Biography
by Scott Yanow
A prime player in soul jazz and jazz-pop circles, pianist and vocalist Les McCann earned his first major notices as a member of the Gene McDaniels backing band in 1959, following a stint in the U.S. Navy. He formed his own trio in 1960 and remained consistently popular for decades. A fine, earthy singer, he also did well with romantic ballads and occasional protest songs. McCann proved himself a dependable player in terms of establishing grooves or setting up rhythms. He reached the peak of his popularity with his performance at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival, recording "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" for Atlantic with Eddie Harris and Benny Bailey (released later that year on Swiss Movement).
McCann first gained some fame in 1956 when he won a talent contest in the Navy as a singer that resulted in an appearance on television on The Ed Sullivan Show. After being discharged, he formed a trio in Los Angeles. McCann turned down an invitation to join the Cannonball Adderley Quintet so he could work on his own music. He signed a contract with Pacific Jazz and in 1960 gained some fame with his albums Les McCann Plays the Truth and The Shout. His soulful, funk style on piano was influential and McCann's singing was largely secondary until the mid-'60s. He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz during 1960-1964, mostly with his trio but also featuring Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, the Jazz Crusaders, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
McCann switched to Limelight during 1965-1967 and then signed with Atlantic in 1968. After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann emphasized his singing at the expense of his playing and he began to utilize electric keyboards, notably on 1972's Layers. His recordings became less interesting to traditional jazz fans from that point on, and after his Atlantic contract ran out in 1976, McCann appeared on records much less often. However, he stayed popular and a 1994 reunion tour with Eddie Harris was quite successful. A mid-'90s stroke put him out of action for a time and weakened his keyboard playing (his band began carrying an additional keyboardist) but Les McCann returned to a more active schedule during 1996 and was still a powerful singer. His comeback was solidified by 2002's Pump It Up, a guest-heavy celebration of funk and jazz released on ESC Records.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-mccann-mn0000245760/biography
by Scott Yanow
A prime player in soul jazz and jazz-pop circles, pianist and vocalist Les McCann earned his first major notices as a member of the Gene McDaniels backing band in 1959, following a stint in the U.S. Navy. He formed his own trio in 1960 and remained consistently popular for decades. A fine, earthy singer, he also did well with romantic ballads and occasional protest songs. McCann proved himself a dependable player in terms of establishing grooves or setting up rhythms. He reached the peak of his popularity with his performance at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival, recording "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" for Atlantic with Eddie Harris and Benny Bailey (released later that year on Swiss Movement).
McCann first gained some fame in 1956 when he won a talent contest in the Navy as a singer that resulted in an appearance on television on The Ed Sullivan Show. After being discharged, he formed a trio in Los Angeles. McCann turned down an invitation to join the Cannonball Adderley Quintet so he could work on his own music. He signed a contract with Pacific Jazz and in 1960 gained some fame with his albums Les McCann Plays the Truth and The Shout. His soulful, funk style on piano was influential and McCann's singing was largely secondary until the mid-'60s. He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz during 1960-1964, mostly with his trio but also featuring Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, the Jazz Crusaders, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
McCann switched to Limelight during 1965-1967 and then signed with Atlantic in 1968. After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann emphasized his singing at the expense of his playing and he began to utilize electric keyboards, notably on 1972's Layers. His recordings became less interesting to traditional jazz fans from that point on, and after his Atlantic contract ran out in 1976, McCann appeared on records much less often. However, he stayed popular and a 1994 reunion tour with Eddie Harris was quite successful. A mid-'90s stroke put him out of action for a time and weakened his keyboard playing (his band began carrying an additional keyboardist) but Les McCann returned to a more active schedule during 1996 and was still a powerful singer. His comeback was solidified by 2002's Pump It Up, a guest-heavy celebration of funk and jazz released on ESC Records.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-mccann-mn0000245760/biography
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Biografía
por Scott Yanow
El pianista y vocalista Les McCann, uno de los principales intérpretes de soul jazz y jazz-pop, obtuvo su primer gran reconocimiento como miembro de la banda de acompañamiento de Gene McDaniels en 1959, tras su paso por la Marina estadounidense. Formó su propio trío en 1960 y mantuvo su popularidad durante décadas. Un cantante fino y campechano, también lo hizo bien con baladas románticas y canciones de protesta ocasionales. McCann demostró ser un músico fiable a la hora de establecer surcos o marcar ritmos. Alcanzó la cima de su popularidad con su actuación en el Festival de Jazz de Montreux de 1969, grabando "Compared to What" y "Cold Duck Time" para Atlantic con Eddie Harris y Benny Bailey (publicado ese mismo año en Swiss Movement).
McCann adquirió cierta fama en 1956, cuando ganó un concurso de talentos en la Marina como cantante que le valió una aparición en televisión en el programa The Ed Sullivan Show. Tras ser licenciado, formó un trío en Los Ángeles. McCann rechazó una invitación para unirse al Cannonball Adderley Quintet para poder trabajar en su propia música. Firmó un contrato con Pacific Jazz y en 1960 alcanzó cierta fama con sus álbumes Les McCann Plays the Truth y The Shout. Su estilo conmovedor y funk al piano fue muy influyente y el canto de McCann fue en gran medida secundario hasta mediados de los años 60. Grabó muchos discos para Pacific Jazz durante 1960-1964, sobre todo con su trío, pero también con Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, los Jazz Crusaders y la Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
McCann cambió a Limelight durante 1965-1967 y luego firmó con Atlantic en 1968. Tras el éxito de Swiss Movement, McCann hizo hincapié en su forma de cantar en detrimento de su forma de tocar y empezó a utilizar teclados eléctricos, sobre todo en Layers, de 1972. A partir de ese momento, sus grabaciones se volvieron menos interesantes para los aficionados al jazz tradicional y, tras la finalización de su contrato con Atlantic en 1976, McCann apareció en los discos con mucha menos frecuencia. Sin embargo, siguió siendo popular y una gira de reunión con Eddie Harris en 1994 tuvo bastante éxito. Un derrame cerebral a mediados de los 90 le dejó fuera de combate durante un tiempo y debilitó su forma de tocar el teclado (su banda empezó a llevar un teclista adicional), pero Les McCann volvió a una agenda más activa durante 1996 y siguió siendo un cantante poderoso. Su regreso se consolidó con Pump It Up, de 2002, una celebración del funk y el jazz con muchos invitados, publicado por ESC Records.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-mccann-mn0000245760/biography
por Scott Yanow
El pianista y vocalista Les McCann, uno de los principales intérpretes de soul jazz y jazz-pop, obtuvo su primer gran reconocimiento como miembro de la banda de acompañamiento de Gene McDaniels en 1959, tras su paso por la Marina estadounidense. Formó su propio trío en 1960 y mantuvo su popularidad durante décadas. Un cantante fino y campechano, también lo hizo bien con baladas románticas y canciones de protesta ocasionales. McCann demostró ser un músico fiable a la hora de establecer surcos o marcar ritmos. Alcanzó la cima de su popularidad con su actuación en el Festival de Jazz de Montreux de 1969, grabando "Compared to What" y "Cold Duck Time" para Atlantic con Eddie Harris y Benny Bailey (publicado ese mismo año en Swiss Movement).
McCann adquirió cierta fama en 1956, cuando ganó un concurso de talentos en la Marina como cantante que le valió una aparición en televisión en el programa The Ed Sullivan Show. Tras ser licenciado, formó un trío en Los Ángeles. McCann rechazó una invitación para unirse al Cannonball Adderley Quintet para poder trabajar en su propia música. Firmó un contrato con Pacific Jazz y en 1960 alcanzó cierta fama con sus álbumes Les McCann Plays the Truth y The Shout. Su estilo conmovedor y funk al piano fue muy influyente y el canto de McCann fue en gran medida secundario hasta mediados de los años 60. Grabó muchos discos para Pacific Jazz durante 1960-1964, sobre todo con su trío, pero también con Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, los Jazz Crusaders y la Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
McCann cambió a Limelight durante 1965-1967 y luego firmó con Atlantic en 1968. Tras el éxito de Swiss Movement, McCann hizo hincapié en su forma de cantar en detrimento de su forma de tocar y empezó a utilizar teclados eléctricos, sobre todo en Layers, de 1972. A partir de ese momento, sus grabaciones se volvieron menos interesantes para los aficionados al jazz tradicional y, tras la finalización de su contrato con Atlantic en 1976, McCann apareció en los discos con mucha menos frecuencia. Sin embargo, siguió siendo popular y una gira de reunión con Eddie Harris en 1994 tuvo bastante éxito. Un derrame cerebral a mediados de los 90 le dejó fuera de combate durante un tiempo y debilitó su forma de tocar el teclado (su banda empezó a llevar un teclista adicional), pero Les McCann volvió a una agenda más activa durante 1996 y siguió siendo un cantante poderoso. Su regreso se consolidó con Pump It Up, de 2002, una celebración del funk y el jazz con muchos invitados, publicado por ESC Records.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-mccann-mn0000245760/biography
Track List:
Side 1 -
Back At The Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith) - 3:58
Sack O' Woe (Julian Adderley) - 3:06
Groove Yard (Carl Perkins) - 3:17
Sermonette (Nat Adderley) - 2:30
Sonnymoon For Two (Sonny Rollins) - 2:38
Side 2 -
Bags' Groove (Milt Jackson) - 3:00
Shiny (Silk) Stockings (Frank Foster) - 3:55
Sister Sadie (Horace Silver) - 4:02
Li'l Darlin' (Neil Hefti) - 3:38
Work Song (Nat Adderley) - 4:10
+ alt. takes & Unissued takes
Credits:
Les McCann (piano)
Joe Pass (guitar)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Paul Humphrey (drums)
Recorded:
Oct. 29 & 30, 1963 at Pacific Jazz Studios, Hollywood, CA
MORE Les McCann ...
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Oct. 29 & 30, 1963 at Pacific Jazz Studios, Hollywood, CA
MORE Les McCann ...
This file is intended only for preview!
I ask you to delete the file from your hard drive after reading it.
thank for the original uploader
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