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I recently counted the number of times I have written about Miles Davis and Milt
Jackson in various liners. The total came to well over ten. After all these words
and all this time I haven't lost any of my enthusiasm for their playing. Why should
I? I also know that the many people who feel the way I do about them, also have
their other albums. They don't want to read more biographical material because they
know all about them. Those who are not informed should go out and buy their other
recordings. No . . . not just to learn birthplaces and past accomplishments . .
. for the music. As a matter of course they will learn about them too.
Percy Heath is another, who, although never a leader, has been written about extensively.
The three others are not so well known and it behooves me to tell you something
about them.
John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean is one of the up and coming young alto saxophonists
in the tradition of Charlie Parker. He made his record debut with Miles Davis while
still a teenager (Dig, Prestige LP 7012). This LP was his first recording
since that period. Jackie, as a writer, is represented by Dr. Jackle and
Minor March, the two numbers on which he augments the group to sextet size.
An interesting tracer of his development can be heard by listening to the aforementioned
Dig, this LP, and his latest and first as a leader, Lights Out (Prestige
LP 7035).
In the matter of first recordings, these were the first of any consequence for Raphael
"Ray" Bryant, the young Philadelphia pianist who has since been heard with Sonny
Rollins (Prestige LP 7020}, and his own trio. Ray is a swinger of much sensitivity.
His composition, Changes, contains some beautifully soulful,
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mournful changes and his solo is, quite logically, his best one of the set.
High up in drumming echelons is Arthur Taylor who has come on swiftly in 1955 and
'56. A native New Yorker, A.T. shows traces of Max Roach and Art Blakey but it is
with his own authority that he moves everyone along.
Jackie's blues, Dr. Jackle, has the feel of a Charlie Parker melody in its
opening line. Milt takes two separate solos at beginning and end while Miles, Jackie
and Ray solo in between.
The piquant Bitty Ditty, by Thad Jones, is done by the quintet. Miles solos
first and then again after Ray and Milt.
Jackie returns for his own suspensions-filled, descriptively titled Minor March
and takes the first solo. Milt hard-swings a trio of choruses and then Miles extends
himself for five telling ones. Ray finishes things off in this, the only up number
in a medium tempo set.
A romantic introduction by Ray leads into his relaxed Changes which are some
augmented changes on an old, familiar 12 bar pattern. Everyone seems to reach for
and find a sad, reflective beauty that kind of gets you "here". Milt is first, followed
by a tender muted Miles and a lightly swinging Ray. Miles pokes his mute in again
to close things out.
notes by IRA GITLER
supervision by Bob Weinstock
recording by Van Gelder
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