My pride & joy.

Possibly the rarest of all the jazz collectibles out there. One of the rarest of the rare for sure. And a superb record to boot. Jackie McLean's alto playing is very nice, lyrical and tasteful. He's got a nice feeling and approach to his instrument. The other guys on this are Donald Byrd on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Douglas Watkins on double bass and Ronald Tucker, which I haven't heard a lot of, on the drums.

The sound on this superb, original 1st pressing is a joy to behold. One of my best sounding LP's. Rudy Van Gelder of course, who else? The condition of this masterpiece is M- on the vinyl (Label Side 2 has some spindle marks, a small sticker and a little tear), it sounds absolutely phenomenal, like new, zero noise what so ever. Clean, bright and brilliant sound. The jacket is a beautiful NM- with some residue from a sticker removal on the front and some touch up on the back slick, but no splits, sharp corners and no seam wear.

I'm very happy to own this record. It's extremely difficult to find in any condition, and to have this, in this condition is nothing short of magical. The tunes are all superb, with the opening tune on Side 1 "It's You Or No One" and the closing track on Side 2 "Lover Man" hot favorites. Jackie McLean's playing is so lyrical and clean. A lot of beautiful melodies to enjoy. Don Byrd is also great on this and complements McLean nicely. The rhythm section is holding their own as well. Flowing, tasteful double bass and drum work. I love the cover art as well. Very different for sure. There's a little info on the back about the artist who designed it, Parboo Singh.

If you want this in your collection, it takes a nice pile of cash and a lot of luck. I feel fortunate to have found this, and recommend it highly. If you do get an opportunity to aquire it, my tip is to take it off the market before it's maybe gone forever. Even if it's in lesser condition, get it. Nothing beats an original, especially this kind of rarity with such good music on it. It's worth every penny you spend to have it in your collection and to be able to put it on the turntable and enjoy it whenever you feel like it. This is a dose of McLean you would want.

Some news in the new arrivals department: I have just purchased one of my most wanted records and it's a 10" Blue Note. I will post that in due time here on the site. Until next time, have a great Sunday and I'll be back with more jazz rarities soon.

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