Les mccann biography
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Composer, Jazz pianist, and vocalist Leslie Coleman &#;Les&#; McCann was born September 23, , in Lexington, Kentucky. His early education began at the all-Black Rosenwald School in the city.
In , the self-taught pianist McCann played and sang in school bands and in the U.S. Navy, which he joined in in San Diego, California and where a talent contest won him a spot on the Ed Sullivan Show. Moving to Northern California in the late s, he played with Gene McDaniels before forming a successful trio (Benny Bailey, Eddie Harris, and McCann) with which he first recorded in McCann&#;s primary career began in the early s when he recorded as a pianist with his trio for Pacific Jazz Records. His instrumental, &#;The Shampoo,&#; was a number one hit in His musical flavor was dance-based rhythms of R&B, gospel, and funk. He was among the first jazz musicians to include electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer in his music.
The year saw Atlantic Records release the skiva Swiss Movement, whic
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Les McCann
American jazz pianist and vocalist (–)
For the Australian rules footballer, see Les McCann (footballer).
Les McCann | |
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McCann in | |
| Birth name | Leslie Coleman McCann |
| Born | ()September 23, Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, () (aged&#;88) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, soul jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, vocals |
| Years active | – |
Musical artist
Leslie Coleman McCann (September 23, – December 29, ) was an American jazz pianist and vocalist.[1][full citation needed] He is known for his innovations in soul jazz and his recording of the protest song "Compared to What". His music has been widely sampled in hip hop.
Early life
[edit]Leslie Coleman McCann was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 23, [2] He grew up in a musical family with four brothers and one sister, most of whom sang in church choirs.[3][4][5] His father was a fan o
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Les McCann
Home &#; Jazz Musicians &#; Les McCann
Already established on the soul jazz scene of the s, Les McCann became an international jazz superstar with the release of “Swiss Movement,” recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival with the late Eddie Harris. The album generated a multi-million selling hit single, "Compared To What," and placed McCann and Harris in the forefront of the jazz market. There was a lot more to Les McCann than that show in Switzerland,both before and after. As a musician, he moved comfortably from one jazz style to the next, demonstrating impressive chops from bop to fusion, from vocals to virtually any kind of keyboard he puts his hands to.
Born in in Lexington, Kentucky, Les is a self-taught musician. In the early fifties, he left the South and joined the Navy. While stationed in California, he took every opportunity to visit San Francisco's jazz clubs, where he first experienced Miles Davis and his music. His f