March 7, 2019
With the exception of a beautiful ballad version of Larry Willis’s “Poor Eric,” the music on this CD (which is also available in Mosaic’s four-CD Jackie McLean box set) is hard-charging, intense and fairly free. Altoist McLean was at the peak of his powers during this period and, inspired by the versatile rhythm section (pianist Larry Willis, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Clifford Jarvis), he plays explorative versions of his own “Eco,” Willis’s “Christel’s Time” and Charles Tolliver’s “Right Now”; an alternate version of the latter is added on for the CD reissue. This CD offers listeners a particularly strong example of Jackie McLean’s unique inside/outside music of the 1960s. ~ Scott Yanow
