Les McCann

The great jazz artist has passed away. Ethan Iverson on McCann and Eddie Harris’s extraordinary version of “Compared to What”:

In the LP era, one disc you had to have was Swiss Movement, the concert tape of a 1969 gig at Montreux by Les McCan and Eddie alongside Benny Bailey, Leroy Vinnegar, and Donald Dean.

Miriam-Webster defines “zeitgeist” as “the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.” This is rare occasion when I can write the following cliché about music I really love: The opening track, “Compared to What,” absolutely captures some of that 1969-era zeitgeist.

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The excellent McCann New York Times obit by Andrey Henkin recounts the casual and rather unlikely story of the hit record. McCann is one of the funkiest ever, and the hit track is a big feature for his magnificent piano groove. Vinnegar and Dean are right in there, but this is an occasion where the feel is definitely emanating from the leader.

One of the more astonishing revelations of the YouTube era is video of this very hit performance. You can see how last-minute it all is. At a big festival, there often isn’t a soundcheck, and towards the beginning McCann is gesturing to the technicians, trying to make sure his vocal mic is hot. The trio knows the music but the horns to do not. Eddie Harris finds his way through the key changes by ear, and Benny Bailey waits uncertainly to play. It is indeed a jam session: a jam session for the ages.

Learning that the video of that historic performance was available was a nice way to start the new year. R.I.P.