Mssr_Renard It took my a while to get into Jackie McLean. I always thought his style was to sterile en devoid of the rawness I so often enjoy in saxophonists. But apparantly it is not his style but his choice of instrument.

To this day I mostly listened to tenorists while Jackie is an altist. (I have listened to Cannonball Adderly and of recently dug deep into Arthur Blythe's output).

An alto saxophone is something completely different than a tenor saxophone. A tenor growls more and an alto is more subtile and has a more sophisticated sound.

This album by Jackie (I bought this one and Destination Out in one buy), is what the title suggests: a very bluesy album. A nice balance of uptempo swingers and more midtempo bluesy songs.

Jackie has surrounded him with excellent other bluesy players like the severely underrated pianist Kenny Drew (I really like his playing with Dexter Gordon) and the Freddie Hubbard who seems to be able to play any style.

I am not all that familiar with both LaRoca and Watkins, but they sound very tight and they a very groovy and swinging foundation to wich Jackie and Freddie can really improvise. A perfect example of how tight the interplay of the five guys is, is the first song of Side B, wich is an infectious uptempo bopper with outstanding walking bass, and some very fine syncopated snare-hits by LaRoca.

All in all a very nice hardbop-album with a nice emphasis on the bluesy side of things, but with an uplifting feel and a good swing throughout to tap your feet and snap your fingers.

I bought the Blue Not Classic Vinyl edition and as always in the series, the sound is crisp, warm and the mastering is impeccable.

Steve Wyzard HARD BOP DEFINED!

Jackie McLean's Consequence album was originally released as part of Blue Note's infamous LT-series 14 years after it was first recorded (December 1965). The liner notes suggest that McLean's more avant-garde albums (Let Freedom Ring/One Step Beyond/Destination Out) rendered sessions such as those that make up Consequence "too straight ahead" in comparison. Yet listening to it today, one can only wonder "what's not to like?" about this intensely visceral recording. Consequence is unequivocally one of McLean's most definitive achievements, to the point where if someone asked me, "Just what is hard bop anyway?", I would simply point them to this record.

What's so memorable about this album? From the start I must insist that all of trumpeter Lee Morgan's fans hear his performance on this record immediately. His blistering first solo on "Bluesanova", his shrieking second solo on the same track, and his solo on "Slumber" are all truly awe-inspiring. Harold Mabern's slam-bang piano work on this album can only be described as "Tyner-esque". Drummer Billy Higgins destroys absolutely everything in sight, and bassist Herbie Lewis deserves to be a little higher in the mix. For ensemble playing, watch out for the furious title track, the trade-offs on "Tolypso", and Morgan and McLean playing the heads together throughout the album, but especially on "Vernestune". Altoist McLean plays his wildest solo on the aforementioned "Vernestune", and don't miss the fiery playing behind the slower tempo of "My Old Flame".

When I first heard this album, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. While not to be compared to a Coltrane-like intensity, the "oomph" that gives hard bop its name can be heard on every track. Consequence never fails to amaze and lift one's spirits, like all the best albums of this genre. And while "definitive" shouldn't be confused with "greatest", there's no better word to describe the epitomizing performances on this sadly underrated album.

Matt For twenty one months between August 1964 and April 1966 Jackie McLean recorded eight different sessions as leader at Blue Note and that is not counting another four with Lee Morgan in this time span. This one which produced the album "Right Now" was recorded January 1965 and for me is one of his best when Jackie McLean had changed his approach to Jazz and although he started with BeBop and a complete adoration for Charlie Parker who was his major influence, Jackie soon embraced the more stretched out form Hard Bop within in his own development and still always that foundation could be heard from his Bird days. Change would always be something that Jackie McLean embraced throughout his entire musical existence and by this time in 1965, Jackie was literally out there with 'Action" being his previous album but previous to that one he had done "One Step Beyond", "Destination Out" and "Let Freedom Ring" all that were firmly placed in that time as new Jazz with modal and avante garde structures all contained within these albums. The one constant though for Jackie McLean is he never forgot his early days with Charlie Parker and that is a grasp on the melody no matter how far out you can always hear Bird's ghost. Jackie had a great up front in your face tone, yes he played hard with no airy fairy breathy pieces, his horn was blasting with a great hard tone and of course it always flowed just beautifully.

The band are all young and right into the new change in Jazz that was happening at this albums time as Jackie often picked young musicians who he thought had a much better grasp on what he wanted his albums to sound like. With this one which is just a quartet we have Larry Willis on piano who had not long graduated from music school with very little professional experience as he had only been playing with Hugh Masekela and had been gigging in Jackie's band around New York. Bob Cranshaw is on bass and how many albums has that man strummed on but already at this time five years after his recording debut, he has recorded with Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Grant Green just to name three and these were the albums that today are considered Jazz masterpieces being "The Bridge", "The Sidewinder" and "Idle Moments" with this one being just another. Clifford Jarvis is another fairly new man on the scene and his experience has been with Sun Ra predominately but also the odd session with Freddie Hubbard as well. One of the reasons Jackie picked young bands was because it was them who were actually playing this form of Jazz and another reason may have been that they were more open to new ideas which Jackie McLean was in pursuit of himself.

Jackie leads in with a quick statement of the theme for the first composition and follows with a wonderful frantic solo on this up tempo number but with all those loopy chord changes that Jackie inserts it is always the Bop that comes through his alto saxophone with lightning changes and although it would be termed as Post Bop he still is injecting his Bop roots and plays as such on the albums opening number "Eco" with a great flowing piano solo from Larry Willis to follow. "Poor Eric" which is a tribute to Eric Dolphy and written by Larry Willis is almost the opposite to the first with its slow time and melancholy introspection that Jackie plays with beautiful slow placing of each note that he emits and yet although seemingly unnoticable in places he quickly inserts the odd quick loop and to follow with what could be described as graceful is the piano solo from Larry Willis on this wonderful atmospheric number. Jackie McLean always played with a firm approach with each note always clear and at times described as abrasive but he could play a slow number or ballad as good as anyone with that precise feel required as "Poor Eric" had to have but the up tempo drive is back with all of Jackie's quick flowing changes which is another Larry Willis composition being "Christel's Tune" and as such with the previous number there is a 10 minute length giving ample room for some great stretching out for the musicians but it is Jackie who gets the lions share with Larry Willis on piano providing another solo after Jackie with Clifford Jarvis on drums and although the pattern does not change a lot for the band in which these compositions were arranged the album is far from repetitive as each tune has its own distinct sound. The title track "Right Now" is the album closer and written by the trumpeter Charles Tolliver who actually was a sideman in Jackie's previous release "Action" but not so here. One of the best compositions for me on the album and although it starts with a quite a loopy intro from Jackie's alto saxophone it is Blues in the Hard Bop manner that sufaces in this lengthy composition during Jackie's solo and that is precisely where the charm always laid with Jackie McLean he could head right out there but he still kept one foot always on the melody and you would think that this almost Avante interpretation that Jackie plays with his solo is far from it but those Bop lines just keep jumping in throughout on this contrasting composition with its Bop insertions.Great stuff and the added bonus is the alt take which is included on the cd release is a tad longer and just as good as the original of "Right Now" even if Jackie's solo does seem a little looser at times and he really screeches it out in places on this great alternate version.

Within all these sessions that Jackie McLean recorded these albums with Blue Note there were two that were never released at the time with "JackKnife" being one which has since been released in 1975 as a double album and 2004 on cd but there is another that has only sufaced on Mosaic and that is the the album "High Frequency" which was recorded in April 1966. If you are a fan one wonders if there is a reason but whatever I still would like to see the session released from this interesting time in Jackie McLeans career. As for this album "Right Now" it is essential Jazz from one of the best exponents on Alto Saxophone you could wish to hear. Full stop.

Abraxas Jackie McLean was a well-known hard bop alto saxophonist among jazz musicians through the late 50s; however I've always found his 60s post-bop material to be more exciting, featuring many great jazz players such as Hancock, Hutcherson, Moncur III, Morgan, et al.

It's in the case of Demon's Dance, released in 1967, where trumpet virtuoso, Woody Shaw, and the relentless drummer, Jack DeJohnette appear. Accompanied by the lesser known LaMont Johnson on piano, assimilating the McCoy Tyner style which is utterly fantastic, and Scott Holt on bass.

In almost all cases where Shaw participated, he leaves his trademark, both in his unique playing and compositions. Here we have two of his compositions, 'Boo Ann's Grand' and 'Sweet Love of Mine', both clearly post-bop pieces which resemble the 60-63 period of John Coltrane; great soloing from Jackie and Woody, and outstanding performance of DeJohnette.

The title track and 'Floogeh' are also post-bop pieces with the hard bop roots of Jackie heard clearer than in the Shaw pieces. The other two compositions are from trumpeter Cal Massey, 'Toyland' a nice ballad showing Jackie's emotional side, while 'Message from Trane' finishes the album with more quality post-bop, although probably the least memorable of the bunch.

Demon's Dance is definitely another solid and highly enjoyable album from McLean, although Jackie plays it safe without any innovations or more adventurous compositions like many contemporary post-bop records to this, or even compared to his own releases. Anyway with the addition of a Klarwein cover art, although rather creepy in this case and may mislead jazz purists, what else would you want?

Fans of Coltrane, Shorter and the like, shouldn't hesitate in getting this if you're in the need of yet another minor jazz gem.

Matt Jackie McLean had one major influence being Charlie Parker which this album,"Swing Swang Swingin'' will only will reinforce with some of the best alto saxophone playing recorded. Maybe it was the night or one of those bio- rythmn things but whatever Jackie was right on the mark with this recording. He just rips through them with great style and wonderful blowing. One has to remember he still has a long way to go in jazz at this stage in his career and Bop was his main stay and staple for this period in time. Pure swing is what the band has obtained when they recorded this session back in October 1959 with a mix of tunes being standards and show tunes and also one Jackie composition which is the album closer,"116th and Lenox". One great point for the album is the Quartet set up for the band which gives Jackie plenty of space to solo and if like me you are a big fan of his alto playing this a total musical delight. The band comprises Jackie McLean on alto saxophone with Walter Bishop Jr on piano, Jimmy Garrison, bass and he is young here with still another three years before joining John Coltrane and the ever reliable Art Taylor is on drums who had been playing with John Coltrane for two years already. Walter Bishop Jr who is the pianist has played with them all including Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Art Blakey and the list goes on but it is no suprise because Walter could play Hard Bop with the best but at this time he had been in inactive for several years and had only recently returned to playing jazz but you would never guess.

Big and bold is the sound emanating for Jackie's alto for the whole album and with the opening bar of "Whats New" that is Jackie's sound which he does not veer from for the albums duration with Walter on piano an absolute delight with his solos that just compliment Jackie's playing."Lets Face The Music and Dance" is bopped right up from its original form with swing and drive and Jackie really hits the heights with a solo that just rips through the tune with Walter following using the same approach on this up tempo version. The rythmn section of Jimmy and Art are superb throughout and provide a rock solid founation for Jackie and Walter to play on as with the next to follow "Stablemates". "I Remember You" the Mercer tune is given the same treatment as every composition is, with great swing and some of the best solos from Jackie as he just keeps them quickly moving and yes like Charlie Parker always lands right back on the spot with his finish. The Jackie composition "116th And Lenox" fits perfectly with all the others containing that up tempo approach that every tune was given in this album with some great quick play and wonderful changes that Jackie and the band brought to every tune recorded during this session.

Alfred Lion wrote the title for the album for the session, as after he said,"They came swung and they split". Swung,swinged or swanged it does all for you this little album that Jackie McLean and the band recorded and it was one of those nights where everything just seems to flow right and everybody is in top form. This is one of those little nuggets that keeps bringing you back for another play and always a delight to hear.