Jackie McLean

Born in New York City, New York on May 17, 1931, jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean was destined to be a jazz great right from the beginning. His father was a jazz guitarist and a great influence but died in 1939 when Jackie McLean was young. His education in music came via some of the finest musicians in the genre, including Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. His accomplished sax playing blossomed at high school, where he was in a band with Sonny Rollins and Kenny Drew. Jackie McLean would then go on to play on Miles Davis' Dig album when he was just 20. At a young age, he also played with Charles Mingus before joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He was known for the distinctive tone of his playing, which tagged him as a pioneer of a new modal jazz style. He released his first album as a leader - Presenting... Jackie McLean - in 1955, initially employing a fast, rhythmic be-bop style. Inspired by Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, he gradually adopted a more free-style and improvised approach to playing through the 1950s and 1960s. There were some classic recordings for the Blue Note label throughout this time, notably A Fickle Sonance (1961), Let Freedom Ring (1962), and Destination… Out (1964). After losing his Blue Note contract, he concentrated instead on teaching and academic work as a tutor at the University of Hartford, becoming director of the school's Afro-American program (later renamed the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz). In 1970, he founded the Arts Collective with his wife Dollie and became mentor to a new generation of jazz musicians. He continued to play concerts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Jackie McLean died on March 31, 2006, at the age of 74. Since his passing, Jackie McLean’s musical career has been reappraised by critics and jazz fans alike. His back catalog has been remastered and upgraded including albums such as Destination… Out (1963), which featured Jackie McLean joined by Grachan Moncur III (trombone), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Larry Ridley (bass), and Roy Hayes (drums).

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