Coleman Leslie McCann, connu sous le nom de Les McCann, est sans doute le pianiste de jazz le plus soul des années soixante. Il suffit pour s’en convaincre d’aller l’écouter, toutes affaires cessantes, avec Eddie Harris, en concert à Montreux, le 21 juin 1969, jouer Compared to what. Cet enregistrement est un monument de l’histoire du jazz soul. Mais avant ce concert, le trio de Les McCann avec Herbie Lewis et Ron Jefferson, a imposé un nouveau style caractérisé par la joie et le plaisir, de jouer, de groover, d’écouter. Impossible dans un concert de Les McCann de ne pas participer à sa joie, à son envie de partager, impossible de ne pas battre la mesure. Les enregistrements de 1960 à 1962 de cet album sont une charnière qui participe au basculement du jazz dans un nouveau monde. Si aujourd’hui, le monde du jazz intègre toute la musique soul, c’est parce que quelques musiciens comme Les McCann ont naturellement, au début des années soixante aboli les frontières et les classifications.
The history of music shows us that different kinds and forms follow each other. And that the latest trend overshadows the one that came before it. Today it's difficult to say exactly which trend dominates, as there are so many music currents that overlap and intersect. Mainstream exists no longer. Yet one thing is certain: each music form is built on the music that precedes it. There would be no jazz without classical music, no rock without blues, no rock without jazz, no rap without soul music, no sampling without the riffs of either soul or rock… and therefore, inside each genre you find different chapters in the history of music. And that is why it is so important to understand their origins: they shed the light that is necessary for an understanding of the music born every day.
The richness of jazz lies at the origin of so much music today that it is essential to discover this creative wealth. The Essential Works of Masters of Jazz bring to light those 20th century creations that still exert an influence on the majority of musicians today — whether they are aware of it or not.
The Essential Works of Masters of Jazz gather the fundamental creations of the music of today.