Soul Stream

The only gig I ever got a chance to attend was (I guess) Jackie's last in NYC. It was at Iridium with Bobby Hutcherson and Grachan Moncur III. Rene McLean and drummer Eric McPherson. I don't remember the bassist or pianist's names but they seemed to be fairly young cats. I remember standing out front before the show and a family of tourists walked by and asked what was downstairs. I told them, "Jackie McLean, One of the world's few living jazz saxophone legends. It's your lucky night. I know you don't know who he is...but take a chance and see him. You'll thank me." Of course they just walked away. Guess they had to eat at McDonalds. Since I flew in from Texas for it, I remember being blown away that there wasn't a line around the building. Naive on my part I guess, but New Yorkers and the rest of the world are a spoiled bunch. I remember when they played "Love & Hate", I just kept thinking how lucky I was to be here witnessing this. I never could have imagined I would have heard that tune live by Jackie, Bobby and Grachan and it did not disappoint! The whole gig was really an eye-opener. Jackie stopped one tune because it didn't feel right to him and made them start again. I had NEVER seen that...that made so much sense, and it really drove home how serious, serious, serious Jackie Mac was about his music. A lesson to be learned by us all. He had such a powerful presence on stage. And I've never heard someone with such power blow a saxophone. I've heard guys like Bob Berg live, which is probably as close to a Coltrane-type sax as I've heard. But you could tell there is a huge gap between people like Jackie and everyone else. Intensity compressed like a diamond. What a wonderful night. Talking with Jackie, Doll & Grachan....man oh man. I'll never forget it.

Our local public station has basically gone corporate...ya know, playlists...more business reports, ect. Their jazz has been cut and evicerated. It's really, really sad. I heard a lot of new jazz releases I don't think I would have heard otherwise back in the day on that station. On the otherhand, I had a friend of mine up in north texas say he's been listening to KNTU lately and loving it! He's just a regular dude, not a jazz fan at all. However, he says he's tired of all the other kinds of music he's been force-fed over his lifetime. In an age where Katie Couric is our new Walter Cronkite, I think the money-making powers that be in broadcasting will do their best to kill on-air jazz. Thank God for radio on the internet such as WKCR and WBGO. I pray to God those hang on.

I certainly see where it could get real annoying for some Big Al. Just for me, I don't mind. I guess I'm so excited to hear anybody who knows anything about real jazz that I'm pretty much glued to the radio. Schapp read the liner notes that Jackie wrote for a couple of Blue Note albums, ect. which I dug. He said a few interesting things to my ear. One of the reasons I do like Schapp might be just because it really blew my mind after Higgins died...I was driving to NYC from Boston...and to come across this tribute which Schapp was at the helm at...at playing all this great music...and the DJ actually knew a lot of background....the whole thing blew my mind and I was a fan from then on. Stuck down here in Austin, I haven't heard one Jackie Mac record since his death. The idea that this is going on anywhere is such a great thing imho. I wish it were more widespread.

Damnit, my local Austin PBS station isn't airing this series!!!!!! WTF? ...and I also noticed the DVD they have for sale on the site, which is a compilation of a performance from all the shows....except....no clips from the B3 episode?!!!

Get it from Hiroshi! It'll be less than $20 with postage, 'cause it's one of the 1500 yen ones. email hiroshi@earlyrecords.com thanks, will do.

Looking for a CD of Jackie McLean's "Swing, Swang, Swingin'" CD. The old Conn. I think it was. Or a Japanese reissue would be cool too. Thanks in advance. I'm not sure what the value is, but I don't want to spend more than around $20.

wow from jackie mclean to buck owens in one song....culture shock. too bad, i'll miss the jackie memorial. great, great, great show. maybe the best jazz broadcast i've ever heard. so long jackie mac.

I thought I heard them say the memorial broadcast would be over today by noon or 3 p.m. GREAT show.

great broadcast....wish i could tape it.

Man, I love Phil Schapp's commentary....very knowledgeable and I've learned a lot listening to him. Schapp really caught my ear first on his Higgens' death memorial. Also, thank god for WKCR. In an era where my local public radio station is sucking the big corporate playlist dong, I can't believe these guys still are able to do radio in this manner. 3 days of McLean? You ain't hearing that anywhere else. I love this station. I've heard much McLean that was new to me in the last 24 hours.

Oh yeah, I heard that was going to be the end of the world.

WKCR kicks ass. Everyone else sucks.

THanks Clem.

I've been spinning 'Consequence". Maybe my favorite McLean actually. Him and Lee Morgan, Smilin' Billy, Harold Maeburn....they're soooooo burning on this recording.

That sucks, I was fooled.

I've tuned into the Columbia station and WBGO, who usually would both be doing tributes to Jackie Mac. But nothing so far. Does anybody know when they will do tributes?

Hey Bertrand, this is the same show I saw him at (maybe we sat next to each other. ). It didn't seem that long ago but I guess it has been 2 years now. Anyway, what a show. I'll never forget that one.

Bertrand, did you know what caused his death? I hadn't heard anything about this, and when I saw him a year or so ago he looked great.

This is really stunning. Out of all the passings, this one has hit me the hardest. I wrote Jackie a couple of years ago and he replied with the greatest letter of encouragement. I then saw him perform and Iridium with Grachan Moncur III and it was hands down the greatest jazz I've ever witnessed first hand. I mentioned the nice letter he had written me and he just said with tounge in cheek "Hey, that's the kind of dude I am." I'll never forget hearing and meeting him that night. Last of one of the true, true, true legends. Jackie.

But don't you think sessions such as these are just inevitabley going to come out at some point in the future. Maybe not next year, but 30 years from now even a bad BN session will probably sound better to most people's ears than many other things.

I think the question was what was your favorite standard Song

Alfie

Actually, I think this is turning out to be a really great start to the season. The 1st episode had me a little miffed and in a fog (hated the dream sequence at first). Now I'm diggin' it.

I was curious as to what people's favorite Standard was. Not performance of a particular song, ect. Just purely the composition. And for musicians, not your favorite one to play...your favorite to listen to (although it might be the same).

That Ramon Morris album is a killer. He was an undiscovered master imho.