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                 Jackie McLean

  Go in Peace, Jackie Mac...

Everyone be sure to take a moment today to remember, or if you never knew, to learn about, the late great Jackie McLean. From his work with Mingus to his unsurpassed body of work at Blue Note, the man was a genius with a sound like no one else, a soul who refused to rest on his laurels artistically or take the easy path out, who was constantly embracing the avante garde and new musicians, bridging the inside and outside, pushing music and love forward. He was everything that's great about jazz, everything that's great about improvised music, everything that's great about art, and everything that's great about reaching down into ourselves and up into the cosmos and wrenching something out to let the universe know you're listening, and you care, and you're there, and not going anywhere. A Jackie McLean solo was pure fire, but the good kind, that warmed every molecule in your body. I can't say enough. I want to say more. But all you have to do is listen to his music to know what an inspiration this man was.

Hard to pick a favorite, but two I love are "One Step Beyond," with Grachan Moncur III, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Khan, and Tony Williams, and "Destination Out!" with Grachan Moncur III, Bobby Hutcherson, Larry Ridley, and Roy Haynes, both on Blue Note Records, both recorded 1963

Jackie McLean
May 17th, 1932 - March 31, 2006

Words by guest contributor Boaz.