|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Jackie McLean Is Dead Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, who played with legendary musicians including Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, died Friday, March 31, 2006 at his Hartford home after a long illness. He was 73. McLean was founder and artistic director of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford's Hartt School. McLean, a native of Harlem in New York City, grew up in a musical family, his father playing guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's band. McLean took up the soprano saxophone as a teen but quickly switched to the alto saxophone. McLean went on to play with his friend Rollins from 1948-49 in a Harlem neighborhood band under the tutelage of pianist Bud Powell. Through Powell, McLean met bebop pioneer Charlie Parker, who became a major influence on the young alto saxophonist. He made his first recording when he was 19 on Miles Davis' Dig album, also featuring Rollins, which heralded the beginning of the hard-bop style. In the 1950s, McLean also played with Charles Mingus and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. McLean made his first recording as a leader in 1955. He drew wide attention with his 1959 debut on Blue Note Records, Jackie's Bag, one of dozens of albums he recorded in the hard-bop and free jazz styles for the label over the next eight years. In 1968, after Blue Note terminated his recording contract, McLean began teaching at the University of Hartford. He taught jazz, African-American music, and African-American history and culture. He made his recording comeback in 1988 with Dynasty, and later re-signed with Blue Note. His last Blue Note recordings included Fire and Love (1998), featuring his youthful Macband with son Rene McLean on tenor saxophone, and the ballads album Nature Boy (2000). write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |