Jackie McLean • One Step Beyond

 

Review by Thom Jurek
In 1963, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was well aware of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. He assembled a band with vibist Bobby Hutcherson, who had already played with Eric Dolphy, drummer Tony Williams, bassist Eddie Khan, and trombonist/composer Grachan Moncur III. While still adhering to the hard bop principle, One Step Beyond's title is literal. The introduction of space as an element in the twin-horn front line is consistent with what would come later that year on Destination Out! McLean is clearly hearing the Eastern modalism and intervallic invention in Coltrane's sound at this point, but still moves in his own direction, sticking very close to the blues and the hard, even relentless, swing provided by Williams on the kit. The true visionary compositions here are Moncur's "Frankenstein" and "Ghost Town." Their unconventional solo-horn melodic statements are followed by two horn choruses that use Hutcherson's vibes as a contrapuntal element as he spreads his chords so wide that he comes off like a pair of pianos playing complementary harmonic strategies, and it's revolutionary. Add to this Moncur's insistence on soloing inside the changes as McLean moves through the register and becomes increasingly dissonant, and you have a true doppelgänger effect -- but one that swings like mad. One Step Beyond may have been the first volley McLean fired in the direction of the new jazz, and played it safe enough to ride out the hard bop he helped to create, but he cannot be faulted as a bandleader, as this music still sounds fresh, vital, and full of grainy mystery.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/one-step-beyond-mw0000651704

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Reseña de Thom Jurek
En 1963, el saxofonista alto Jackie McLean conocía bien a John Coltrane y Ornette Coleman. Reunió una banda con el vibravibrista Bobby Hutcherson, que ya había tocado con Eric Dolphy, el batería Tony Williams, el bajista Eddie Khan y el trombonista y compositor Grachan Moncur III. Sin dejar de adherirse al principio del hard bop, el título de One Step Beyond es literal. ¡La introducción del espacio como elemento en la primera línea de trompas gemelas es coherente con lo que vendría más tarde ese mismo año en Destination Out! McLean escucha claramente el modalismo oriental y la invención interválica en el sonido de Coltrane en este punto, pero sigue moviéndose en su propia dirección, pegándose mucho al blues y al swing duro, incluso implacable, proporcionado por Williams en el kit. Las verdaderas composiciones visionarias aquí son "Frankenstein" y "Ghost Town" de Moncur. Sus poco convencionales declaraciones melódicas de solo de trompa van seguidas de dos coros de trompa que utilizan el vibráfono de Hutcherson como elemento contrapuntístico mientras extiende tanto sus acordes que parece un par de pianos tocando estrategias armónicas complementarias, y es revolucionario. Añádase a esto la insistencia de Moncur en hacer solos dentro de los cambios a medida que McLean se mueve por el registro y se vuelve cada vez más disonante, y se obtiene un verdadero efecto doppelgänger, pero uno que oscila como loco. One Step Beyond puede haber sido la primera andanada de McLean en la dirección del nuevo jazz, y jugó lo suficientemente seguro como para aguantar el hard bop que ayudó a crear, pero no se le puede reprochar nada como director de orquesta, ya que esta música sigue sonando fresca, vital y llena de misterio granulado.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/one-step-beyond-mw0000651704

Tracks:
1 - Saturday And Sunday 10:25
2 - Frankenstein 8:22
3 - Blue Rondo 4:49
4 - Ghost Town 14:34
5 - Saturday And Sunday (Alternate Take) 8:32


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone, Liner Notes [Original] – Jackie McLean
    Bass – Eddie Khan
    Creative Director [Reissue] – Gordon H Jee
    Design [Cover] – Reid Miles
    Design [Reissue] – Amanda Wray
    Drums – Tony Williams*
    Liner Notes [2008] – Bob Blumenthal
    Photography By [Cover And Liner] – Francis Wolff
    Producer – Alfred Lion
    Recorded By, Remastered By [2008] – Rudy Van Gelder
    Reissue Producer – Michael Cuscuna
    Trombone – Grachan Moncur III
    Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson

Notes:
Originally recorded on April 30, 1963 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Tracks 1-4 originally issued in 1963 on One Step Beyond (Blue Note BST 84137)
Track 5 is a bonus track, not part of original album, originally issued in 1987 on the first CD release of this album

Label:    Blue Note – 50999 2 65139 2 8
Series:    RVG Edition
Country:    Europe
Released:    2009
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Hard Bop, Free Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/2640561-Jackie-McLean-One-Step-Beyond

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