Jackie McLean meets Tony Williams

[Michael Weiss]

(courtesy of Mark Stryker)

with Ray Santisi at Connolly's Stardust Room, Boston, December, 1962

[fasstrack]

Wow. What was Tony, like 16?

[Scott Dolan]

Must have been. Wasn't he 18 when he started playing with Miles in '63-'64?

Edited December 16, 2015 by Scott Dolan

[clifford_thornton]

He was born in 1945 so he was probably 16 or 17. 

[fasstrack]

12 minutes ago, Scott Dolan said:

Must have been. Wasn't he 18 when he started playing with Miles in '63-'64?

17. Played with Jackie Mac first, so that's why I figured he was 16 in the pic.

[Scott Dolan]

According to his wiki page, he was indeed 16 when Jackie hired him. 

I never heard much of any McLean so I wasn't even aware that Tony ever played with him. 

[Guy Berger]

1 hour ago, Scott Dolan said:

According to his wiki page, he was indeed 16 when Jackie hired him. 

I never heard much of any McLean so I wasn't even aware that Tony ever played with him. 

Get yourself to your preferred purveyor of music and listen to One Step Beyond, young man!

[clifford_thornton]

He was playing with Sam Rivers at like 14.

[Scott Dolan]

Have it playing on Spotify as I type this, Guy!

That's a real who's who lineup! Thanks for the heads up. 

[Scott Dolan]

Man, Blue Rondo is a motherfucker! That tune alone made this album worth checking out. Thanks, Guy.

[.:.impossible]

Great picture. 

 

Scott? Dude. Jackie McLean. So many recommendations that it is hardly worth starting. Just dig in!

[Scott Dolan]

Brother, I know. Hey, we all have artists would never got to. He's one of mine (as a leader, that is). I did thoroughly enjoy One Step Beyond. 

[HutchFan]

For the entire decade of the 1960's, McLean made one masterpiece after another. No duds. NONE. They're ALL fantastic. 

You are in for a TREAT.  

 

[jazzbo]

Word.

And Miles knew how to "steal" talent. What if Miles hadn't hired Tony. . . .

[JSngry]

Jack said that Jackie told him, you'll end up with Miles, Miles always gets my drummers.

[Scott Dolan]

4 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

For the entire decade of the 1960's, McLean made one masterpiece after another. No duds. NONE. They're ALL fantastic. 

You are in for a TREAT.  

 

Yeah, as much as I really don't care for it, I think Spotify is going to get a monster work out from me. Too close to Christmas for for Mrs. Claus to approve any new music purchases. 

That said, Spotify has a ton of McLean titles. 

[HutchFan]

Two more titles you should hear: Let Freedom Ring and Action!  Along with One Step Beyond, they're probably my favorite Jackie Mac records.

But, like I said, you really can't miss with any of the Blue Notes.  

[flat5]

I also like Jackie's 1950s records. Great feel and phrasing.

[Mark Stryker]

Tony had just turned 17 when he first met and played with Jackie at Connolly's in Boston in December 1962 -- that when and where this picture was taken. So he was 17. Jackie tell the story in the liner notes of "One Step Beyond." It's so beautiful to see a picture from that gig. It really brings everything down to human scale.

FWIW,  I used "Blue Rondo" as my break tune for a number of years with my own band, and the basic frontline of my group was always based on the alto/trombone sound of Jackie and Grachan Moncur. (For you Chicago folks, my partner was the great bass trumpet player Ryan Shultz, whose instrument, of course, is pitched like a trombone. This was back in the mid '80s in Urbana.) Lot of material in our book either written by Jackie, arranged by him or associated with him -- "Capuchin Swing," "Blue Fable," "Snuff" ("Iddy Bitty" with modal changes) "Marilyn's Dilemma," "Blues in a Jiff," "The Three Minors," "The Way I Feel," "I Love You," "I Hear a Rhapsody," "Formidable."  

Edited December 17, 2015 by Mark Stryker

[BFrank]

Both the Mosaic 'Complete Blue Note 1964-66 Jackie McLean Sessions' box and Grachan Moncur III Mosaic Select are must-haves for Jackie fans. Unfortunately, both are OOP, too. Don't know what they're going for on the 2nd hand market these days.

[Gheorghe]

Yeah it´s really a moving story that Jackie McLean tells in his liner notes about how he met Tony and brought him to N.Y.

Tony really had a great start in early 1963 there with the legendary McLean-Graham Moncur III -Bobby Hutcherson - line up, besides recording they performed at the Living Theatre I think. And the "Una Mas" with K.D......, until he got the call from Miles.....

Tony Williams is one of my all time favourites.

[Joe]

Losing Tony Williams at 51 sucks. Thanks goodness he started so young.

Also, just imagine... leading your own Blue Note record date at the age of 19.

[Scott Dolan]

Wasn't he still 18 on that date? 

[jazzbo]

8 minutes ago, Joe said:

Losing Tony Williams at 51 sucks. Thanks goodness he started so young.

 

I found it hard to believe he was gone when he passed. He was such a force within my musical world, he and Kenny Clarke inspired me to take up the drums. Far too young. I lost my wife at 52, far too young. Life is fleeting and we should enjoy every minute.

[Joe]

8 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

I found it hard to believe he was gone when he passed. He was such a force within my musical world, he and Kenny Clarke inspired me to take up the drums. Far too young. I lost my wife at 52, far too young. Life is fleeting and we should enjoy every minute.

Word.