Les McCann & M'Jobi - Jazz Open Stuttgart 2004

Pianist - vocalist Les McCann (born September 23, 1935, Lexington, Kentucky) in performance live in Germany in 2004 accompanied by German band M'Jobi led by guitarist Jo Ambros. Primarily a piano player (self-taught and a terrific one at that, in the vein of Bud Powell), after the success of his 1969 "Swiss Movement" album recorded during the Montreux jazz festival of that year containing the huge, strongly political hit "Compared To What" criticizing the Vietnam war, he became a soul jazz pioneer, one of the first jazz musicians to introduce electric pianos and made history during the 70s with collaborator sax player Eddie Harris on subsequent albums. His singing has a rasp, gospelish quality all of its own, enjoy.

1. Cold Duck Time
2. What's Going On?
3. Little Blue Volkswagen
4. A little 3/4 for God & Co
5. Sunny
6. Ignominy
7. Someday We'll Meet Again

Atlantic Jazz - Soul (1986)

An Atlantic Jazz slice of mostly '60s jazz-soul treats. Fittingly, the 11-track disc includes a side by one of the prime progenitors of soul, Ray Charles: He and MJQ vibraphonist, Milt Jackson, stretch out on the canonized "How Long Blues." Further expounding on the soul-jazz trajectory, the collection spotlights work by organist Shirley Scott (the Aretha Franklin hit "Think"), Les McCann and Eddie Harris (their classic Montreux Festival cut "Compared to What"), Yusef Lateef ("Russell and Elliot"), and Hank Crawford ("You're the One"). And there's even a bit of boogaloo-enhanced bossa, compliments of trumpeter Nat Adderley ("Jive Samba"). A nice introduction to the soul-jazz movement that superceded hard bop.



Track Listing

1. Think - Shirley Scott
2. Twist City - Matthew Gee, Johnny Griffin
3. How Long Blues - Ray Charles, Milt Jackson
4. Comin' Home Baby - Herbie Mann
5. Russell and Eliot - Yusef Lateef
6. Listen Here - Eddie Harris
7. With These Hands - Les McCann
8. Compared to What - Eddie Harris, Les McCann
9. You're the One - Hank Crawford
10. Jive Samba - Nat Adderley
11. Money in the Pocket - Joe Zawinul