Customer Reviews

One Step Beyond

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This cd is one of several cd's by Jackie Mclean from the mid 60's, where he experienced with modern forms, that do not rely on chords but on different modes. This difference led to new forms, as the new approach did not fit the traditional way of playing "choruses" (improvising over a set of chords for 12, 16 or 32 bars).
To me, Mclean did not feel comfortable in this new form as he did in bebop or hard bop. His sound is as great as ever, but I hear in his lines an uncertainty of direction.
The other musicians, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Eddie Kahn on bass and Tony Williams on drums, are at the top of their game. Williams is just so great at these open structures, and Moncur reminds me here of his playing on his own album - "evolution".
This is a mind opener CD, but it is not as great as Out To Lunch, Miles Smiles, Firebirds, or Evolution. Still, any serious collection of 60's jazz should have it.

Legendary alto saxophonist Jackie McLean made dozens of records for Blue Note, and in my opinion "One Step Beyond" is his most adventurous effort and overall best album. And, it was until now, arguably the single best Blue Note date in the catalog NOT to have been remastered in the RVG series! First released on CD in the late 1980s, the original "One Step Beyond" had a major tracking defect that caused track 2 to begin in the middle of the song. It was quickly remaindered, and never fixed until a few years ago with the issue of Grachan Moncur's Mosaic Select set. Now Rudy Van Gelder has been given the opportunity to strengthen the sound (and hopefully fix the problem) on one of the clear Blue Note masterpieces. This April 30, 1963 recording is famous for introducing the modern jazz world to four major new players -- trombonist Grachan Moncur III, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Eddie Khan, and then seventeen year old drummer Tony Williams. (Hutch actually recorded earlier but these sessions have only recently emerged -- Al Grey and Dave Burns Sessions, see my review.) The musical explorations captured here are deeply searching, doing the title justice indeed, and the chemistry of the quintet is instantaneous and profound. The tracks are all amazing -- the mesmerizing polarity of "Saturday and Sunday" (an alternate take is also included), the towering, monstrous waltz of "Frankenstein," the playful "Blue Rondo," and the haunting "Ghost Town." Thankfully, this same basic group would go on to cut two more phenomenal sessions, McLean's Destination Out! and Moncur's "Evolution" (see my reviews for both titles), and while those are both classics, they are each just one step behind "One Step Beyond."

By this stage in his prolific recording career McLean had moved decisively away from the changes based hard bop sound of his 50s releases toward a more open / freer / modal approach, but without sacrificing his melodic invention. This release is a totally successful alternative to the freer direction that jazz was moving toward in the 60s with Ornette, Cecil etc. McLean knew that he didn't want to go that far, but also that he had to find his own way to move on. Together with other like minded players - Andrew Hill, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson for example - they forged what at the time must have sounded like a compromised version of the "new thing", but today makes you wish that more players had worked in this area which cooly and intelligently adds to the jazz tradition in a very measured way. McLeans's alto sound is sour and fantastic, making him a direct predecessor to Roscoe Mitchell to these ears.

This record is more than just great, although it is that too - it's _important_. Here's why:

1. This is one of a slew of sessions "Anthony" Williams recorded in 1963 (including the companion piece to this album, Grachan Moncur III's _Evolution_, which features the same band, give or take a Lee Morgan) but it is, to my ears, the first recorded evidence of Tony playing in the style for which he would soon become famous. The authority and invention he brings to the drumkit on these four tunes is breathtaking.

2. This is the best showcase for the brittle, nervous trombone of Grachan Moncur III that I've heard; his solos are uniformly compelling. He also writes two great tunes, of which the eerily insistent waltz "Frankenstein" is the best-known.

3. The interplay between Williams and Hutcherson anticipates their early peak on Eric Dolphy's _Out to Lunch_. Moncur's _Evolution_ has a similar quality, but the material here is stronger, and the performances fresher and sharper. If you're a Dolphy fan, these records should sound pleasantly familiar. Remember, though - McLean's band came first!

And, of course...

4. Jackie absolutely burns it up. His solos are much more focused than - and yet just as adventurous as - those on the overrated _Let Freedom Ring_. "Saturday and Sunday" is especially riveting. The alternate take is rewarding as well. And I love his bluesy stroll through "Ghost Town."

This should rocket to the top of your list of McLean albums to buy right away. I like the collaboration with Ornette Coleman, _New and Old Gospel_, just as much, but this is definitely the place to start for McLean.

A simply ground-breaking recording--perhaps Jackie's best ever--and easliy in my top ten list!! The compositions and solos are quite memorable. In my opinion, One Step Beyond is one of those "magical" recordings in which each musician plays brilliantly and in perfect communication with one another-- think A Love Supreme and Kind of Blue-- simply flawless. The communication between Eddie Khan (bass) and Tony Williams during Tony's drum solo on Saturday and Sunday is a perfect example. Whether you are a Jackie Mclean fan or not, One Step Beyond is an essential album for any avid jazz fan.

THE MUSIC CONTAINED HERE ALONG WITH JACKIE'S "DESTINATION OUT" SESSION WITH THE SAME PERSONEL CAN BE FOUND ON GRACHAN MONCUR III'S MOSAIC 3CD BOXED SET. JACKIE AS WELL AS LEE MORGAN APPEAR ON GRACHAN'S "EVOLUTION" SESSION. THERE ARE SOME LESSER KNOWN SESSIONS INCLUDED ALSO. ALMOST 6LP's WORTH OF MUSIC.

Destination Out! was the first I heard of this fantastic artist, both fortunately and unfortunately. That album is such a magnetic classic, it drew me to more of McClean's work, fast.

There is nothing wrong with One Step Beyond. Basically, it is a hard-bop record, and has many of the same musicans, with Tony Williams replacing Roy Hanes on drums. Bobby Hutcherson and Grechan Moncur are here, and when the buffered melodisism of Moncour's tromboner meets the avant-garde peirces of Hutcherson's vibes, magic often happens

Still, One Step Beyond does not have a gripping track like "Esoteric" and does not convey the risky edge of Destination Out. I find it ironic that the album with Haynes, a far more conservative drummer than the master Tony Williams, is the more daring album.

But all this is said in the long shadow of Destination. On its own, this is a first rate classy hard bop album well worth getting.

I admire this album for its beautifully written compositions, fresh and daring solos, and the amazing chemistry among the musicians. It is very rare for all these qualities to be displayed on one album. That is why "One Step Beyond" is the best Jackie Mclean album and one of the best Jazz Album's of all time.

eventually blue note decided to reprint this fantastic cd! unfortunately there are no extra tracks, but who cares? this wonderful cd is really a golden one. every Mclean fan should know this music, so you don't deserve many words. buy it and be joyful.