Product Description

Jackie McLean's slightly acidic tone on alto can be instantly identified. Born in 1932 and part of the musical generation that matured in the shadow of Charlie Parker, McLean served his apprenticeship at the very top, recording with the likes of Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Art Blakey. However, Jackie McLean is best known for a brilliant series of Blue Note albums recorded from 1959-67. Bluesnik is, on the surface, one of McLean's most accessible recordings, since the six songs are all blues-based. However, McLean remains quite explorative here, clearly inspired by his excellent sidemen (trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Pete La Roca). McLean stretches himself, showing every side of the blues. The results are exceptional to say the least. One listen to Bluesnik tells you that this is one of Jackie McLean's masterpiece recordings. The definitive versions of Blue Note are on XRCD24 - the optimization of CD mastering and manufacturing. Plays on all standard CD players.

Review

All three of these recordings (the others being Freddie Hubbard's Open Sesame and Dexter Gordon's Doin' Allright) offer state-of-the-art digital sound. The use of the XRCD24 process takes them to the very heights of Red Book CD's capabilities. The drums have snap, the cymbals shimmer, and the bass deep and woody resonance. The piano, not engineer Rudy Van Gelder's strong point, displays realistic percussion - the hammer-hitting-the-string sound of the real thing. The horns have both brassy bite and, in the case of the saxophones, a reedy quality. There is enough space and detail to satisfy even the most persnickety listeners.

If you love Blue Note jazz but not the sound of Blue Note's RVG CD reissues (you're not alone), these discs - along with all of the others in Audio Wave's growing series - will let you realize everything that Blue Note had to offer musically and sonically. --John Crossett, The Audio Beat, January 25. 2011