Back in the day, Les McCann was one of the proponents of the “soul jazz” movement. He had a BIG hit with Eddie Harris with a rousing “Compared to What?”. This 1972 reissue finds him in the heavy company of Yusef Lateef/woodwinds, Cornell Dupree/g, Corky Hale/harp, Jodie Christian/ep, Jimmy Rowser/b, Alfonse Mouzon/dr and Ralph McDonald/perc along with various other guests. The album has these gents really stretching out one spacy material that gives hints of Bitches Brew Miles Davis as well as funky CTI-inspired grooves. The 26 minute “The Lovers” is an almost stream of conscious meandering collection bordering on navel gazing, with “Beaux J. Poo Boo” getting a bit more down and dirty. Lateef’s flute and tenor get a chance to stretch out, along with lots of swirling keyboards and “groovy” percussion abounding. A bonus track here of a 1975 concert reading of “Compared to What” is the most exciting thing here, with a stampede of rhythm and flying keyboards revving up like a stampede. You may want to let your Afro grow out a bit and put on some wide whale cord for this one.
Omnivore Records