New Soil

Jackie McLean | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000005HC2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,969 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stimulating, September 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: New Soil (Audio CD)

Jackie McLean's "New Soil" is a really great album. One of his first Blue Note dates, the music is fairly advanced hard bop and the band is fantastic. The rehearsal time that Alfred Lion always gave his artists really paid off. One of the best things about the album is that attention was really paid to the songs as songs - this is not just a blowing session. There was some careful work done with the writing and the playing. "Hip Strut," an 11-minute blues, kicks off the album with a laid-back groove that was obviously perfect for the group. The combined sound of McLean's alto and Donald Byrd's trumpet is exciting, especially because of McLean's always-recognizable tone, always a little bit sharp. "Minor Apprehension" burns, with a contribution by drummer Pete LaRoca Sims of what was probably the first recorded "free" drum solo. The four originals by pianist Walter Davis Jr have their own special feeling. Davis' writing style is very lyrical and inventive, with some great harmonies between the two horns, whether in the boogie blues "Greasy" or the rhumba/swing of "Formidable." Can't forget to mention the always rock-solid playing of Paul Chambers (just weeks after finishing "Kind of Blue"). Solos are uniformly great all around. This album always puts me into a good mood. I highly recommend it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Several outstanding moments, February 23, 2004

By 

R. J. Marsella (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Soil (Audio CD)

I picked this up immediately following a Jackie Mclean performance at the iridum in New York. Jackie can still blow by the way.
The arrangements here are all very strong and Jackie's tone and playing is crisp and very cool. The real surprise on this cd are the compositions from pianist Walter Davis Jr. His tunes are fantastic vehicles for this band to work out on. Davis' blues/stride piano style on track 3 lays a great foundation for some excellent soloing from both Jackie and Donald Byrd. Byrd is not as technically exciting as a Lee Morgan or Clifford Brown but is strong here and in combination with Mclean creates a nice overall effect. Paul Chambers is solid as always and the drumming of Pete La Roca is steady.
The Bluesy third track Greasy is a real standout and so is the final track Formidable. The rest of the cuts are good solid bop playing from a group that deserves to be checked out again.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pushes boundaries of hard bop onto a fruitful new plane, January 30, 2003

By 

J. Levinson (Media, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Soil (Audio CD)

McLean's May 1959 recording shows the budding influence of the avant-garde, as later in the same month Ornette Coleman would record his landmark "Shape of Jazz to Come". "Minor Apprehension" gives Pete LaRoca a solo spot to display his rhythmic interpretation of the new school of jazz. Walter Davis "Greasy" is old school boogie-woogie, but Jackie's solo pushes it beyond the familiar and well-trodden. Donald Byrd is impressive right out of the gate, playing fast flurries of notes on his first solo, and he uses echo effectively in his "Sweet Cakes" solo. Paul Chambers gets a nice bowed solo on "Hip Strut".

Jackie McLean - Sax (Alto)
Pete La Roca - Drums
Donald Byrd - Trumpet
Paul Chambers - Bass
Walter Davis, Jr. - Piano