Jackie McLean – 4, 5, and 6 [Mono] (SACD hibrid mono)

Half quartets, two quintets and a sextet: in 1956 Prestige released ‘4, 5 and 6’, an album that would establish the young alto saxophonist Jackie McLean on the jazz scene. He was accompanied by trumpeter Donald Byrd and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. McLean’s quartet versions of ‘Sentimental Journey’, ‘Why Was I Born’ and ‘When I Fall in Love’ are bluesy, with powerful hard bop hits, but also thoughtful and full of expectation. On all three, the saxophonist demonstrates his own style, covering the composition with his own texture.

4, 5 and 6 were not groundbreaking albums on their own, but they foreshadowed McLean’s future as an innovative musician in an overly purist mainstream jazz world.

The hybrid mono SACD appears in a mini-LP sleeve as part of a series of 50 reissues from the legendary Prestige label. There will be 25 mono and 25 stereo recordings. The new mastering was done by Kevin Gray at his Cohearent Audio Studios.

We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” CD/DVD conditioner for even more sonic improvement.

Lista pieselor

1. Sentimental Journey

2. Why Was I Born?

3. Contour

4. Confirmation

5. When I Fall In Love

6. Abstraction