Les McCann • Live At The Village Vanguard

 

Biography
Les McCann reached the peak of his career at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival, recording "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" for Atlantic (Swiss Movement) with Eddie Harris and Benny Bailey. Although he has done some worthwhile work since then, much of it has been anticlimactic.

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.

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Biografía

Les McCann alcanzó la cima de su carrera en el Festival de Jazz de Montreux de 1969, grabando "Compared to What" y "Cold Duck Time" para Atlantic (Swiss Movement) con Eddie Harris y Benny Bailey. Aunque desde entonces ha hecho algunos trabajos que valen la pena, muchos de ellos han sido anticlimáticos.

McCann ganó cierta fama en 1956 cuando ganó un concurso de talentos en la Marina como cantante que resultó en una aparición en televisión en el programa The Ed Sullivan Show. Después de ser dado de alta, formó un trío en Los Ángeles. McCann rechazó una invitación para unirse al Quinteto Cannonball Adderley para poder trabajar en su propia música. Firmó un contrato con Pacific Jazz y en 1960 ganó algo de fama con sus álbumes Les McCann Plays the Truth y The Shout. Su estilo soul y funk en el piano fue influyente y el canto de McCann fue en gran parte secundario hasta mediados de los años 60. Grabó muchos álbumes para Pacific Jazz durante 1960-1964, principalmente con su trío, pero también con Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, los Jazz Crusaders y la Orquesta de Gerald Wilson.

McCann cambió a Limelight durante 1965-1967 y luego firmó con Atlantic en 1968. Después del éxito del Movimiento Suizo, McCann enfatizó su canto a expensas de su forma de tocar y comenzó a utilizar los teclados eléctricos, sobre todo en las Capas de 1972. Sus grabaciones se volvieron menos interesantes para los aficionados al jazz tradicional a partir de ese momento, y después de que su contrato con Atlantic se agotara en 1976, McCann apareció en discos con mucha menos frecuencia. Sin embargo, se mantuvo popular y una gira de reunión de 1994 con Eddie Harris fue bastante exitosa. Un derrame cerebral a mediados de los 90 lo dejó fuera de combate durante un tiempo y debilitó su capacidad de tocar el teclado (su banda comenzó a llevar un teclista adicional) pero Les McCann volvió a un horario más activo durante 1996 y seguía siendo un cantante poderoso. Su regreso se solidificó con Pump It Up de 2002, una celebración del funk y el jazz lanzada por ESC Records.

Tracks
1 - I Can Dig It
Written By – Les McCann

2 - On Green Dolphin St.
Written By – Bronislaw Kaper

3 - Blues 5
Written By – Les McCann

4 - Sunny
Written By – Bobby Hebb

5 - I Am In Love
Written By – Cole Porter

6 - Love For Sale
Written By – Cole Porter


Credits:
    Bass – Leroy Vinnegar
    Drums – Frank Severin*
    Engineer [Recording] – George Klabin
    Mastered By [2xHD] – René Laflamme
    Piano – Les McCann

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