Les McCann, Legendary Jazz Musician, Dead at 88

Portrait of American Jazz musician Les McCann plays piano as he performs at the Ivanhoe Theater, Chicago, Illinois, January 14, 1978.

Les McCann, the legendary jazz musician who helped launch the soul-jazz genre, has passed away. He was 88 years old.

The late artist's longtime manager and producer, Alan Abrahams, confirmed the news to the AP, sharing that McCann had been hospitalized with pneumonia for about a week before he died in Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023.

McCann is probably best known for the protest track "Compared to What," though his songs were frequently sampled by hundreds of other artists, including Dr. Dre and A Tribe Called Quest.

The 1968 single was once covered by Roberta Flack, whose career McCann helped launch after he set her up with an audition at Atlantic Records. The two eventually recorded together, and McCann would go on tour with artists like Wilson Pickett, Santana, and the Staples Singers.

The Lexington, Kentucky native taught himself how to play the piano and got his start in the '50s after he won a singing competition during his tenure in the Navy. He then appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, earning fans in Quincy Jones and Miles Davis, ultimately leading to the release of dozens of albums and worldwide tours.

His first came in 1960: Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Truth. Other popular releases included 1972's Talk to the People, 1973's Layers, and 1974's Another Beginning. According to the publication, just last month, Resonance Records released Never A Dull Moment! - Live from Coast to Coast, featuring recordings from 1966 and 1967, while his final album on Spotify is 2020's Players with Richard "Groove" Holmes.

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