Search - Les McCann :: Talkin Verve

Slick soul Jazz from a frontier pioneer ! ! !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 05/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Horace Silver meets Gil Scott Heron (before Gil even hit the scene)... how's that for a description ?By the sixth track, this album turns into an orgy of funky soul gospel, (for some reason tracks 2-5 just don't seem to belong in this particular mix), but then he does that funky Latin version of Sunny and you know you're back in soulful hands. Its the early-mid '60s, barely a year after the Kennedy assasination. Things are begining to change... And its just around the time music is starting to get really funky (James Brown and Ray Charles are hitting hard), and you could tell something was a-brewing in the Jazz world (we're talking Cannonball Adderly, Horace Silver, Ray Charles here...) Les McCann hits the scene.Les McCann, best known for his hit "Compared to What", his soul fusion sounds of the '70s and his collaborations with Eddie Harris was gettin' funky long before switching over to Rhodes and Clav and doing that thing.This album is no, "oh look at the roots of things to come," - - its the stuff that came. The second half of it hits even harder. His gospelly and funky cry on the state of the world (with the shouts and tamborines) is not only ahead of its time message wise and musically (years later it would become a hit) but its typical of a lot of the grooves on this album.Although a lot of tracks have that early Herbie Hancock feel (He even rips out an groovin' version of Watermellon Man, and a version of Red Top that sounds like it) the energy is turned up. And there are the antics. For example when he announces, "We'd like to do a song for those of you who like to take L.S.D." and after a brief pause he starts doing "I'm Going Out of My Head".If you like this album, I think you might also enjoy the Talkin' Verve volume with George Benson, which features his soulful side (before he started doing all that "girly-mon" stuff) - - there's a remarkably similar sounding version of Sunny."

Give me more, Les!

Steve Reitman | Buffalo Grove, Illinois | 02/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Les McCann continues to shine with Talkin' Verve. The energy is clearly displayed in Sad Little Girl, Boo-Go-Loo, and Sunny Part 2, but is also evident in many of the other tracks. There is only one minor criticism. I am a great fan of McCann's song Compared to What, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it on this album. It has been better on other albums. That one flaw certainly shouldn't keep you from purchasing this album. McCann's continued vocals and soul/jazz style are truly a joy. Overall from top to bottom this is a clear winner and another of McCann's terrific efforts."

Something is better than nothing

mike | Adelaide, Australia | 02/08/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This one will just have to do until someone sees the light and releases "Bucket of Grease" locally, which has just about all the groovy tracks on this, plus more. Why is everything cool re-released in Japan?"