One of the many two-CD samplers of Atlantic jazz artists put together by Rhino Records, this retrospective has some of the high points of pianist-vocalist Les McCann's career, but is far from perfect. The first CD is purely instrumental, showcasing McCann with several of his trios and in collaborations with organist Richard "Groove" Holmes, the tenors of Ben Webster and Stanley Turrentine, the Jazz Crusaders, and Gerald Wilson's Orchestra. The second half of the two-fer has three selections on which McCann backs singer Lou ...
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One of the many two-CD samplers of Atlantic jazz artists put together by Rhino Records, this retrospective has some of the high points of pianist-vocalist Les McCann's career, but is far from perfect. The first CD is purely instrumental, showcasing McCann with several of his trios and in collaborations with organist Richard "Groove" Holmes, the tenors of Ben Webster and Stanley Turrentine, the Jazz Crusaders, and Gerald Wilson's Orchestra. The second half of the two-fer has three selections on which McCann backs singer Lou Rawls (why were these included?) and just two vocals from the pianist. "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" (from his famous meeting with Eddie Harris at the 1968 Montreux Jazz Festival) have been reissued several times, there are no selections from the 1973-1995 period, and the music is not programmed in strictly chronological order. Taken as a whole there is plenty of rewarding music on the collection (including "The Truth," "The Shampoo," "A Little 3/4 for God & Co.," and "With These Hands"), but McCann's vocalizing and his post-1972 music should not have been neglected. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
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Add this copy of Relationships: Anthology to cart. $20.41, good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Rhino.