Recorded in October 1961, A Fickle Sonance is a quintessential hard bop outing by Jackie McLean that also offered just a hint of the avant-garde explorations the alto saxophonist was about to embark on in the years to come with the dissonances of the title track’s intro. Otherwise the fantastic quintet—with McLean joined by Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on piano, and Billy Higgins on drums—kept it firmly in the pocket on this sterling set that kicks off with the playful “Five Will Get You Ten” (which legend has it Clark found in Thelonious Monk’s apartment). Reid Miles’ dramatic cropping of Francis Wolff’s photo of McLean on the cover makes the album cover utterly unforgettable.
This Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
