Good bye of Jackie McLean....

In last day 31, the saxofonista Jackie McLean finally was defeated by the cancer, to the eves to complete 74 years. Already it has some time did not hear, in new records, that sharp, penetrating, acidulous, flavorful sound as one dry martini, of the estilístico descendant of Charlie Parker. Its level of excellency in sax high was only reached by others three heirs of '' Bird '', each one its way: Julian '' Cannonball '' Adderley (1928-75), Art Pepper (1925-82) and Phil Woods (still active, to the 75 years, although a well damaged lung).
With only 19 years, McLean - been born and created in the Harlem, protected of Parker, Bud Powell and Miles Davis - recorded its first jazzístico record, led for Davis, to the side of the friend of quarter Sonny Rollins (sax tenor), of Walter Bishop (piano) and Art Blakey (battery). The session of the Prestige that generated Dig is of October of 1951, less five year before the young saxofonista inscribing its name in the history of the modern jazz, when participating actively, under the baton of Charles Mingus, of the antológico album Pithecanthropus Erectus (Atlantic 8809). Beyond the revolutionary band-heading, that anticipated free jazz, Mingus more dedicated to '' advanced '' integrant of quinteto the Profile ballad of Jackie.
McLean touched, then later, in the Jazz Messengers de Art Blakey (1956-57), but it had the career harmed for the abuse of drugs. It acted as musician-actor (1959-60), with well-known '' cause knowledge '', in The connection, of Jack Gelber - a well similar part off-Broadway weft to the dramatical condition of jazzman in the real life.
Although the difficult fight against the vice, only surpassed times later, the saxofonista of fraseado each more angular and unexpected time recorded, in the decade of 60, a fieira of impactantes LPs for the stamp Blue Note, entronizaram that it, definitively, in the altar-mor of the great improvisadores of hard bop. The majority of these records was reedited and remasterizada in COMPACT DISC for master-engineer Rudy Van Gelder, responsible for the original registers.
Amongst these albums, they deserve special prominence: Bluesnick (January of 1961; quinteto with Freddie Hubbard, trompete; e Kenny Drew, piano); Let freedom Ring (March of 62; quarteto with Walter Davis Jr, piano; e Billy Higgins, battery); One step beyond (April of 63; quinteto of conception more free, with Gracham Monchur, trombone; Bobby Hutcherson, vibrafone; e the baterista Tony Williams).
One step beyond (a step beyond) makes jus to the heading, for prenunciar the LP Out you lunch (Blue Note), of February of 1964, with which Eric Dolphy - also in the company of Hutcherson and Williams, but with Freddie Hubbard in the place of Monchur - defined the direction of the jazz free in improvisation terms, however based in a worked composicional structure more.
Since 1968, Jackie dedicated the musical education to it, in the University of Hartford, Connecticut. He was master of emergent stars as the saxofonistas Abraham Burton, Jimmy Greene and Antoine Roney. The last COMPACT DISC that the sample still in great form is Hat trick (Blue Note), of 1996, with the excellent Japanese pianista Junko Onishi, Nat Reeves (low) and Lewis Nash (battery). They are nine flavorful bands, including versions of two memorable subjects of McLean: Little Melonae and Bluesnick.

Luiz orlando Carneiro writes to Jornal do Brasil
luizoc@ jb.com.br