Jackie McLean - Tippin' The Scales (Blue Note Tone Poet)

Jackie McLean’s 1960s Blue Note releases are a fascinating body of work, especially viewed with the benefit of hindsight. In between recording 2 venturous modernist sessions - Let Freedom Ring and One Step Beyond - that would set the tone for the alto saxophonist’s future explorations, came the seemingly more conventional and relaxed quartet date Tippin’ The Scales.

Recorded in September 1962 but not released until 1979, the album features McLean with Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Art Taylor on drums delivering a swinging hard bop set that presented two originals by McLean (“Tippin’ the Scales” and “Rainy Blues”) along with three by Clark (“Nursery Blues”, “Nicely”, and “Two For One”), as well as a tender version of Vernon Duke’s “Cabin in the Sky".

Blue Note Records’ Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tape heavyweight audiophile vinyl. Deluxe gatefold packaging. Mastered is by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Pressed at Record Technology Incorporated (RTI).

TRACKLISTING:

A1: Tippin' The Scales
A2: Rainy Blues
A3: Nursery Blues

B1: Nicely
B2: Two For One
B3: Cabin In The Sky