What Are You Listening To?

[jazzboCR]

Jackie McLean Fire & Love 1997

Jazz fans are probably familiar with McLean from his innovative and exciting 60s Blue Note albums. I have a few of those and love them. (That reminds me, I need to pick up those I don't own.) What many people may not know is McLean continued to make quality jazz through the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Later in his career, Jackie was joined by his son Renee, with Jackie playing the alto sax and Renee manning the tenor sax. This album features septet including Steve Davis on trombone. The music is delicious hard-bop with some sprinklings of post-bop and a hint of outside playing. "Mr. E" and "Optimism" get the album off to a rollicking start and the album is balanced with uptempo tunes and a couple/three of ballads. It's definitely an exercise of Fire and Love.

Couldn't find anything from that disc. How about a delicious set with Mal Waldron--these are a hard-bop fan's delight.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC2iBCd_psk << Now here's a happening Quartet...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ2OB52iQN0 << Mr. Waldron left his very successful big band behind for a while to do this tour...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldDKkcF0TLc << I find these renditions mildly cliched...which is a good thing. Re-enforcement of themes for me and mine, and a great all-in-one-place learning tool for budding players. Win-win for the Big Picture folks and thoroughly enjoyable for all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKUEzir9joQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm3iWmsAVlE << This'll tear your heart out and stomp on that sucker. Trust me.