Jackie McLean - A Fickle Sonance (Blue Note Classic)

Recorded in October 1961, 'A Fickle Sonance' is a quintessential hard bop outing by Jackie McLean that also offered just a hint of the avant-garde explorations the alto saxophonist was about to embark on in the years to come with the dissonances of the title tracks intro. McLean is joined by Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums. They keep it firmly in the pocket on this sterling set that kicks off with the playful Five Will Get You Ten (which legend has it Clark found in Thelonious Monks apartment). Reid Miles dramatic cropping of Francis Wolffs photo of McLean on the cover makes the album cover utterly unforgettable.

Heavyweight audiophile vinyl produced by Blue Note Records in 2020. Mastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Pressed at Optimal.