Les McCann Sings & Pretty Lady (2 LP on 1 CD)
  • PJ Stereo-31
    PJ Stereo-31
  • PJ Stereo-25
    PJ Stereo-25
  • Gerald Wilson
    Gerald Wilson
  • Les McCann
    Les McCann

Les McCann

Les McCann Sings & Pretty Lady (2 LP on 1 CD)

Fresh Sound Records

Personnel:
Les McCann (p, vcl), Herbie Lewis (b), Ron Jefferson (d), Gerald Wilson (dir)

Reference: FSRCD 757

Bar code: 8427328607575

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For many, Les McCann Sings, revealed the pianist as a vocalist with something to say which does less than justice to McCann's work here, both vocally and pianistically. Singing with great individuality and warmth, his style combines the direct, emotional, and very communicative with an amazingly florid approach in all kind of moods, but mostly on ballads, as is the case on the lovely Its Way Past Suppertime.

On the trio tracks his piano work matches the good taste of his singing, while the large ensemble tracks are distinguished by the combined musicality of McCann and arranger and conductor Gerald Wilson, who set the arrangements around McCanns ideas, adding his own afterwards. And like all really good singers, McCann has an instinct for which songs suit him. Next Spring was included on the album Sings, but recorded at a Richard Groove Holmes date featuring Ben Webster.

The second album here, the instrumental Pretty Lady, was made around the same time as Sings. Subtitled The Ballad Style of Les McCann, it makes a perfect companion to Sings, both for its overall range and mood and because the trio adopts a more approachable style without compromising its usual soul and groove. Lewis and Jefferson are sensitivity personified and, despite McCanns occasional double-timing, the prevailing mood is a quiet, late-night, reflective one.



01. Wonder Why (Brodsky-Cahn) 3:00
02. It's Way Past Suppertime (McCann-Arnold) 3:08
03. Deed I Do (Hirsh-Rose) 2:47
04. Since I Fell For You (Buddy Johnson) 3:37
05. But Not for Me (G. & I. Gershwin) 3:01
06. I Cried for You (Arnheim-Lyman-Freed) 2:24
07. Sweet Georgia Brown (Casey-Bernie-Pinkard) 2:25
08. Please Send Me Someone to Love (Mayfield) 2:34
09. Love Letters (Victor Young) 3:15
10. On the Street Where You Live (Lerner-Lowe) 3:08
11. Bye, Bye Blackbird (Henderson-Dixon) 2:05
12. Django (John Lewis) 5:14
13. Dorene Don't Cry, I (Les McCann) 5:17
14. Pretty Lady (Les McCann) 5:42
15. Stella by Starlight (Young-Washington) 5:34
16. On Green Dolphin Street (Kaper-Washington) 6:38
17. I'll Take Romance (Oakland-Hammerstein) 6:18
18. Little Girl Blue (Rodgers-Hart) 7:15
19. Next Spring (Marvin Jenkins) 3:21 *

Album details

(*) Next Spring was included on the album Sings but recorded at a Richard Groove Holmes date.

Sources:
Tracks #1-11 & 19, from the album "Les McCann Sings" (Pacific Jazz Stereo-31)
Tracks #12-18, from the album "Pretty Lady" (Pacific Jazz Stereo-25)

Personnel on "Les McCann Sings":

Les McCann (p, vcl), Herbie Lewis (b), Ron Jefferson (d). Featuring Orchestra Conducted by Gerald Wilson with Jimmy Zito, Johnny Audino, Ray Triscari, Charlie Meeks (tp); Bob Edmondson, John Ewing, Lawrence Tricky Lofton (tb); Ken Shroyer (b-tb); Buddy Collette, Charles Lloyd (fl, as); Teddy Edwards, Harold Land, Ben Webster (ts); Jack Nimitz (bs); Richard Groove Holmes (org); Bobby Bruce, Carl Kalash, Dan Lube, Edgar Lustgarten, Jerome Reisler, Darrell Terwilliger, George Poole (violins); Myron Sandler (viola); Charles Gates (cello); Dolo Coker (rhythm piano).
Recorded at Rex Productions, February 28, March 14, April 4, August, 25, 1961

Personnel on "Pretty Lady":
Les McCann (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), and Ron Jefferson (drums).
Recorded at Rex Productions, Los Angeles, March 13 & 15, 1961

Original recordings produced and recorded by Richard Bock
This compilation produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
© 2013 by Fresh Sound Records

Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas, S.L.

Press reviews

"Les McCann Sings & Pretty Lady (Fresh Sound 757) start off with the first full album on which McCann was featured as a singing pianist. He would become much better known as a singer after 1968's "Compared To What" and at this early stage he was more distinctive as an instrumentalist than as a vocalist. That said, he does a fine job on 11 numbers (mostly standards) in which he is joined by Herbie Lewis, Ron Jefferson and an orchestra arranged and conducted by Gerald Wilson.

There is also a bonus vocal from a date with Ben Webster. The second half of this CD is the instrumental trio set Pretty Lady which is typically soulful and melodic. It is of little surprise that Les McCann was so popular and recorded so prolifically during the early 1960s."

Scott Yanow -Jazz Around Town, May 2013
Los Angeles Jazz Scene

Price:

9,95 €  (tax incl.)

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