Jackie McLean: Destination…Out!

Jackie McLean had been a fixture of the New York jazz scene for many years before flowering—or being pushed by the likes of Coleman and Coltrane—into the more avant-garde player found on this astonishing set. With a stellar band comprising composer/trombonist Grachan Moncur III (responsible for three of these four tunes), vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Larry Ridley, and drummer Roy Haynes, things begin with the mournful ballad “Love and Hate.” “Esoteric” is a time-shifting bop workout that swings with insouciant joy; McLean’s “Kahlil the Prophet” is a hard-driving stretch in which Haynes’s dexterity and Hutcherson’s tasty accents really shine, and “Riff Raff” is a relaxed if not exactly mellow blues. Recorded in 1963 by Rudy Van Gelder and mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, the sound on this edition is mind-blowingly pure, transparent, and alive, with great presence, sense of scale, and you-are-there dynamic explosiveness. Although I don’t own an original pressing, I was able to compare this new release to the 45rpm version Music Matters released in 2011. Knowing that series well, I was taken aback by how murky, unfocused, and dull-sounding that version seems compared to this damn-near perfect record.