1959 · Album
McLean’s Scene
Recorded 1956–1957 · Prestige · Produced by Bob Weinstock
McLean Burning Bright and Early
This is McLean at his most raw — alto saxophone with an edge that cuts right through.
By the late 1950s, Jackie McLean had already logged serious time with Miles Davis and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and McLean's Scene (1959) captures him stepping out more fully on his own terms. The personnel on the date reflects the world McLean was running in at the time — hard bop players who meant business, with no interest in softening anything for easy listening. The album was recorded for Prestige, which in that era was cranking out sessions fast and loose, often with minimal overdubbing and no fussing around. You hear that directness in the music.
McLean's alto tone is the thing that always divided listeners. It sits sharp and slightly astringent compared to, say, Cannonball Adderley — some people find it uncomfortable at first. Stick with it, because that edge is precisely what makes him interesting. He phrases with a kind of urgency that sounds genuinely unresolved, like he's working something out in real time. The rhythm section holds things together without overplaying, which gives McLean room to stretch without the whole thing falling apart.
This isn't the most celebrated record in McLean's catalog — that distinction probably belongs to his Blue Note work from the early 1960s onward. But McLean's Scene is a solid example of where he was headed before that Blue Note chapter opened up. If you're new to McLean, his 1964 Blue Note date It's Time! (1964) — with Charles Tolliver, Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee, and Roy Haynes — is the more fully realized statement. Come back to this one once you know what you're listening for. It rewards the extra attention.
Who's playing
Paul Chambersbass
Arthur Phippsbass
Red Garlandpiano
Mal Waldronpiano
Jackie McLeanalto saxophone
Bill Hardmantrumpet
Art Taylordrums
Where next?
More by Jackie McLean
All 46 albums →
The musicians on this record
Red in Blues-Ville 1959
Red Garland
plays piano here
plays piano here
Wheelin’ & Dealin’ 1958
Mal Waldron
plays piano here
plays piano here
