Jackie McLean - Jackie's Bag (2LP, 45RPM, Number 1971)
Rarity - Sealed
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean [click here to see more vinyl featuring Jackie McLean]
Bass – Paul Chambers [click here to see more vinyl featuring Paul Chambers]
Drums – Philly Joe Jones (A1 to A3) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Philly Joe Jones]
Drums - Art Taylor (B1 to B3) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Art Taylor]
Piano – Kenny Drew (B1 to B3), Sonny Clark (A1 to A3) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Kenny Drew]
Tenor Saxophone – Tina Brooks (B1 to B3)
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell (B1 to B3)
Trumpet - Donald Byrd (A1 to A3) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Donald Byrd]
2 LP, Gatefold jacket
Limited and Numbered Edition (Number 1971)
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Record Technology Incorporated
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : Blue Note
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
Remastered by Kevin Gray, Steve Hoffman at AcousTech Mastering
Originally released in 1960
Reissued in 2008
Tracks :
Side A:
- Quadrangle
- Blues Inn
- Fidel
Side B:
- Appointment In Ghana
- A Ballad For Doll
- Isle Of Java
Awards:
TAS Recommended! Rated a 'Best Audiophile Label Recording' in the November 2009 issue of The Absolute Sound!
Reviews :
"Jackie's Bag is split between two different recording sessions: the first, from January 1959, was the first session Jackie McLean ever led for Blue Note, and the second was a sextet date from September 1960 that featured tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks as a co-leader in all but name. According to the liner notes, McLean's first date produced only three songs of releasable quality, which are included here. Six tunes were cut at the Brooks session, which were all issued in Japan as Street Singer, and half appeared on the original Jackie's Bag LP. Given the transitional time period of the first and Brooks' musical taste on the second, the music on Jackie's Bag finds McLean in a staunchly hard bop mode, with occasional hints of adventurousness. While McLean's debut performances are certainly well done, the most distinctive appeal of the album lies in the Brooks collaborations. There are exotic flavors to McLean's terrific "Appointment in Ghana" and Brooks' "Isle of Java"; of the newly added bonus tracks, Brooks' "Medina" has a particularly complex and memorable theme, and his "Street Singer" was actually issued on his own Back to the Tracks album as well. Despite crucial contributions from trumpeter Blue Mitchell and drummer Art Taylor, the real focal point of these performances is the complementary interplay between McLean and Brooks, the latter of whom does a nice job of matching the former's legendarily hard-edged tone. McLean devotees will want this anyway, but the quality of the Street Singer material pushes Jackie's Bag far beyond a simple gap-plugging historical release." AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
"There's no lack of fire in Jackie McLean's Jackie's Bag...Splitting the record's six tracks between two different groups, excepting Paul Chambers on bass, McLean shows exceptional talents as composer, arranger, and soloist in a series of rhythmically complex tunes that leave you just enough off guard...The sound is open and holographic; drums and bass are very well captured, and the horn's balance sweetness and bite." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, June/July 2009
"These are simply amazing pressings. I have no regrets whatsoever about signing up for this subscription. The folks I'd invited over last Saturday are by no means audiophiles, but they couldn't believe that they were listening to vinyl, or that recordings that were 40+ years old could sound so good. I'm working hard to turn them into vinyl converts. These discs are the icing on the cake!" – Tim Bingaman, Acoustic Sounds customer
"…As much as I'd love to relay all kinds of anecdotes about the challenges Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray encounter during the mastering sessions, I witness none. These boys know the sound of the facility and the Van Gelder masters like the backs of their hands…Back home a month later, I unpack some test pressings Chad Kassem has sent me…I hear the most realistic-sounding drums ever reproduced by my system. It's as though I'm sitting at the point of creation, experiencing the same high that brought such gifted musicians together as one. Steve Hoffman, Kevin Gray, Chad Kassem, and Don MacInnis have done Rudy Van Gelder and his Blue Note artists proud." – Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile, April 2008
"...these first five Acoustic Sounds Blue Note re-issues are pure bop genius...The best news is that Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman were keen enough to do nothing more than gently clean up the masters, bringing us even closer to the hard bop edge. The 45 rpm pressings that I received were all super quiet with every last drop of resolution from the master tapes. I had almost forgotten just how good Paul Chambers and Phil Joe were together as the backbone of these groups. I've always loved this music but I didn't remember it sounding this good! Hank Mobley offers us some brilliant sax bits on one of Kenny Dorham's finest recordings, Whistle Stop and Dexter Gordon's performance blew me away as well. The biggest surprise were the Lee Morgan records. I suggest turning these up loud, since they possess unlimited energy and some hooks that will knock you out. Amazing! Just a small warning: Once you start playing these Blue Note recordings you will be hooked. The good news is that Acoustic Sounds is working on at least 20 more of these jazz gems. So make sure your turntable has a setting for 45 rpm, clean your stylus occassionally, and get ready to be transported to nirvana." - Dan Babineau, Tone Audio, No. 14 2008
Ratings:
AllMusic 4.5 / 5 , Discogs 4.56 / 5