McLean at Full Burn, No Apologies
McLean sounds like a man who has worked through something difficult and come out swinging.
By 1967, Jackie McLean had been recording for Blue Note for nearly a decade, and Demon's Dance feels like a man who knows exactly who he is. This isn't an album of searching or experimentation for its own sake — it's McLean playing hard bop with real conviction, alongside a band that clearly knew how to push him. The personnel is strong: Woody Shaw on trumpet, LaMont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. DeJohnette in particular is worth paying attention to here — he's elastic and driving at the same time, and he gives the whole date a lift that you can hear on the title track.
The title track itself is the reason to start with this record. McLean's alto is sharp and a little raw, which is exactly what you want from him. He never smoothed out his tone the way some of his contemporaries did, and on Demon's Dance that roughness becomes an asset. Shaw is a good foil — his sound is brighter and more centered, so the two horns complement each other without blending into mush. The compositions lean hard bop, nothing wildly unconventional, but the playing is tight and the energy stays up across the session.
This is a solid Blue Note record, not one of McLean's most celebrated but one that rewards repeated listening. If you already know Destination... Out! (1963) or One Step Beyond (1963), Demon's Dance sits in a similar neighborhood — committed, slightly edgy, rhythmically alive. It's a good argument for the idea that McLean's mid-to-late Blue Note work deserves more attention than it typically gets.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Jackie McLean
All 46 albums →
The musicians on this record
Jazz Patterns 1970
Woody Shaw
plays flugelhorn here
plays flugelhorn here
Pictures 1968
Jack DeJohnette
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
