Les McCann Trio

Les McCann's most widely recognized recording is 'Compared to What,' a vocal performance captured live with saxophonist Eddie Harris at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival and released on the album Swiss Movement. The song became a crossover hit and remains one of the defining recordings of the soul-jazz era.

Les McCann recorded extensively for Pacific Jazz Records in the early 1960s, where his trio albums helped establish the soul-jazz sound that blended jazz with gospel and blues influences. He later recorded for Atlantic Records, where he explored more crossover material and collaborated with artists like Eddie Harris.

Yes, Les McCann was both a pianist and a vocalist, and his singing was a crucial part of his crossover appeal, particularly on songs like 'Compared to What.' His vocal style combined gospel-inflected delivery with the conversational phrasing of rhythm and blues, which broadened his audience well beyond traditional jazz listeners.

The Les McCann Trio combined jazz improvisation with blues, gospel, and soul influences, helping to define the soul-jazz movement of the 1960s. McCann's piano work had a church-music intensity rooted in his early gospel training, which gave the trio a sound that was both sophisticated and immediately accessible to non-jazz audiences.