Biography
John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean was an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.
His father, John Sr., who died in 1939, played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death, his musical education was continued by his godfather, by his stepfather, who owned a record store, and by several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbours Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During high school he played in a band with Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, and Andy Kirk Jr. (the tenor saxophonist son of Andy Kirk).
He recorded with Miles Davis, on Davis' Dig album, when he was 19 years old. Rollins played on the same album. As a young man McLean also recorded with Gene Ammons, Charles Mingus, andGeorge Wallington, and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (he reportedly joined the Jazz Messengers after being punched by the notoriously violent Mingus and, fearing for his life, stabbing him in self-defence). His early recordings as leader were in the hard bop school. He later became an exponent of modal jazz without abandoning his foundation in hard bop. Throughout his career he was known for his distinctive tone (often described with such adjectives as withering, piercing, or searing), his slightly sharp pitch, and a strong foundation in blues.
McLean was a heroin addict throughout his early career, and the resulting loss of his New York City cabaret licence forced him to undertake a large number of recording dates; consequently, he produced a large body of recorded work in the 1950s and 60s. He was under contract with Blue Note Records from 1959 to 1967, having previously recorded for Prestige. Blue Note offered better pay and more artistic control than other labels, and his work for Blue Note is highly regarded.
In 1962 he recorded Let Freedom Ring for Blue Note. This album was the culmination of attempts he had made over the years to deal with harmonic problems in jazz, especially in soloing on his piece "Quadrangle." (*"Quadrangle" appears on BST 4051, Jackie's Bag, recorded in 1959). Let Freedom Ring began a period in which he performed with avant-garde musicians rather than the veteran hard bop performers he had been playing with. His recordings from 1962 on, in which he adapted the innovations of modal and free jazz to hard bop, made his body of work distinctive.
In 1964, he served six months in prison on drug charges. The period immediately after his release from prison is known as his acid period because the three albums he released during it were much harsher in tone than his previous albums.
In 1967, his recording contract, like those of many other progressive musicians, was terminated by Blue Note's new management. His opportunities to record promised so little pay that he abandoned recording as a way to earn a living, concentrating instead on touring. In 1968, he began teaching at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He later set up the university's African American Music Department (now the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz) and its Jazz Studies degree program.
In 1970, he and his wife, Dollie, founded the Artists' Collective, Inc. of Hartford, an organization dedicated to preserving the art and culture of the African diaspora. It provides educational programs and instruction in dance, theatre, music and visual arts.
He received an American Jazz Masters fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001.
His stepson René is a jazz saxophonist and flautist as well as a jazz educator.
After a long illness, McLean died on March 31, 2006, in Hartford, Connecticut.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/jackie-mclean/
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Biografía
John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean fue un saxofonista alto, compositor, director de orquesta y educador, nacido en la ciudad de Nueva York.
Su padre, John Sr., fallecido en 1939, tocaba la guitarra en la orquesta de Tiny Bradshaw. Tras la muerte de su padre, su educación musical fue continuada por su padrino, por su padrastro, propietario de una tienda de discos, y por varios profesores de renombre. También recibió clases informales de sus vecinos Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell y Charlie Parker. Durante el instituto tocó en una banda con Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins y Andy Kirk Jr. (el saxofonista tenor hijo de Andy Kirk).
Grabó con Miles Davis, en el álbum Dig de Davis, cuando tenía 19 años. Rollins tocó en el mismo álbum. De joven, McLean también grabó con Gene Ammons, Charles Mingus y George Wallington, y como miembro de los Jazz Messengers de Art Blakey (al parecer, se unió a los Jazz Messengers después de recibir un puñetazo del notoriamente violento Mingus y, temiendo por su vida, apuñalarle en defensa propia). Sus primeras grabaciones como líder pertenecían a la escuela del hard bop. Más tarde se convirtió en un exponente del jazz modal sin abandonar su base en el hard bop. A lo largo de su carrera fue conocido por su tono característico (a menudo descrito con adjetivos como fulminante, penetrante o abrasador), su tono ligeramente agudo y una sólida base de blues.
McLean fue adicto a la heroína al principio de su carrera, y la consiguiente pérdida de su licencia de cabaret en Nueva York le obligó a realizar un gran número de grabaciones; en consecuencia, produjo una gran cantidad de trabajos discográficos en los años cincuenta y sesenta. Entre 1959 y 1967 firmó un contrato con Blue Note Records, tras haber grabado anteriormente para Prestige. Blue Note le ofrecía mejores salarios y más control artístico que otros sellos, y su trabajo para Blue Note goza de gran prestigio.
En 1962 grabó Let Freedom Ring para Blue Note. Este álbum fue la culminación de los intentos que había hecho a lo largo de los años para tratar los problemas armónicos en el jazz, especialmente en el solo de su pieza "Quadrangle". (*"Quadrangle" aparece en BST 4051, Jackie's Bag, grabado en 1959). Let Freedom Ring inició un periodo en el que actuó con músicos de vanguardia en lugar de con los veteranos intérpretes de hard bop con los que había estado tocando. Sus grabaciones a partir de 1962, en las que adaptó las innovaciones del jazz modal y el free jazz al hard bop, dieron un carácter distintivo a su obra.
En 1964 pasó seis meses en la cárcel acusado de tráfico de drogas. El periodo inmediatamente posterior a su salida de la cárcel se conoce como su periodo ácido porque los tres álbumes que publicó durante el mismo tenían un tono mucho más duro que sus álbumes anteriores.
En 1967, su contrato discográfico, como el de muchos otros músicos progresistas, fue rescindido por la nueva dirección de Blue Note. Sus oportunidades de grabar prometían tan poca paga que abandonó la grabación como forma de ganarse la vida, concentrándose en cambio en las giras. En 1968 empezó a dar clases en la Hartt School de la Universidad de Hartford. Más tarde creó el Departamento de Música Afroamericana de la universidad (ahora Instituto de Jazz Jackie McLean) y su programa de estudios de jazz.
En 1970, él y su esposa, Dollie, fundaron el Artists' Collective, Inc. de Hartford, una organización dedicada a preservar el arte y la cultura de la diáspora africana. Ofrece programas educativos e instrucción en danza, teatro, música y artes visuales.
En 2001 recibió una beca American Jazz Masters de la National Endowment for the Arts.
Su hijastro René es saxofonista y flautista de jazz, además de profesor de jazz.
Tras una larga enfermedad, McLean falleció el 31 de marzo de 2006 en Hartford, Connecticut.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/jackie-mclean/