Jackie McLean "Comp. 55-57' Sessions (JazzConnections)

[jeffsjazz]

I just saw this 6cd box set (Prestige,New Jazz,Jubilee labels) of Jackie Macs older stuff.Has anybody heard this new arrival from our Spanish friends? I am wondering about the graphics,sound??

Thanks for the input.

Dr. Jeff

[bertrand]

I'm assuming this is all the Fantasy stuff plus Fat Jazz, or are there bonus cuts not on the Fantasy CDs?

If not, then just buy the Fantasy/Concord stuff (I hope they're still in print, except for the 20-bit version of 4,5 and 6) and the Fresh Sound issue of Fat Jazz.

Bertrand.

[Kyo]

I'm assuming this is all the Fantasy stuff plus Fat Jazz, or are there bonus cuts not on the Fantasy CDs?

It includes all the Fantasy stuff except the alternate take of A Long Drink of the Blues

plus "The New Tradition" (aka Presenting Jackie McLean) and Fat Jazz. I ordered it

since I have all the Fantasy material as eMusic mp3s and would like to have it

all on CD as well (plus I own none of the AdLib/Jubliee albums).

Edited April 8, 2007 by Kyo

[Eric]

I can imagine the mastering nightmare that the "producers" must go through. Let's see, do we use the K-2, the RVG or the Japanese mastering? Comparing the various editions must be exhausting, plus it probably sets them back at least $50 - $75.

[Kyo]

I can imagine the mastering nightmare that the "producers" must go through. Let's see, do we use the K-2, the RVG or the Japanese mastering? Comparing the various editions must be exhausting, plus it probably sets them back at least $50 - $75.

Fantasy (back then) or Concord (now) didn't bother to issue this material in a comprehensive manner and they had decades to do that before this box set came out. I'd rather have this all in one place considering how chaotically McLean's Prestige sessions were divided across LPs - the quartet session with Mal Waldron was spread over four albums and they never released a CD compiling those onto one disc.

And the price is also a factor: To get all this material on CD I'd have to pay about $120 even though it would fit on five discs (and that's not counting the two Jubillee albums!). No, actually make that $130 as they didn't think it necessary to include Bird Feathers with the rest of the Alto Madness session. Even Mosaic charge only $80 for a set of that size and they have to pay licensing fees for the material they use.

They could've easily seen this coming and released an official Prestige collection in the last few years. Instead we got the RVG of "4, 5 and 6" - the THIRD American CD issue of the same material.

This wouldn't be as easy for these "producers" if those in charge at Fantasy/Concord didn't MAKE it as easy for them.

Edited April 8, 2007 by Kyo

[Guy Berger]

Well, it's been 50 years (or almost that much). So most of this stuff is PD, or should be.

Guy

[JohnS]

I'll own up to just getting this one. Nicely presented and with good sound but the notes aren't up to much but the music's fine and shouldn't be overlooked. Shame it's not quite complete though.

[Kyo]

I'll own up to just getting this one. Nicely presented and with good sound but the notes aren't up to much but the music's fine and shouldn't be overlooked. Shame it's not quite complete though.

What's missing?

Edited May 12, 2007 by Kyo

[Cliff Englewood]

Here's the blurb from their site for anyone interested;

Complete 1955-1957 Quartet, Quintet & Sextet Sessions (6 Cds Box Set)

Jackie McLean

Featuring: Jackie McLean, Danald Byrd, Bill Hardman, Webster Young, Curtis Fuller, Ray Draper, John Jenkins, Hank Mobley, Mal Waldron, Elmo Hope ...

REFERENCE: JC 1001_6

BAR CODE: 8427328510011

PRICE: 34.75 €

This is a tribute to one of the most misunderstood jazzmen in the history of modern jazz and to his music. Jackie McLean belonged to the second generation of alto sax players who were greatly influenced by Charlie Parker, but it was not long before he found his own voice. His cohesive, solid phrasing and his distinct, harsh-like sonority would make him into one of the most representative jazzmen of a blues-full hard bop style. All the sessions represented here took place in the famous studio that legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder had in Hackensack, New Jersey, and features some of the most representative jazzmen of its time, including Donald Byrd, Bill Hardman, Hank Mobley, Mal Waldron, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones among others, appearing in a sequence of eight exciting albums originally cut for the Ad Lib, Prestige, New Jazz, and Jubilee labels. This 6 CD box set is a comprehensive and chronological collection of the altoist-composer first recordings as a leader, illustrated by a 20-page book let full of historic pictures and detailed sessionography.

Tracklisting:

CD 1

1. It's You Or No One

2. Blue Doll / Mood Melody

3. The Way You Look Tonight

4. Little Melonae

5. Lover Man

6. A Foggy Day

7. Kerplunk

8. Up

9. Lorraine

10. Lights Out

Total time 79:54

CD 2

1. Inding

2. Sentimental Journey

3. Why Was I Born?

4. Contour

5. When I Fall In Love

6. Abstraction

7. Sweet Doll

8. Just For Marty

9. Dee's Dilemma

10. It Could Happen To You

Total time: 77:45

CD 3

1. Su-blues

2. Steeplechase

3. Gone with the Wind

4. McLean's Scene

5. Mean To Me

6. Flickers

7. Help

8. Beau Jack

9. Mirage

Total time:79:58

CD 4

1. Minor Dream

2. Hear A Rhapsody

3. Embraceable You

4. I Never Knew

5. These Foolish Things

6. Our Love Is Here To Stay

7. I Cover the Waterfront

8. What's New

9. Old Folks

10. Bean and the Boys

11. Strange Blues

12. Outburst

Total time: 74:48

CD5

1. Bird Feathers

2. Easy Living

3. Windy City

4. Pondering

5. The Lady Is A Tramp

6. Alto Madness

7. Disciples Love Affair

8. Millie's Pad

9. Not So Strange Blues

Total time: 73:18

CD6

1. Jackie's Ghost

2. What's New?

3. Chasin' the Bird

4. A Long Drink of the Blues

5. Filide

6. Millie's Pad

7. Two Sons

8. What Good Am I Without You?

9. Tune Up

Total time: 79:10

[JohnS]

What's missing?

I'm assuming this is all the Fantasy stuff plus Fat Jazz, or are there bonus cuts not on the Fantasy CDs?

It includes all the Fantasy stuff except the alternate take of A Long Drink of the Blues

plus "The New Tradition" (aka Presenting Jackie McLean) and Fat Jazz. I ordered it

since I have all the Fantasy material as eMusic mp3s and would like to have it

all on CD as well (plus I own none of the AdLib/Jubliee albums).

[Kyo]

I don't get it. You mean just that one alternate take? I thought you were talking about something substantial.

[porcy62]

...

This is a tribute to one of the most misunderstood jazzmen in the history of modern jazz and to his music.

...

I wouldn't buy their set just for this sentence. I take it as personal insult to me and to everybody's interested in jazz.

Edited May 12, 2007 by porcy62

[porcy62]

This is a tribute

i copied this to paste BEFORE i even got to the end of the thread-- nice call Porcy (tho' there are a # of points you might be objecting to). my question is, just who's paying tribute to whom here & who's rewarded?

edc

ozona, fla

Right, if you look in a dictionary: you'll find: "to pay a tribute". Semantic's analysis imposes your questions.

[ASNL77]

I am seriously thinking of buying this as the price is very attractive. Yet, as I have become a bit of a vinyl cruisader, I am sitting on the fence...Is the material covered by this set easy to find on vinyl at a decent price?

Edited May 13, 2007 by ASNL77

[porcy62]

I am seriously thinking of buying this as the price is very attractive. Yet, as I have become a bit of a vinyl cruisader, I am sitting on the fence...Is the material covered by this set easy to find on vinyl at a decent price?

Not at all if you look for original first pressings, but later OJC reissues might be a serious andd cheap alternative, though I haven't got experience with them.

Edited May 13, 2007 by porcy62

[jazzbo]

All the OJC reissue vinyl I've ever heard was nice.

[clifford_thornton]

That's what I've got most of these on...

Have Jubilee pressings of the others.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

is this going to be hard to special order at the local record store? is it some grey market or foreign label? i would like to make a purchace of this item

[Chuck Nessa]

You should be able to steal these performances anywhere.

[clifford_thornton]

I look forward to hearing exactly who "Chewy's Pal" is...

[Kyo]

Got this today, paid about 38 Euros including shipping (from caiman via amazon.de). Their offer for

the Dexter Gordon Steeplechase box (which I also got) was even better (about 37 Euros incl. shipping).

Contrary to the track listing on the label's website the sixth CD does include the "alternate take" of A Long Drink of the Blues. I wouldn't complain if they'd left it off though as it is in fact just a false start with some dialogue following (total track length 2:23).

Impressions so far: The two Jubilee albums sound way worse than the Prestige stuff (pretty hissy).

The booklet is a mixed bag. It contains good color pictures of all the album artwork (four albums

per page - the booklet has the standard jewel case format). I haven't read the essay on McLean

yet, but the writeup titled "recordings" is about as exciting to read as is the discographical

info itself. What I really don't like is that they put the discographical info (including small

pictures of the album covers) into the small (four page) booklets of the jewel cases

instead of including it all in the 20 page booklet for the box set. There are several

pictures of Jackie McLean (at various stages of his career), but none of the sidemen.

What annoys me is the fact that two discs each are packaged as a stand-alone set.

It can be pretty irritating that it says "CD 1" in big letters on the disc when in fact it's

the third or fifth disc of the set - the "volume 2" or "volume 3" font is much smaller.