Blue Note, 1959
By the time Jackie McLean began recording as a leader for Blue Note in 1959, the alto saxophonist had already been a stalwart of the NYC jazz scene for nearly a decade having spent the entirety of the 1950s cutting his teeth alongside bebop legends like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus. Recorded in October of that year, his 2nd Blue Note album Swing, Swang, Swingin’ fully delivered on the album title’s emphatic promise with McLean blowing with gusto through a joyful set in a quartet featuring Walter Bishop Jr. on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. As the lone horn player, McLean’s distinctive sound shines with his piquant tone and hip harmonic sense igniting impassioned improvisations. In addition to standards by Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, and more, McLean offers a bright version of Benny Golson’s “Stable Mates” before closing with his own blues “116th and Lenox.”
Tracklist
Side A
Side B
This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
