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Les McCann: How's Your Mother?
by Douglas Payne
This intriguing, previously unreleased set captures Les McCann's working trio with bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Severino live at the Village Vanguard on July 16, 1967. It's an exceptionally well recorded fifty-minute set that mixes four group originals with two Cole Porter tunes and two unfortunate pop staples of McCann's ("Goin' Out of My Head," “Sunny"). McCann was at a career high at this point, as his artistically satisfying Limelight years were ending and his successful eight-year run on ...
Continue ReadingLes McCann: Talkin' Verve: Les McCann
by Douglas Payne
Perhaps as good as any compilation can get, Les McCann: Talkin' Verve hardly lives up to its acid-jazz premise or its subject's real talents. Still, it does rescue some of the lost music pianist/vocalist Les McCann made over six albums for the Limelight label between 1964 and 1967. Seems the folks at Verve were going for a goofy menu of gospel-jazz, pop crap, and funky soul to round out an hour of not always choice McCann moments.As can ...
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