Artist Name: Jackie McLean Artist Biography: Since the early ´50s Jackie McLean has been one of the most passionate performers in all of jazz. His sound, marked by an acrid tone and great intensity, is immediately recognizable. Born May 17, 1932 and raised in Harlem, Jackie picked up the alto at age 15; as a teenager he performed with such neighbors as Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins. IN 1951 he made his recording debut on Miles Davis´ Dig; ensuing years found him apprenticing with Charles Mingus and Art Blakey´s Jazz Messengers. Jackie recorded a number of sessions as a leader for Prestige and New Jazz, but his string of Blue Note albums (1957-67) truly document his musical maturity. When Ornette Coleman arrived in New York in 1959, Jackie was one of the first hard-boppers to embrace his musical ideas and explore free jazz in the ´60s. Jackie used Ornette´s innovations to help broaden his emotional range, incorporating elements of their new music to fit his own music personality. During the late ´60s, Jackie entered the field of jazz education and was thus less active as a player during the ´70s. During the ´80s, he performed more frequently, often collaborating with his son Rene. In recent years, he has recorded for Triloka, Antilles, and Blue Note while maintaining his professorship at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. E-mail:   Web Site: