About

Recorded in October 1961, A Fickle Sonance is a quintessential hard bop outing by Jackie McLean that also offered just a hint of the avant-garde explorations the alto saxophonist was about to embark on in the years to come with the dissonances of the title track’s intro. Otherwise the fantastic quintet—with McLean joined by Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums—kept it firmly in the pocket on this sterling set that kicks off with the playful “Five Will Get You Ten” (which legend has it Clark found in Thelonious Monk’s apartment). Reid Miles’ dramatic cropping of Francis Wolff’s photo of McLean on the cover makes the album cover utterly unforgettable. — (via Label)

—

Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the few jazz players to come up through bebop and incorporate free jazz into his style. Even though A Fickle Sonance preceded McLean's intense 1962 album Let Freedom Ring, the playing remained in a swinging blues-oriented style, showing no hint of the direction his music was about to take. The sidemen on the date (Tommy Turrentine [trumpet], Sonny Clark [piano], and Butch Warren [bass]) prove to be an invigorating combination of musicians, however not as involved in the burgeoning free music as drummer Billy Higgins. At the time of these sessions, Higgins had already played with Ornette Coleman, providing a link to the avant-garde, but nevertheless his playing follows the hard bop pace of the others. McLean provides two original compositions, "Subdued" and the title track, while Clark, Turrentine, and Warren fill the remaining tracks. — (via AllMusic)

↓
Label: Blue Note ‎
Series: Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series 
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g
Reissued: 2020 / Original: 1962
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop

File under: Jazz // Blue Note
⦿