Claude McLin (December 27, 1925 – July 21, 1995)
was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

Biography

McLin was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. A graduate of DuSable High School, he was in a "baby band" with

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

and Wilbur Campbell in the spring of 1944. Returning from military service in 1946, he led a series of combos in Chicago. He often played the Pershing Ballroom in a battle-of-the-saxes format. His dueling partners included

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and R ...

, Tom Archia,

Von Freeman Earle Lavon "Von" Freeman Sr. (October 3, 1923 – August 11, 2012) was an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Freeman was exposed as a young child to jazz. His father, George, a city policeman, was a ...

and, on several occasions, his idol

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

. His own band featured pianist Wild Bill Davis and drummer Eldridge "Bruz" Freeman in 1947 and 1948. McLin's high visibility on the South Side club scene eventually led to recording opportunities with

Aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...

and

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

. A 1949 session was done with singer and pianist Laura Rucker while McLin's band was working at

Leonard Chess Leonard Samuel Chess (born Lejzor Szmuel Czyż; March 12, 1917 – October 16, 1969) was a Polish-American record company executive and the founder of Chess Records alongside his brother Phil. He was influential in the development of the recor ...

's Macomba Lounge. McLin went on to make three sessions under his own name in 1950 and 1951. His rendition of "Mona Lisa" (recorded July 1950) hit the charts, but "Tennessee Waltz" (from the second session, in November 1950) did not repeat its commercial success, and his third session was left unissued at the time. He played on the legendary unreleased jazz session for Parkway Records under the leadership of Bennie Green, and in October 1950 a live recording from the Pershing Ballroom found him subbing for

in the company of visiting headliner

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

. In 1952, McLin, who was having trouble finding enough engagements in Chicago to support his family, moved to Los Angeles, where for a decade his combos found steady work. He appeared on an Amos Milburn session for

Aladdin Records Aladdin Records was a record company and label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by brothers Eddie and Leo Mesner. It was originally called Philo Records before changing its name in 1946. Philo Records Philo's releases included 78 RPM singles of ...

in 1954, with Red Callender on bass. In 1958 he recorded two singles for Golden Tone with the organ trio lineup that was then coming into fashion, and two blues for Dootsie Williams' Dootone label in 1958. In 1960, he recorded a single for his own Mac-Jac label. There is also a second Claude McLin single on Mac-Jac, probably recorded three or four years later. He also recorded at least five singles between 1960 and 1962 for a small label called

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking that indicates to playing quickly and brightly (from Italian meaning ''cheerful'') * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem b ...

.Büttner, Armin and Nations, Opal Louis
"The Cawthron, C&C and Allegro labels"
Jazzdocumentation.com. Accessed 15 August 2022. McLin made his last recording session, for Dooto in 1964; as a sign the times were changing, he recorded a pop ballad on one side and a piece of eccentric garage rock on the other. He retired from music in the late 1960s, when popular demand for jazz had reached a low point, and worked other jobs in the Los Angeles area for the rest of his life.Campbell, Robert L.; Büttner, Armin and Pruter, Robert "The Claude McLin Discography"
clemson.edu. Accessed August 15, 2022. He died in Los Angeles on July 21, 1995, aged 69.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLin, Claude American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists 1925 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians American military personnel of World War II