JACKIE MCLEAN
Prestige Profiles Vol. 6
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Jazzitude reviews of two Jackie McLean reissues: Jackie's
Bag and Jacknife
Jackie McLean’s period of recording
for Prestige was brief, and all of the tracks here were
recorded in 1956 and 1957, though he had appeared on the
label as early as 1951, on the Miles Davis date Dig. Despite
that fact, the material comes from several different album
releases, a clear sign that McLean was considered an up
and coming artist, as he indeed proved to be. His recordings
for Blue Note became increasingly aligned with Ornette Coleman’s
‘new thing,’ and his diamond-hard alto sound
was honed into an acid-tinged quality that is truly on e
of his greatest contributions to the instrument. Initially
a Charlie Parker disciple, he emerged from Parker’s
shadow to be one of the post-Parker altoists who truly pointed
the way further rather than becoming stuck in imitation
Bird-land.
The music here consists primarily of ‘blowing
sessions,’ which is to say they follow the bop tradition
of a head followed by a round of solos, making the music
all about improvisation and the moment. An exception is
the exquisite Mal Waldron ballad “Mirage,” on
which McLean and trumpet player play counterpoint in the
melodic statement like some kind of alternative Parker and
Gillespie or Mulligan and Baker. Waldron’s piano work
guides the musicians along and both front line players get
off solid solos.
On the standards, like the pair of Gershwin
tunes, “Embraceable You” and “Our Love
Is Here to Stay” you can hear the Bird influence loud
and clear, though “Our Love” also demonstrates
the influence of Dexter Gordon, as at least some of McLean’s
unique alto sound comes from emulating a more rough and
ready tenor sound that he heard musicians like Gordon play.
It’s instructive to hear what McLean does with an
overly simple pop song lie “Sentimental Journey.”
His statement of the melody begins as we are used to, but
he begins to insert small blues and gospel phrases that
clearly signal what his hard bop future will sound like.
Between the chorus and bridge he breaks into a Parker-inspired
run, which propels him into his solo.
While these sessions show McLean still developing,
he already has a great alto sound and his bop conception
is solid. The results are refreshing jam sessions that are
devoid of grandstanding or unnecessary displays of showmanship—just
excellent music. In addition, the bonus disc is a very interesting
one, featuring musicians who were either strongly in the
Parker mold (Sonny Stitt, Sonny Criss, Phil Woods) or who
transcended their Parker influence, moving deeper into the
modern jazz side of the equation (Lee Konitz, Gigi Gryce).
