The icy roads and the threat of snowstorms kept me housebound tonight. This was frustrating as I'd hoped to catch BUDVIVAR at the Chillingham; hopefully I'll make amends somewhere soon. Also tonight, one of this site's contributors, John Taylor, was presenting the Maine Street Jazzmen at the inaugral session of the re-organised Ashington Jazz Club. Let's hope the weather was better up there.
To compensate, I dug out some vinyl that I hadn't played for quite a few years; a double album by Jackie McLean to be precise. The four sides served to remind me just what a fine alto player he was. Although Parker influenced, no mere imitator he and his playing stands up alongside other New York altoists of the time (1950s) such as Phil Woods or Cannonball.
"Why Was I Born?", "A Foggy Day" and "When I Fall in Love", taken faster than the norm, see him cruise effortlessly and effectively through the changes whilst Mal Waldren's "Abstraction", with Donald Byrd 'doing' Miles is a deeply sensitive, probing composition that unbears the altoist's soul.
"Lights Out", a blues drenched opus that gave the title to one of the original albums that make up the set ("Contour" was the other) has more Milesisms from Byrd but it is McLean at his most Parkeresque who goes home with the cigar.Check it out sometime; it's bound to be on CD
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