerner has been digging into the music of jazz legend Jackie McLean with Jacknife, Lugerner’s hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet. The group has completed work on an album, The Music of Jackie McLean, slated for release on April 22 by Primary Records, and will be touring the West Coast next month with special guest Larry Willis, the virtuoso pianist and former McLean sideman. Exploring tunes ...

Don Byas
saxophone, tenor
Sonny Rollins
saxophone
John Coltrane
saxophone
Miles Davis
trumpet
Dexter Gordon
saxophone, tenor
Lester Young
saxophone
Christopher Burnett
saxophone, alto
Ed Palermo
saxophone
Beppe Aliprandi
saxophone, alto
Wesley Crispus
saxophone
Roz Harding
saxophone, alto
Collin Sherman
saxophone, alto
Roz
saxophone, alto
Pureum Jin
saxophone, alto
Glen Manby
saxophone, alto
Sunhyun Yoo
saxophone, alto
Josh Andres
multi-instrumentalist
Aaron Johnson
saxophone, alto
Tristan Voitcu
saxophone, baritone

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