Jackie McLean

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.

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, andGeorge 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, stabbing him in self-defence). His early recordings as leader were in the hard bop school. He later became an exponent of modal jazz without abandoning his foundation in hard bop. Throughout his career he was known for his distinctive tone (often described with such adjectives as withering, piercing, or searing), his slightly sharp pitch, and a strong foundation in blues.

McLean was a heroin addict throughout his early career, and the resulting loss of his New York City cabaret licence 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 playing 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.

Kenny Dorham: From 'Round Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia To Matador Revisited

Read "From 'Round Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia To Matador Revisited" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
June 5, 2024

In his mostly sane and admirable book Black Nationalism and the Revolution In Music (Pathfinder Press, 1970), Frank Kofsky describes Kenny Dorham as “house trained." The calculated insult attempts to conflate Dorham's respect for form and structure with an Uncle Tom outlook on the world. Some might say Dorham would have been justified in following (or, rather, anticipating) the example of the writer Stanley Crouch, who on spotting in a Manhattan restaurant a critic who had recently dissed one of ...

Interview

A Conversation with Jackie McLean

by AAJ Staff
July 14, 2021

From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in October 1998. All About Jazz: You grew up in the same neighborhood as Bud Powell. How did he impact your life? And, what was Bud Powell the man like? Jackie McLean: He certainly lived in the vicinity of my neighborhood. He wasn't really a neighbor. I lived on 158th street and he lived on 140th, so it was quite a distance to walk. ...

Album Review

Tina Brooks Quintet: The Complete Recordings

Read "The Complete Recordings" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
March 9, 2020

Mosaic Records' spring 2020 release The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70, the second of the label's box sets devoted to the copiously recorded (and rightly so) Hank Mobley, prompts thoughts of another of Blue Note's singular hard-bop tenor saxophone stylists. Unlike Mobley, Tina Brooks was woefully under-recorded, making just four albums under his own name. But like Mobley, Brooks had an instantly recognisable sound, was a spellbinding soloist and was also a gifted composer. In addition to his ...

Album Review

Hank Mobley: The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70

Read "The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan

by C. Andrew Hovan
March 8, 2020

The music world has changed considerably since Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie founded their boutique reissue label Mosaic Records back in 1983. From its inception, vinyl was still the preferred format, shortly to be overtaken by the popularity of the compact disc. At the cusp of vinyl's recent resurgence, Mosaic briefly got back into that format only to find themselves on the brink of closing up shop. Fortunately, the powers that be have forged on and recent CD boxed sets ...

Radio & Podcasts

Two Different Fates - Jackie McLean & Tina Brooks (1960 - 1963)

by Russell Perry
February 18, 2020

Fate could not have treated Blue Note saxophonists Tina Brooks and Jackie McLean more differently. While McLean released nine LPs for Prestige and two dozen for Blue Note between 1956 and 1967, only one of Tina Brooks' four Blue Note sessions was released in his lifetime. Yet their collaborations on McLean's Jackie's Bag and the unreleased Brooks session Back to the Tracks, are among the highlights of the hard bop era. McLean went on to the record a series of ...

Radio & Podcasts

Worktime, One Step Beyond and Questions

by Marc Cohn
June 21, 2019

Charenee Wade starts us off offering wisdom, followed by questions posed by Jimmy Raney, Danny Grissett, Kenny Werner, John Ellis & Tal Farlow. Then, a major Sonny Rollins celebration with tracks from his monumental Worktime recording. We've also got a Jazz Times 'Top 50 of all time' alto sax session from Jackie McLean. More? Of course: Cassandra Wilson & The Fat Babies (doing Hoagy Carmichael), Brad Mehldau, J.J. Johnson & Ferenc Snétberger. Do enjoy the show! Thanks to ...

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Album Review

Jackie McLean: New Soil

Read "New Soil" reviewed by Greg Simmons

by Greg Simmons
March 2, 2011

Jackie McLean's New Soil, is not the most acclaimed album in the classic Blue Note catalogue, but this 1959 release deserves more attention that it gets, being supremely well-played, well-written and--within the limitations of its time--well-recorded. This vinyl reissue, remastered from the original tapes by the good folks at Acous-Tech, is part of a series of albums--fifty titles in all, so far--that includes some of the most well-known Blue Note recordings from the 1950s and '60s, and may well represent ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. 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 ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. 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... Read more.

Place our ...
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TV / Film

Documentary: Jackie McLean

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 18, 2019

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2018

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. 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... Read more.

Place our ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2017

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. 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... Read more.

Place our ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2016

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today!

John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. 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... Read more.

Place our ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jackie McLean

Source: Michael Ricci
May 17, 2015

All About Jazz is celebrating Jackie McLean's birthday today! John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City. 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... Read more. Place our ...
read more