One Step Beyond

This is my first taste of Jackie McLean and I loved it. What I also loved was that the two tracks written by Grachan Moncur III are awesome and now I want to check out his stuff too. This is my kind of jazz and I knew I would like this album because I'm such a big fan of Coltrane and Mingus and this album has a lot of that feel to it as some of the Impulse! albums had in the 60's. Tony Williams is... read more

Description: This 1963 album was an exciting, innovative fence mender that drew together the warring factions of the hard boppers versus the avant gardists. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean's roots reached back into the Forties where he learned from Bud Powell and Charlie Parker. On this album, he wedded swing with freer musical expression, and introduced four giants to the jazz world: trombonist/composer Grachan Moncur III, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Eddie Khan, and drummer Tony Williams, who at 17 years of age was a month from joining the Miles Davis Quintet. The music remains fresh and exhilarating to this day driven by a youngster's This 1963 album was an exciting, innovative fence mender that drew together the warring factions of the hard boppers versus the avant gardists. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean's roots reached back into the Forties where he learned from Bud Powell and Charlie Parker. On this album, he wedded swing with freer musical expression, and introduced four giants to the jazz world: trombonist/composer Grachan Moncur III, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Eddie Khan, and drummer Tony Williams, who at 17 years of age was a month from joining the Miles Davis Quintet. The music remains fresh and exhilarating to this day driven by a youngster's masterful, innovative approach to the drums. An alternate take is added to the original album for this Rudy Van Gelder remaster. ... (more) (less)