'Bout Soul does not mean the same thing as soul-jazz, as the opening track "Soul" makes abundantly clear. Written by
Grachan Moncur III and poet Barbara Simmons, "Soul" is a tonally free tone-poem that features Simmons' spoken recital. It's about what the concept of soul is, not what soul music is, and that should not come as a surprise to anyone acquainted with
Jackie McLean's work. Even as his Blue Note contemporaries were working commercial soul-jazz grooves,
McLean pushed the borders of jazz, embracing the avant-garde and free jazz.
'Bout Soul is one of his most explicit free albums, finding the alto saxophonist pushing a quintet -- trumpeter
Woody Shaw (who sits out "Dear Nick, Dear John"), pianist Lamont Johnson, bassist
Scotty Holt, drummer
Rashied Ali -- into uncompromising, tonally free territory. This is intensely cerebral music that is nevertheless played with a fiery passion. Although the music was all composed, it is played as if it was invented on the spot. Fans of
McLean's straight-ahead hard bop, or even of his adventurous mid-'60s sessions, might find this a little off-putting at first, but
'Bout Soul rewards close listening. It is one of
McLean's finest modern contemporary sessions. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine