Showing posts with label Jackie McLean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jackie McLean. Show all posts

Friday, March 8, 2013

Jackie McLean - Makin' The Changes (1957) [vinyl>flac]


I prepared this post for the RVG blog. Another contributor posted a CD rip, so rather than wasting my efforts I decided to offer it at the Crypt. This is a marvellous early album by Jackie McLean. It was recorded over two dates one consisting of a Quartet and the other as a Sextet; by the masterful Rudy van Gelder. These variants do detract from the album's flow, but taken individually the music is excellent and well played. The listener can easily discern the dynamics offered by Mal Waldron, Paul Chambers and Curtis Fuller to highlight a few of the great musicians on show here. Overall the album is an opportunity to experience some great hard bop that sounds fresh even in today’s diverse jazz world. Enjoy!

Makin' the Changes features altoist Jackie McLean in two different settings. On three selections -- a rollicking "Bean and the Boys," an up-tempo "I Never Knew" and "I Hear a Rhapsody" -- McLean teams up with pianist Mal Waldron in a quartet with bassist Arthur Phipps and drummer Art Taylor. The other three numbers ("What's New," " "Chasin' the Bird" and McLean's original "Jackie's Ghost") have more of a jam session feel, and feature McLean in a sextet with trumpeter Webster Young, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Gil Coggins, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Louis Hayes. In general, the hard bop music is swinging and fairly advanced, a step above the usual jam sessions of the time. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

New Jazz, NJLP 8231, 1960
Recorded 15th February, 1957 (#A1,A3,B1) in Hackensack, New Jersey
Recorded 30th August, 1957 (#A2,B2,B3) in Hackensack, New Jersey

Track Listing:
A1. Bean And The Boys {Coleman Hawkins} (8:32)
A2. What's New {Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke} (7:08)
A3. I Never Knew {Gus Kahn, Ted Fiorito} (2:58)
B1. I Hear A Rhapsody {Dick Gasparre, George Fragos, Jack Baker, Richard Bard} (5:07)
B2. Jackie's Ghost {Ray Draper} (5:26)
B3. Chasin' The Bird {Charlie Parker} (6:35)

Personnel:
Jackie McLean - Alto Saxophone
Curtis Fuller - Trombone (#A2,B2,B3)
Webster Young - Trumpet (#A2,B2,B3)
Mal Waldron - Piano (#A1,A3,B1)
Gil Coggins - Piano (#A2,B2,B3)
Arthur Phipps - Bass (#A1,A3,B1)
Paul Chambers - Bass (#A2,B2,B3)
Arthur Taylor - Drums (#A1, A3, B1)
Louis Hayes - Drums (#A2,B2,B3)

Credits:
Supervision - Bob Weinstock
Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Artwork - Esmond Edwards
Liner Notes - Nat Hentoff