Jackie McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto sa… Read Full Bio ↴Jackie McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and educator, born in New York City. His early recordings as leader were in the hard bop school. He later became an exponent of modal jazz and avant-garde jazz without abandoning his foundation in hard bop. Throughout his career he was known for his distinctive withering/piercing/searing tone, his slightly sharp pitch, and a strong foundation in blues.
His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During high school he played in a band with Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, and Andy Kirk, Jr. (the tenor saxophonist son of Andy Kirk).
He recorded with Miles Davis, on Davis' Dig album, when he was 19 years old. Rollins played on the same album. As a young man McLean also recorded with Gene Ammons, Charles Mingus, George Wallington, and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (he reportedly joined the Jazz Messengers after being punched by the notoriously violent Mingus and, fearing for his life, brandished a knife and contemplated stabbing him).
McLean was a heroin addict throughout his early career, and the resulting loss of his New York City cabaret license forced him to undertake a large number of recording dates; consequently he produced a large body of recorded work in the 1950s and 60s. He was under contract with Blue Note Records from 1959 to 1967, having previously recorded for Prestige. Blue Note offered better pay and more artistic control than other labels, and his work for Blue Note is highly regarded.
In 1962 he recorded Let Freedom Ring for Blue Note. This album was the culmination of attempts he had made over the years to deal with harmonic problems in jazz, especially in soloing on his piece "Quadrangle." (*"Quadrangle" appears on BST 4051, Jackie's Bag, recorded in 1959). Let Freedom Ring began a period in which he performed with avant-garde musicians rather than the veteran hard bop performers he had been performing with. His recordings from 1962 on, in which he adapted the innovations of modal and free jazz to hard bop, made his body of work distinctive.
In 1964, he served six months in prison on drug charges. The period immediately after his release from prison is known as his acid period because the three albums he released during it were much harsher in tone than his previous albums.
In 1967 his recording contract, like the contracts of many other progressive musicians, was terminated by Blue Note's new management. His opportunities to record promised so little pay that he abandoned recording as a way to earn a living, concentrating instead on touring. In 1968 he began teaching at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He later set up the university's African American Music Department (now the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz) and its Jazz Studies degree program.
In 1970 he and his wife Dollie founded the Artists' Collective, Inc. of Hartford, an organization dedicated to preserving the art and culture of the African diaspora. It provides educational programs and instruction in dance, theatre, music and visual arts.
He received an American Jazz Masters fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001.
His son René is a jazz saxophonist and flautist as well as a jazz educator.
After a long illness, McLean died on March 31, 2006 in Hartford, Connecticut
His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During high school he played in a band with Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, and Andy Kirk, Jr. (the tenor saxophonist son of Andy Kirk).
He recorded with Miles Davis, on Davis' Dig album, when he was 19 years old. Rollins played on the same album. As a young man McLean also recorded with Gene Ammons, Charles Mingus, George Wallington, and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (he reportedly joined the Jazz Messengers after being punched by the notoriously violent Mingus and, fearing for his life, brandished a knife and contemplated stabbing him).
McLean was a heroin addict throughout his early career, and the resulting loss of his New York City cabaret license forced him to undertake a large number of recording dates; consequently he produced a large body of recorded work in the 1950s and 60s. He was under contract with Blue Note Records from 1959 to 1967, having previously recorded for Prestige. Blue Note offered better pay and more artistic control than other labels, and his work for Blue Note is highly regarded.
In 1962 he recorded Let Freedom Ring for Blue Note. This album was the culmination of attempts he had made over the years to deal with harmonic problems in jazz, especially in soloing on his piece "Quadrangle." (*"Quadrangle" appears on BST 4051, Jackie's Bag, recorded in 1959). Let Freedom Ring began a period in which he performed with avant-garde musicians rather than the veteran hard bop performers he had been performing with. His recordings from 1962 on, in which he adapted the innovations of modal and free jazz to hard bop, made his body of work distinctive.
In 1964, he served six months in prison on drug charges. The period immediately after his release from prison is known as his acid period because the three albums he released during it were much harsher in tone than his previous albums.
In 1967 his recording contract, like the contracts of many other progressive musicians, was terminated by Blue Note's new management. His opportunities to record promised so little pay that he abandoned recording as a way to earn a living, concentrating instead on touring. In 1968 he began teaching at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He later set up the university's African American Music Department (now the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz) and its Jazz Studies degree program.
In 1970 he and his wife Dollie founded the Artists' Collective, Inc. of Hartford, an organization dedicated to preserving the art and culture of the African diaspora. It provides educational programs and instruction in dance, theatre, music and visual arts.
He received an American Jazz Masters fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001.
His son René is a jazz saxophonist and flautist as well as a jazz educator.
After a long illness, McLean died on March 31, 2006 in Hartford, Connecticut
Melody for Melonae
Jackie McLean Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Jackie McLean:
'Round About Midnight It begins to tell 'Round midnight, midnight I do pretty well…
A Cottage For Sale Our little dream castle with every dream gone, Is lonely and…
A Foggy Day I was a stranger in the city Out of town were…
Cool Green I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea, Will the one…
Don Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
Embraceable You Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irrepl…
I Cover the Waterfront I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea,, Will the on…
I Fall In Love Too Easily I fall in love too easily, I fall in love…
I Love You I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
I'm In The Mood For Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
It's You or No One How did I know that the warmth of the glow…
Our Love Is Here to Stay It's very clear, our love is here to stay Not for…
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes They asked me how I knew My true love was true I…
Star Eyes Star eyes, That to me is what your eyes are, Soft as…
These Foolish Things Oh! Will you never let me be? Oh! Will you never…
What You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
When I Fall In Love I fall in love too easily, I fall in love…
Why Was I Born Spending these lonesome evenings With nothing to do But to…
Why Was I Born? Spending these lonesome evenings With nothing to do But to l…
You Don't Know What Love Is You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Robert Quay
Jackie was completely his own man on this track; genuine individuality using altisimo and the range of his horn perfectly. He was on fire. Great stuff, a classic.
larry taylor
That sound, those notes, there will never, ever, be another like him.
Carl Kandutsch
I've been listening to this song (and this album) for over 20 years, and each time it sounds like the first time I heard it. Incredibly intense performance by Jackie McLean.
jade999111
its like nothing else
DefenestrateYourself
@jade999111 Except the better version found in Kenny Dorham's "Matador".
Adam Bridgeman
Possibly the best entrance ever.
Miguel Torres
I feel deeply honored that I had the honor of seeing him perform and talking with him back in 2001 at the Blue Note in NYC..he knew the wars..what a beautiful human being
Peter Scriabin
The 8:19 Walter Davis solo that explodes modally out of the "melonic" theme-restatement - MMWUH! I cannot help wondering about the pleasure it must have given Jackie to hear someone else grooving so, to something he had just written.
Another thought I couldn't help from drifting by: what would Scriabin think and feel, if given a chance to hear what (the best) people were doing, 50 years after his death - and it's this incredibly rhythmic and modal riffing on his climax to Prometheus (Bb minor to F# major, or at least a diminished chord of it)!
Regarding the persistent bluesy, chromatic riffing from the Bb minor tonic to the B-minor/diminished-chord temporary home - please listen, assuming you are open-minded enough, to someone competent ((Ashkenazy or Horowitz)) playing the Chopin Mazurka in b minor Opus. 33 No. 4, where Chopin is expressing much the same thing, in the ruminations between B-minor, and up to C, and down to Bb.
michael morphites
OK
Arther Ladett
peace, thank you for the reference