The Musical Legacy of Les McCann and Eddie Harris: Compared to What
Les McCann, born in 1935, and Eddie Harris, born in 1934, were talented jazz musicians known for their collaboration on the iconic song "Compared to What." McCann's journey from winning a talent contest to topping the charts with hits like "The Shampoo" and "Compared to What," alongside Harris, showcases their groundbreaking contributions to the jazz scene. Harris, a master of multiple instruments, explored electric jazz and gained recognition for his innovative sound. Together, they captivated audiences with memorable performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, leaving a lasting impact on music history.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Les McCann & Eddie Harris- Compared to What By: Matthew Burgos
Who is Les McCann? Les McCann s real name is: Leslie Coleman McCann. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on September 23rd, 1935. He is known for being an American jazz pianist and vocalist. He played the piano and sang in several school band performances, until he eventually joined the U.S. Navy in 1956, and won a talent contest in order to appear on the Ed Sullivan show.
Les McCanns Musical Career After moving to Northern California near the end of the 1950s, he went on to play with Gene McDaniels before eventually forming an infamous trio with himself, Eddie Harris, and Benny Bailey McCann s main career took off in the beginning of the 1960s though, when he and his trio recorded for Pacific Jazz Records, and his instrumental song The Shampoo achieved the title of a number one hit in 1963. Then in 1969, Atlantic Records released their group album entitled Swiss Movement, which also attained major success on the Billboard charts. One of the songs off of this album, titled Compared to What, additionally saw a massive rise to popularity on the Billboard charts.
Who is Eddie Harris? Eddie Harris was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He lived from October 20th, 1934, to November 5th, 1996 He studied music thoroughly during high school, which led him to becoming a masterful player of the piano, vibraphone, and tenor saxophone, by the time he went to college. After college, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, until he returned to work in New York City for a bit. Eventually, he returned to Chicago, where his musical career started to really take off after signing with Vee Jay Records.
Eddie Harriss Musical Career After signing with Vee Jay Records, he released his first album with them, entitled Exodus to Jazz. In the next several years, he went on to explore more electric versions of jazz music, and released another album in 1967, called The Electrifying Eddie Harris. Not to mention, in 1968 he was nominated for the Best Instrumental Jazz Performance for Small Group or Soloist with Small Group for the Album The Electrifying Eddie Harris. Then later in 1969, he performed hit song Compared to What with his fellow musician Les McCann at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in which their performance was so impressive that a recording of it got released by Atlantic Records as Swiss Movement.
Where did this song come from? Originally, the song was actually written by Gene McDaniels as a protest against the Vietnam War, and President Lyndon B. Johnson. It became popular though when Les McCann and Eddie Harris performed it at the Montreux Jazz Festival, which made an appearance on their certified gold album, Swiss Movement. After its rise to popularity, the song was critically acclaimed for its political message, but also praised by others who agreed with it.
How was the song made? The lyrics of the song are originally written by Gene McDaniels. Les McCann initially recorded his own version of the song for his 1966 album, Les McCann Plays the Hits. Then the official version of the song by both Les McCann and Eddie Harris was recorded on June 21st, 1969. This version by McCann and Harris had McCann playing the piano and performing vocals, and Harris playing the tenor saxophone, along with Benny Bailey playing trumpet, Leroy Vinnegar playing bass, and Donald Dean on the drums.
Les McCann & Eddie Harris Perform the Song Live Les McCann Eddie Harris Compared To What This video shows Les McCann & Eddie Harris performing their song Compared to What live, which is off of their joint album called Swiss Movement
What topic is the song about / addressing? The song addresses the Vietnam War at the time, and the president Lyndon B. Johnson s subsequent actions. The artists clearly agreed with the view that the U.S, should pull out of the war, which led to them criticizing the president, as he made the decision to stay put in the war. Some lyrics from the song that depict this message include: The President, he's got his war, Folks don't know just what it's for, Nobody gives us rhyme or reason, Have one doubt, they call it treason
Thank you! And feel free to ask questions! Work Cited: Alexander, Otis. Les McCann (1935 - ). Blackpast, 2 June 2021, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american- history/les-mccann-1935/. Biography. Eddie Harris, Seventh House Ltd., 2020, https://www.eddieharris.com/biography. Fleamarketflunk. Les McCann and EDDIE Harris Compared to What. Flea Market Funk, 1 Aug. 2011, https://fleamarketfunk.com/2011/08/01/les-mccann-and-eddie-harris-compared-to-what/. Les McCann & Eddie Harris Compared to What. Genius, https://genius.com/Les-mccann-and-eddie-harris- compared-to-what-lyrics.
