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One of the great remaining pioneers of modern jazz music, Les McCann—whose songs you’ve almost undoubtedly heard, even if you may not be able to name them offhand—died Friday, Dec. 29 at 88. McCann passed at the Los Angeles hospital where he had been admitted with pneumonia. His death was confirmed Monday by his manager, Alan Abrahams, who had also produced many of McCann’s albums.
McCann was perhaps most famous for his 1969 cover of “Compared to What,” a protest song originally recorded and released by Roberta Flack earlier that year. McCann’s rendition, which is accompanied by saxophonist Eddie Harris, became legendary because of its utterly unique origins. McCann and Harris had been performing separately at Switzerland’s Montreaux Jazz Festival, where they both decided to give an unscheduled performance together. Such is the nature of jazz, all of the best songs are improvisational.
McCann’s soulful voice and nimble fingers glided over the piano, while Harris’ saxophone and the accompanying percussion filled the room for an undeniable and extraordinary take on the song. It became an instant hit after it was filmed and recorded, later released on McCann and Harris’ joint album, Swiss Movement, a collection of their live material at the festival. Though McCann had already recorded dozens of albums at the time, the song became his biggest hit and solidified his place in the jazz pantheon for all of time. And in the 1996 reissue of Swiss Movement, McCann revealed a long-held secret about the iconic performance, writing in the liner notes: “Just before we went onstage, and for the first time in my life, I smoked some hash.”