Jackie McLean is the subject of the sixth volume in the Prestige Profiles series. The eight tracks here come from 1956 and 1957. they are deeply bluesy cuts from the later bebop and early hard bop era, and show McLean really stretching himself to come to terms with the new music that was in his head and emerged fully on his later Blue Note recordings. "Strange Blues" is here, along with the lovely "Sentimental Journey" off Volumes 4, 5, and 6, with Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Mal Waldron (who appears on five selections here). There's also the fine original "Lights Out," with Byrd, Elmo Hope, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor. While all the cuts have been previously released, the various bands here showcase McLean's versatility as a leader and, in the case of "Alto Madness," as a co-leader with John Jenkins. This budget-priced set also includes a bonus disc that contains the entire album plus eight other cuts from the profiles series.
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