4, 5 and 6

by Jackie McLean

Overview

In 1956 Jackie McLean was only beginning to assert himself as a true individualist on the alto saxophone, exploring the lime-flavored microtones of his instrument that purists or the misinformed perceived as being off-key or out of tune. 4, 5 and 6 presents McLean's quartet on half the date, and tunes with an expanded quintet, and one sextet track -- thus the title. Mal Waldron, himself an unconventional pianist willing to explore different sizings and shadings of progressive jazz, is a wonderful complement for McLean's notions, with bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor the impervious team everyone wanted for his rhythm section at the time. The quartet versions of "Sentimental Journey," "Why Was I Born?," and "When I Fall in Love" range from totally bluesy, to hard bop ribald, to pensive and hopeful, respectively. These are three great examples of McLean attempting to make the tunes his own, adding a flattened, self-effaced, almost grainy-faced texture to the music without concern for the perfectness of the melody. Donald Byrd joins the fray on his easygoing bopper "Contour," where complex is made simple and enjoyable, while Hank Mobley puts his tenor sax to the test on the lone and lengthy sextet track, a rousing version of Charlie Parker's risk-laden "Confirmation." It's Waldron's haunting ballad "Abstraction," with Byrd and McLean's quick replies, faint and dour, that somewhat illuminates the darker side. As a stand-alone recording, 4, 5 and 6 does not break barriers, but does foreshadow the future of McLean as an innovative musician in an all-too-purist mainstream jazz world. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Product Details

Release Date:	11/03/2023
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988005574121
Rank:	145670

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jackie McLean   Primary Artist,Sax (Alto)
Doug Watkins   Guest Artist,Bass
Art Taylor   Guest Artist,Drums
Donald Byrd   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Mal Waldron   Guest Artist,Piano
Hank Mobley   Guest Artist,Sax (Tenor)
Jackie MacLean   Sax (Alto)

Technical Credits

Bob Weinstock   Producer,Design,Supervisor,Cover Design
Cheryl Pawelski   Project Assistant
Chris Clough   Project Assistant
Charlie Parker   Composer
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer,Liner Notes,Remastering
Nick Phillips   Reissue Producer
Stuart Kremsky   Reissue Production Assistance
Les Brown   Composer
Bud Green   Composer
Mal Waldron   Composer
Zev Feldman   Project Assistant
Ben Homer   Composer
Edward Heyman   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Phil DeLancie   Digital Remastering
Victor Young   Composer
Rikka Arnold   Project Assistant
Tom Hannan   Design,Cover Design
Jerome Kern   Composer
Kenny Drew   Composer
Ira Gitler   Liner Notes,Original Liner Notes