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/