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. ~ Thom Jurek