AVID Jazz here presents four classic Jackie McLean albums including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Fat Jazz”….from 1957, a moment in time…….Jackie had recently left Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers to form his own band…..”six outstanding young musicians” including, unusually a tuba player, Ray Draper. So here are the results…five diverse tracks including two by the young Draper. However due to lack of engagements for such a large and relatively unknown band the group disbanded and Jackie retuned to the Blakey fold to plan his next move. “Jackie’s Bag”…….It’s 1959 and what a line up!!........Donald Byrd- trumpet, Sonny Clark- piano, Paul Chambers- bass, Philly Joe Jones-drums, Blue Mitchell-trumpet, the mysterious and under recorded Tina Brooks-tenor, Kenny Drew-piano, Art Taylor-drums, Phew! Five McLean originals and one from Tina Brooks and an album of two halves! Two rhythm sections, side two recorded in 1960 featuring a three horn attack presenting Jackie with particular writing challenges! The results speak for themselves! “New Soil”…..A new Jackie McLean? Consider his comment from the original 1959 album liner notes……..”New Soil” is my idea for a title……..this is a change in my career……..my style’s changed, I’ve changed……..I’m not like I used to be, so I play different”. Once again Jackie teams up with old mate Donald Byrd on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass, Pete La Roca on drums while new man Walter Davis Jnr. joins on piano. Davis contributes three of the five featured numbers and as Jackie proclaims in the liner notes “ A very pleasant very humourous guy, he’s a good piano player but he writes well too”. “Swing Swang Swingin” ….October 1959……from the original album liner notes…….”this album is testimony to Jackie’s new strength…as the main soloist he plays with unflagging zest through six well chosen selections”( from the Great American Songbook including Cole Porter, Oscar Hammerstein and Johnny Mercer). The set concludes with Jackie’s own “116th And Lenox” and as the album title suggests of the band, Walter Bishop Jnr., Jimmy Garrison and Art Taylor “they came, they swung and they split”
All four albums have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!
CD1
1-5: ‘Fat Jazz’
1. Filide
2. Millie’s Pad
3. Two Sons
4. What Good Am I Without You
5. Tune Up
6-11: ‘Jackie’s Bag’
6. Quadrangle
7. Blues Inn
8. Fidel
9. Appointment In Ghana
10. A Ballad For Doll
11. Isle Of Java
CD2
1-5: ‘New Soil’
1. Hip Strut
2. Minor Apprehension
3. Greasy
4. Sweet Cakes
5. Davis Cup
6-12: ‘Swing, Swang, Swingin’
6. What’s New
7. Let’s Face The Music And Dance
8. Stable Mates
9. I’ll Remember You
10. I Love You
11. I’ll Take Romance
12. 116th And Lenox
