Let Freedom Ring (Remastered) Jackie McLean

• 1Melody for Melonae13:20
• 2I'll Keep Loving You06:16
• 3Rene10:02
• 4Omega08:32
• Total Runtime38:10

Info for Let Freedom Ring (Remastered)

This classic quartet session from 1962 is a quintessential Jackie Mclean album. Without having to share the front line with another horn, McLean is free to unleash his signature wail in the spotlight with ample support from Walter Davis, Herbie Lewis, and Billy Higgins. Like other McLean sessions of the period, „Let Freedom Ring“ features first-rate compositions whose melodies give way to stirring solos that cover the full range of creative expression. McLean is in his stride on the opening burner 'Melody for Melonae,' which, after a very programmatic beginning, allows the saxophonist plenty of room to cut loose. Davis's superb piano work on the ballad 'I'll Keep Loving You' provides a delightful backdrop to McLean's expressive testimonial with wailing screams of emotion. 'Rene,' named for McLean's son, is a quirky tune that offers angular interaction between all members of the quartet and a driving performance by Higgins. Finally, the swinging 'Omega' is one of McLean's most dynamic compositions and closes the session on a stellar high.

Jackie McLean, alto saxophone
Walter Davis, piano
Herbie Lewis, bass
Billy Higgins, drums

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 19, 1962
Engineered by Rudy VanGelder
Produced by Alfred Lion

Digitally remastered

Jackie McLean
has long had his own sound, played slightly sharp and with great intensity; he is recognizable within two notes. McLean was one of the few bop-oriented players of the early '50s who explored free jazz in the '60s, widening his emotional range and drawing from the new music qualities that fit his musical personality.

The son of guitarist John McLean (who played guitar with Tiny Bradshaw), Jackie started on alto when he was 15. As a teenager he was friends with such neighbors as Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins. He made his recording debut with Miles Davis in 1951 and the rest of the decade could be considered his apprenticeship. McLean worked with George Wallington, Charles Mingus, and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1956-1958). He also participated on a string of jam session-flavored records for Prestige and New Jazz which, due to the abysmal pay and his developing style, he later disowned. Actually they are not bad but pale in comparison to McLean's classic series of 21 Blue Note albums (1959-1967). On sessions such as One Step Beyond and Destination Out, McLean really stretches and challenges himself; this music is quite original and intense yet logical. McLean also appeared as a sideman on some sessions for Blue Note (most notably with Tina Brooks, acted in the stage play The Connection (1959-1961), and led his own groups on a regular basis. By 1968, however, he was moving into the jazz education field and other than some SteepleChase records from 1972-1974 (including two meetings with his early idol Dexter Gordon) and an outing for RCA (1978-1979), McLean was less active as a player during the '70s. However in the '80s Jackie McLean returned to a more active playing schedule (sometimes with his son René McLean on tenor), recording for Triloka, Antilles, and most recently (with a renewed relationship) with Blue Note -- without losing the intensity and passion of his earlier days. (Scott Yanow)

This album contains no booklet.