Les McCann Passes Away

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Chris Templeton
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Les McCann Passes Away

Post by Chris Templeton »

Les McCann has moved on.
Here he is doing "Compared To What":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCDMQqDUtv4
And Buddy plays it with Lenny Breau :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6mQi3X1IAo
Last edited by Chris Templeton on 3 Jan 2024 5:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Craig Stock
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Post by Craig Stock »

Great stuff Chris, Thanks for posting.
Regards, Craig

I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.

Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days
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Cartwright Thompson
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Post by Cartwright Thompson »

He made a few records with Joe Pass too.
https://youtu.be/XHtGfjlVafE?si=bPxaBFa1-5uX40Kt
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Mike Neer
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Post by Mike Neer »

Was a big fan of Les McCann, especially his work with one of my favorites, Eddie Harris.
Les had a stroke all the way back in the 90s and fought his way back into playing and touring.
Such a heavy cat and a great vocalist. This was one of my favorites of his. https://youtu.be/N5hLbn0Il9o?si=eeQacMw6k-t8diyo
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Chris Templeton
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Post by Chris Templeton »

I loved listening to LM & EH's, Swiss "Movement", in '75 and was happy to hear Buddy do it on "Minors Aloud".
Like Poco and the Byrds introduced steel to many, this record brought jazz into focus for many.
Buddy said he "wore this record out".
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Brooks Montgomery
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Post by Brooks Montgomery »

One of my faves. That jam with Eddy Harris on “compared to what” is one of my favorite bits of live music history. When he starts building and key changing at around 5:30 and Eddy comes in parting the sea—that could make a crippled man dance.
A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first.
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Fred Treece
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Post by Fred Treece »

I first heard Real Compared To What on a Brian Auger album a friend of mine had. The Cleveland rock radio station had been playing Les McCann’s live at Montreux version for some time, but I was not hip to it yet. Watching a video of that event is very humbling. His vocal is intense yet the delivery seems effortless and the playing is frantic but still musical. He lived 88 years - one for each key on the piano?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QdDZXKe9QPA
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