Afternoon listening: A moment of relaxation with Jackie McLean's rarest effort

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It's a dream...

What an absolute pleasure it is to be able to put this record on the turntable. An outstanding original 1st pressing in beautiful condition. It's a dream to own this. I thought I'd have a listen to this baby on this grey friday afternoon while my son is sleeping. This is one of my favorite albums for sure. I always get positive vibes from the tunes on this rarest of jazz collectibles. The tunes are nice and have a very laid back feeling to them even on the faster ones. Just wanted to check in with one of these posts where I write about some moment where I put a record on the turntable or something else in the daily life. But back to the beauty that is playing on the turntable as I write this. The sound is stunning on this. It plays like new, with zero noise. Clean, crisp and smooth sound.

I'm very grateful that I was able to purchase this album, cause when I follow the market there hasn't been one single copy available in this condition since then. Jackie McLean has a sound of his own, that's for sure. He always plays with a lot of lyricism and smoothness. It's a silky, pleasant sound. The pianist Mal Waldron is a cat that I really like as well, and I need to check him out more. The drummer Ronald Tucker I haven't heard much from or about. He plays very laid back, very unintrusive. he just flows with the music. Simple drummer, with a simple sound that fits perfectly with the make-up of the tunes here. "Lover Man" is the last tune on which McLean plays great and a nice ending to a sweet, rare album. It's a record which I will treasure forever.

I've posted this LP earlier. If you missed that post you'll find it here: http://www.fwrarejazzvinylcollector.com/blog/2015/3/1/jackie-mclean-on-ad-lib-6601

Currently saving up a war chest for buying some albums. You will see which ones I end up buying here on the site. Stay tuned. Have a great Friday and weekend. Have a drink, listen to some jazz and relax. That's my plan anyway. Cheers!

Jackie McLean on Ad Lib 6601

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My pride & joy.

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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.