Jackie McLean’sVertigocaptures the alto saxophonist at a fascinating Blue Note turning point: most of the music comes from a 1963 Rudy Van Gelder studio session that stayed in the vault until 1980, just two months before McLean recordedOne Step Beyond. That timing matters, because you can hear him stretching hard bop toward something more open and searching while still keeping one foot firmly in the blues.

The core band is a serious draw in itself, with Donald Byrd on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. Across pieces like the title track, Dusty Foot, and Yams, the set moves through bristling post-bop, sly funk touches, and slower blues feeling without losing its snap. One piece, Formidable, comes from an earlier 1959 session with Byrd, Walter Davis Jr., Paul Chambers, and Pete LaRoca, and its inclusion gives the album an extr