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Eric
Mcpherson
–
drums
Alan
Jay
Palmer
–
piano
Nat
Reeves
-
bass
Jackie
McLean
Jazz
Born:May 17,
1932
New
York
,
NY
Boasting
one
of
the
most
recognizable
sounds
in
jazz
since
the
1950s,
alto
saxophonist
Jackie
McLean
is
one
of
only
a
handful
of
players
from
the
heydays
of
bebop
still
alive.
Now
well
into
his
fourth
decade
as
a
leader,
McLean
stands
as
one
of
the
most
prominent
of
those
musicians
continuing
to
make
valuable
creative
contributions
to
the
idiom.
He
has
made
a
career
of
delivering
original
and
passionate
music
in
the
post-bop
tradition.
A
Blue
Note
stalwart
in
the
late
1950s
and
early
1960s
when
he
recorded
21
classic
discs
for
the
label,
McLean
returned
to
the
fold in
1996
with
his
superb
quartet
recording
Hat
Trick (a
first-time
collaboration
with
pianist
Junko
Onishi)
and
followed
that
up
with
1998's
Fire
and
Love (featuring
the
elder
statesman
leading
his
youthful
Macband
septet
including
his
son
Rene
McLean
on
tenor
saxophone)
and
2000’s
Nature
Boy,
a
quartet
date
of
eight
tender,
gently
swinging
ballads
including
such
standards
as
"I
Can't
Get
Started,"
"I
Fall
in
Love
Too
Easily,"
"Smoke
Gets
in
Your
Eyes"
and
"A
Nightingale
Sang
in
Berkeley
Square."
On
Nature
Boy
the
alto
saxophonist
enlisted
veteran
sidemen,
including
drummer
Billy
Higgins
(who
played
on
several
of
Mac's
1960s
albums),
pianist
Cedar
Walton
and
his
longtime
trio
bassist
David
Williams.
Over
the
course
of
his
career,
McLean
has
made
a
variety
of
records,
while
stylistically
walking
the
tight
rope
between
hard
bop
and
the
avant-garde.
Born
in
New
York
City
and
raised
in
Harlem
's
Sugar
Hill
district,
McLean
often
saw
such
neighbors
as Coleman
Hawkins,
Duke
Ellington,
Miles
Davis and
Thelonious
Monk
when
he
was
in
his
teens.
When
he
was
15,
he
began
playing
alto
saxophone
and
with
his
friend
Sonny
Rollins visited
the
home
of
pianist
Bud
Powell who
schooled
them
in
the
jazz
basics.
Through
Powell,
McLean
met
Charlie
Parker,
who
proved
to
be
a
major
influence
as
the
youngster
set
out
to
develop
his
own
voice
on
the
alto.
In
1951
at age
19,
McLean
played
his
first
recording
session
with
Miles
Davis
for
a
Prestige
release
that
also
featured
Rollins.
In
subsequent
years
he
performed
with
Charles
Mingus
and
Art
Blakey’s
Jazz
Messengers
(1956-1958).
As
a
leader,
he
made
several
early
recordings
for
Prestige
before
signing
with
Blue
Note
in
1959.
His
debut,
Jackie's
Bag,
was
a
revelation.
Not
only
did
it
introduce
him
to
a
larger
audience
but
it
also
demonstrated
his
prowess
for
bridging
the
gap
between
hard
bop
and
free
jazz.
McLean
enjoyed
a
successful
stint
with Blue
Note
(1959-1967),
including
1959’s
Swing,
Swang,
Swingin’
and
New
Soil,
1961’s
Bluenik
and
the
avant-meets-hard
bop
A
Fickle
Sonance
(reissued
as
a
Rudy
Van
Gelder
Remaster),
the
fiery
1962
recording
Let
Freedom Ring,
and
1963’s
Vertigo
(in
Blue
Note’s
Connoisseur
Series)
and
Destination
Out
In
later
years
McLean
recorded
sides
for
Steeplechase
and
various
other
labels
before
taking
a
recording
hiatus
for
much
of
the
1980s
to
concentrate
on
his
role
as
a
music
educator.
He
made
his
recording
"comeback"
in
1988
with
Dynasty
(on
Triloka
Records)
and
later
re-signing
with
Blue
Note.
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