Les McCann, a prolific and influential musician and recording artist who helped found the soul-jazz genre and became a favorite source for sampling by Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest and hundreds of other hip-hop performers, has died.
Les McCann Roberta Flack See latest videos, charts and news During that run, Atlantic released Swiss Movement, featuring McCann, frequent collaborator, saxophonist and labelmate Eddie Harris, and trumpeter Benny Bailey. The album earned a Grammy nomination for best jazz performance – small group or...
When all is said and done, McCann’s role in the jazz scene is mostly that of a forefather of fusion and as one of jazz’s consistently engaging entertainers. Like Dizzy Gillespie, McCann cranks up the between-song banter and generates an infectious energy flow with the audience. “Well, ...