Jackie McLean's 1960's Blue Note Recordings

[Tom 1960]

I've been listening to the past few days many of Jackie's fine recordings for the label during the 1960's time period and must say what a sheer delight it has been to hear them after a long absence. If you too haven't listened to some of these sessions recently, why not dig back into the collection and pull a few out? See if you agree with my thoughts? Maybe post a few thoughts? That's my recommendation!

Edited November 20, 2014 by Tom 1960

[BFrank]

Will do!

The Mosaic box is a good place to start.

[colinmce]

These records are never more than a couple months out of rotation. The 1964-66 music on the Mosaic is certainly the pinnacle, but let's not forget all the wonderful sessions from 1959-1963, my favorites of which are Jackie's Bag and Bluesnik. Of the later stuff, Destination Out! and It's Time stand out. But it's all pretty much perfect. Consequence is slighter than some of the other sessions, and I also don't much care for New & Old Gospel. Still don't have Bout Soul or Demon's Dance. For my money, though, one of the truly great purple patches in jazz music.

[jlhoots]

Will do!

The Mosaic box is a good place to start.

One of my top 3 Mosaics.

[jazzbo]

These records are never more than a couple months out of rotation. The 1964-66 music on the Mosaic is certainly the pinnacle, but let's not forget all the wonderful sessions from 1959-1963, my favorites of which are Jackie's Bag and Bluesnik. Of the later stuff, Destination Out! and It's Time stand out. But it's all pretty much perfect. Consequence is slighter than some of the other sessions, and I also don't much care for New & Old Gospel. Still don't have Bout Soul or Demon's Dance. For my money, though, one of the truly great purple patches in jazz music.

Demon Dance was just reissued in Japan and is well worth seeking out.

[BFrank]

Don't forget the Grachan Moncur Mosaic Select. Four of the six albums are Jackie's.

[felser]

Still waiting for single CD release of the 'High Frequency' and 'Hipnosis' sessions! Anyone have any knowledge on these? Love his BN's in general, with the 'One Step Beyond' and 'Jacknife' albums and the cut "Appointment in Ghana" coming to mind as favorites. Not a big fan of "Tippin' The Scales", but that's about the only one that isn't a success to my ears on at least some level.

Edited November 20, 2014 by felser

[Clunky]

I've never understood the antipathy towards "Tippin' the Scales". For me "Swing, swang, swingin'" is his low point on Blue Note. All relative of course as it's good enough to keep.

[Daniel A]

I've never understood the antipathy towards "Tippin' the Scales". For me "Swing, swang, swingin'" is his low point on Blue Note. All relative of course as it's good enough to keep.

I agree with this. For me, Jacknife is the one I'm returning to the most, if only because I love "Blue Fable". I like Jackie the most when he's going almost out, but over chord changes (as opposed to more "free" contexts).

Edited November 20, 2014 by Daniel A

[felser]

I've never understood the antipathy towards "Tippin' the Scales". For me "Swing, swang, swingin'" is his low point on Blue Note. All relative of course as it's good enough to keep.

forgot about that one, don't much care for it either. Those were conscious steps backward for a musician who was making breakthroughs moving forward.

I've never understood the antipathy towards "Tippin' the Scales". For me "Swing, swang, swingin'" is his low point on Blue Note. All relative of course as it's good enough to keep.

I agree with this. For me, Jacknife is the one I'm returning to the most, if only because I love "Blue Fable". I like Jackie the most when he's going almost out, but over chord changes (as opposed to more "free" contexts).

"Blue Fable" and "On The Nile", yeah!

[BFrank]

I liked him when he was paired up with Lee Morgan, too - like Tom Cat, Charisma, Sixth Sense.

[Rooster_Ties]

I liked him when he was paired up with Lee Morgan, too - like Tom Cat, Charisma, Sixth Sense.

Infinity (under Lee's name) is maybe my favorite Lee & Jackie date. Yeow!!!

[JSngry]

Fully-ish understand why/how it could never/never did happen, but in theory...considering how well Jackie did with Grachan's thing, wouldn't it be worth a consideration to ponder a pairing of Jackie with Alan Shorter and/or his book?

[paul secor]

I love the 1963 recordings with Grachan Moncur III and Bobby Hutcherson and have wondered why he moved back into conventional hard bop settings. Perhaps record company pressure, fans' expectations? Perhaps I'm in a minority, but I was sorry he made a move back to conventionality.

[Homefromtheforest]

I love the 1963 recordings with Grachan Moncur III and Bobby Hutcherson and have wondered why he moved back into conventional hard bop settings. Perhaps record company pressure, fans' expectations? Perhaps I'm in a minority, but I was sorry he made a move back to conventionality.

I agree so I'll join you in the minority!

Although I do enjoy his mid to late 60s blue notes still, but my go to records are those 2 early dates with Moncur and Hutcherson.

[JSngry]

Not sure if it was a case of moving back or just naturally moving back and forth.

[Joe]

A. FICKLE. SONANCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWwPQycvPzI

Edited November 21, 2014 by Joe

[felser]

A. FICKLE. SONANCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWwPQycvPzI

A. FICKLE. SONANCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWwPQycvPzI

That album was the holy grail when I first got into jazz collecting in 1972, the album no one I knew had ever seen or heard.

[AndrewHill]

Starting with let freedom to demons dance is a treasure: u get Jackie pushing it to back to hard bop n to me I'd wish he'd got more pointed (esp with ornettte) but I don't leave this work unamused; indeed I turn to let freedom ring n new n old gospep most

[clifford_thornton]

Not sure if it was a case of moving back or just naturally moving back and forth.

Totally. Very fluid dude. And we know, or at least I think we do, that he tried some things with Rashied Ali and Norman Connors, more open, and he was not personally satisfied by their approach, and how those drummers shaped his music. Cf. Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Jack De Johnette...

[Clunky]

A. FICKLE. SONANCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWwPQycvPzI

A. FICKLE. SONANCE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWwPQycvPzI

That album was the holy grail when I first got into jazz collecting in 1972, the album no one I knew had ever seen or heard.

I held this in no special regard when I first heard it on the RVG CD. The sound was a real turn off. A Toshiba LP and finally a NY mono revealed what a great session this is. Both LP editions sounding leagues better than the CD.

[Homefromtheforest]

I have a King pressing that sounds very nice

[clifford_thornton]

same here. Wonderful date.

[Joe]

I'm also a huge fan of the quintet date with KD and the Clark / Warren / Higgins rhythm section that was originally issued as part of HIPNOSIS 2-LP set.

[Bluesnik]

This is a real Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs album, with one session recorded at the old studio and the other at the new. I wasn't aware of this and just saw it. Plus there's Tina Brooks, a man I like a lot, on the second session. I was hungry today for some McLean.