So why was the first session so short? I did a little digging. It was held at Rudy's on a Sunday, which actually wasn't that unusual for Blue Note dates. Then I checked the weather. It turns out that a snow and ice storm had hit the New York area and temperatures plunged into the teens. My guess is the musicians either arrived late or they had to leave early to get back to the city in one piece.
But what makes the two Jackie's Bag sessions especially interesting are the two pianistsSonny Clark and Kenny Drew. Clark's extended single-line solos (on Blues Inn, for example) are melodic and suspenseful, like the sound of someone hurrying home. Drew's solos are equally beautiful, though lusher and more of an exchange between his left and right hands (on Isle of Java, for instance).
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Jackie McLean's Jackie's Bag
JazzWax clip: Here's Jackie McLean and Donald Byrd on Quadrangle, which is based on I Got Rhythm's chord changes with a spray of Ornette Coleman's influence....
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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