Al McLean Quartet - Say it Over and Over Again

"It' s like the Enchantment Under The Sea Dance, but with Coltrane", remarked Al McLean with a chuckle. The reference was to the iconic scene from "Back To The Future", where Marty McFly introduced the world to Chuck Berry. McLean's doo-wap version of the Coltrane linked ballad, "Say it Over and Over Again" fits as a fabulous proxy for McFly's "Johnny B. Goode", and perhap, with a bit of imagination, explain the giant leap of jazz in the late 1950's, or so the funny analogue goes...

Indeed, the '50's doo-wap feel of the tune does, for a moment, pass for the the tune "Blue Moon", but quickly deviates in a surprising turn. The bridge modulates and soars in musical scope, and the listener is quickly reminded that this is in fact jazz music in all its glory.

Al McLean has had a comedic fascination with pop culture melodies, fans in Montreal delight in oddball quotes that he sprinkles into his solos, from television jingles, to '80's techno pop, and talkshow themes, McLean has ingested the sounds and melodies of his youth, naturally reproducing them. It could be missed in fact, as he blends the fragments so seamlessly, that they function as integral motives in his solos. You have to be on your toes, but invariably during a McLean show, there are smiles and giggles on the faces of those who are really listening.

McLean is playing into a historically significant microphone; a 1931 RCA PB-31. This example is one of 50 made for the Radio City Music Hall in New York. The PB-31 is considered the prototype of the iconic 44 series of microphones, and was RCA's first ribbon microphone. Each of the surviving dozen or so are hand made, and sound fantastic.

Al McLean - Saxophone
Jim Doxas - Drums
Adrian Vedady - Bass
Kate Wyatt - Piano

Filmed and recorded by Randy Cole
Arthur Plis - second camera
Emily Bowmile - post production consultant

Filmed and recorded by Randy Cole at Diese Onze Jazz Club on September 14th, 2019. Special thanks to Gary Tremblay at Diese Onze, and Leo Schaal of Schaal Audio for their support.