Description
Jackie McLean – A Fickle Sonance – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
A Fickle Sonance finds Jackie McLean standing between the direct hard bop of his earlier Blue Note dates and the more adventurous music he would pursue through the 1960s. Recorded in October 1961, the quintet features Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. McLean’s sharply focused alto tone gives the entire session an edge, even when the material is lyrical or blues-based.
“Five Will Get You Ten,” attributed on the original album to Sonny Clark but now known to have been composed by Thelonious Monk, opens with a theme full of characteristic rhythmic turns. Turrentine’s rounded trumpet contrasts effectively with McLean’s biting alto. “Subdued,” by Turrentine, lives up to its title through measured pacing and controlled ensemble dynamics, while McLean’s “Sundu” brings a brighter rhythmic lift to the first side.
The title track is the album’s most forward-looking composition. Its unusual harmonic movement and unsettled line give McLean room to phrase beyond ordinary hard-bop expectations. Clark responds with a solo that is elegant but never detached from the tune’s tension. “Enitnerrut,” Tommy Turrentine’s name spelled backward, uses a more extroverted theme, and Butch Warren’s “Lost” closes the program with a reflective, carefully balanced performance.
Billy Higgins is essential to the record’s flexibility. His ride cymbal keeps the band buoyant, while small snare and bass-drum accents redirect the soloists without interrupting them. Warren provides an equally mobile foundation. The rhythm section allows McLean and Turrentine to sound conversational rather than competitive, and Clark’s comping makes even the more angular passages feel connected to the blues.
This 180-gram Blue Note vinyl edition presents the complete original six-track album and is identified by UPC 602508503207. It preserves the single-LP sequence without the alternate takes added to some digital editions. The pressing offers a clear view of McLean at an important transition point, already pushing against hard-bop boundaries while retaining the melodic directness of his classic quintet work.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Record Details
Artist: Jackie McLean
Title: A Fickle Sonance
Format: 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Label: Blue Note Records
Release year: 1961
UPC: 602508503207
Track Listing
A1. Five Will Get You Ten
A2. Subdued
A3. Sundu
B1. A Fickle Sonance
B2. Enitnerrut
B3. Lost
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