Les Mccann

This edition contains all 1962 collaborations by Joe Pass and pianist Les McCann, who would continue working together the following year. Their 1962 output consists of their participation on Richard “Groove” Holmes LP "Somethin' Special" and on McCann's own album "On Time". Both records appear here in their entirety, as well as two tracks from the second LP that were not included on the original album. As a bonus, the complete LP "Back in Town!". Issued under the name of singer/guitarist Bumble Bee Slim (born Amos Easton), it consisted of two sessions, one featuring Pass, and the other featuring McCann.

Following the surprising commercial success of "Compared to What" in 1969, pianist Les McCann never managed to get another hit as hard as he tried. These two sessions originally released for Atlantic found McCann struggling with that goal instead of concentrating on his talent as a jazz musician. Unfortunately, the lackluster material found McCann merely falling back on the most predictable aspects of mid-'70s soul and R&B. McCann sings on a majority of the tracks, while the synthesizer noodling and string arrangements have not dated well. Only the Peter Allen/Carole Bayer Sager-penned "Will We Ever Find Our Fathers," featuring Herbie Hancock on piano, is of note.

Lou Rawls with Les McCann Ltd. - Stormy Monday (1962) {Blue Note Records CDP 7 91441 2 rel 1990}
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© 1962, 1990 Blue Note Records | CDP 7 91441 2
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / R&B / Soul Jazz

Lou Rawls has had a long and commercially successful career mostly singing soul, R&B, and pop music. Originally a gospel singer, Rawls' first album as a leader features him performing soulful standards backed by the Les McCann Trio. Few of the songs have been under-recorded through the years, but they sound fresh and lively when sung by Rawls; highlights include "Stormy Monday," "In the Evening," and "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water." Pianist McCann gets a generous amount of solo space, and the reissue has three bonus tracks. This is still Rawls' definitive recording in the jazz idiom, cut before he went on to more lucrative areas.

Les McCann - Les McCann Ltd. in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Jazz Workshop - Complete Recordings (1960) {Fresh Sound FSR-CD 682 rel 2012}
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© 1960, 2012 Pacific Jazz / Fresh Sound Records | FSR-CD 682
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Piano Trio

Les McCann Ltd. in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Jazz Workshop was recorded in December of 1960 and released in 1961 on the Pacific Jazz label. Backing his piano were bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Ron Jefferson. The original LP of this date featured seven selections – only about half of the entire gig. This Fresh Sound reissue contains four more tracks, bringing the total to 11.

Still trying to recover from the effects of a devastating 1995 stroke, Les McCann relaxed and put out a playful jazz/funk album with a cast of dozens that in some ways harkens back to some of his Atlantic sides from the 1970s. Unlike his other post-stroke albums, he doesn't play any keyboards here, leaving them in the hands of Ricky Peterson, with an emphasis on the Hammond B3. Rather, McCann is content just to sing and rap – again, a throwback and fallback to records made a quarter-century before. At 66, McCann sounds considerably different – older and a little shakier on the ballads, but still sly and willing. The grooves are OK in a minimally updated '70s funk manner, but the material, coming from a variety of sources, is rather ordinary as a whole.