New Soil

New Soil is an album by American jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded on May 2, 1959 and released on Blue Note later that year.^[2] McLean's quintet features trumpeter Donald Byrd and rhythm section Walter Davis Jr., Paul Chambers and Pete La Roca.

New Soil
Studio album by Jackie McLean
Released	August 1959[1]
Recorded	May 2, 1959
Studio	Van Gelder Studio Hackensack, New Jersey
Genre	Jazz
Length	38:31 (LP) 44:47 (CD)
Label	Blue Note BLP 4013
Producer	Alfred Lion
Jackie McLean chronology
Fat Jazz (1959) New Soil (1959) Swing, Swang, Swingin' (1959)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Tom Hull	A[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[6]

The AllMusic review by Steve Huey states, "New Soil wasn't the first session Jackie McLean recorded for Blue Note, but it was the first one released, and as the title suggests, the first glimmerings of McLean's desire to push beyond the limits of bop are already apparent... It could be argued that McLean never recorded a bad album for Blue Note, and New Soil got his career with the label off to a terrifically stimulating start."^[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Walter Davis Jr., except as noted.

Side 1

1. "Hip Strut" (Jackie McLean) – 11:20
2. "Minor Apprehension" (McLean) – 7:34

Side 2

1. "Greasy" – 7:25
2. "Sweet Cakes" – 6:46
3. "Davis Cup" – 5:26

1988 CD reissue bonus track

6. "Formidable" – 6:16

Personnel

Musicians

• Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
• Donald Byrd – trumpet
• Walter Davis Jr. – piano
• Paul Chambers – bass
• Pete LaRoca – drums

Technical personnel

• Alfred Lion – producer
• Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer, mastering
• Reid Miles – design
• Francis Wolff – photography
• Joe Goldberg – liner notes