Jackie McLean Vinyl Records

Jackie McLean (1931-2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator. He was a major figure in the development of the hard bop and post-bop genres of jazz and an innovator of the bebop movement. He was a pioneer of the use of the blues in jazz and was one of the earliest proponents of jazz education.

McLean began his career in the early 1950s, playing with Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, and Art Blakey. His first album as a leader, New Soil (1959), was released on Blue Note Records and is considered a classic of hard bop. Other notable albums include Let Freedom Ring (1962), Destination…Out! (1963), One Step Beyond (1965), and Right Now! (1965). His best-known compositions include “Jackie’s Bag” and “Cristo Redentor”.

McLean also released a number of albums on other labels, including his later works with Steeplechase Records. He was also a prolific educator, teaching at the Hartt School of Music and the University of Hartford, and authoring several books on jazz.

An interesting fact about Jackie McLean is that he was a close friend of John Coltrane and he performed at Coltrane’s funeral in 1967.