Les Mccann – Much Les

Together with saxophonist Eddie Harris, Les McCann is responsible for one of the best-selling albums in jazz history, "Swiss Movement" (Atlantic SD-1537). It was his Atlantic label debut, followed by "Much Les" in 1968, adding new facets to what McCann did best in his early years: his core sound was further developed by a string section and a Latin drummer. The result is compelling, appealing, consistently captivating and considered an underrated classic.

McCann is solidly and relaxedly supported on all tracks by his trio of the time, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Donald Dean. Still, it's the string section that dominates McCann's accompaniment; of the six tracks, they can be heard on all three slow songs, as well as somewhat surprisingly on the laid-back soul-jazz of Doin' That Thing, which almost gives the track the feel of a movie soundtrack. Thankfully, the album isn't drenched in sentimental kitsch at all; the strings are always used tastefully to give the proceedings a more solid base and provide a counterpoint to McCann's sparse soloing in the ballads. Elsewhere, he transforms Cole Porter's Love For Sale into one of his trademark funky soul-jazz grooves and returns to his gospel roots on the soulful, exuberant Burnin' Coal, where he works a simple but infectious beat. So the program is varied, and the rich, expansive arrangements serve to highlight - not disguise - the McCann trio's groove mastery. That's what makes "Much Les" such an entertaining, must-listen experience.