"New And Old Gospel" - Jackie McLean

Wow!.. Is the expression I would choose if asked to describe this album in one word. McLean is my favorite hard bop/post bop alto saxman, and to hear him along side Ornette Coleman is just insane.

Jackie McLean always sited Coleman as a huge influence, and even though he never fully crossed into Free Jazz, listeners could definitely her a unique tone, aesthetic, and building concepts that were unlike other Bop saxophonists. What makes this Blue Note session brilliant is that Ornette stays away from his own alto. Other critics have cited that this date failed due to this missed opportunity to pair the two on alto, but I disagree. Staying on trumpet allowed McLean to shine on the reeds, and he deserved it. And although, the record doesn't stray far from Post Bop, Coleman adds his own shapes and colors allowing this quintet to dab into uncharted terrain.

Lifeline is suite in it's own right. Time signature changes, and different themes coming and going, the cut offers four separate variations from the whole performance. It's probably the most ruminate of the three tracks here. Higgins swings as expected, and Lament Johnson's rhythm accompaniment is perfect for for the up and down moments of the record. The swinging really takes off on Old Gospel, which points towards, as you might guess, heavy Gospel themes. Scott Holt's bass playing jives and rolls with the rest of the group here too. And what happens when you add Ornette's free trumpet playing over a mid tempo, Hard Bop balled, you get Strange As It Seems, which showcases Lament Johnson's heavy chord soloing.

1967 - Blue Note.

Jackie McLean, alto saxophone; Ornette Coleman - trumpet; Lamont Johnson - piano; Scott Holt - bass; Billy Higgins - drums.

"Let Freedom Ring" - Jackie McLean

Jackie McLean's 1960s Blue Note albums are never fail high energy performances and well entertaining. I remember reading in Blue Note Records: The Biography that he struggled and was self-critical during his mid hard bop period with finding a comfortable sound. It wasn't until Ornette Coleman was on the scene allowing McLean to develop his style. In this LP, and others like Destination Out! (1963) and New and Old Gospel (1968, which features Coleman solely on trumpet), you can really here the influence in his horn. The band is swinging, especially Billy Higgins on drums. There's the classic hard bop sound, but McLean's playing dips further into uncharted territory with squeaks, grunts, and more free playing than his other hard bop contemporaries.

1962 - Blue Note.

Jackie McLean - Alto Saxophone; Walter Davis, Jr. -Piano; Herbie Lewis - Bass; Billy Higgins - Drums.