Les McCann
b. Leslie Coleman McCann, 23 September 1935, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. ‘There is no end to the possibilities (and fun) in music. So, why don't we get on in there and get it?’ McCann's comment highlights two distinctive elements of his music: an interest in innovation, particularly in new technology, and a preference for the dance-based rhythms of gospel and funk. Self-taught as a pianist, he played and sang in school bands and in the Navy where a talent contest won him a spot on the "Ed Sullivan Show". Moving to California in the late '50s, he formed a successful trio with which he first recorded in 1960. A series of popular albums followed and, in the late '60s, McCann had two hit singles with the protest song Compared To What and the ballad With These Hands. The early '70s saw the pianist exploring electronic keyboards and synthesizers and, while still recording, performing in films such as Soul To Soul and shows like the all-star Black Music Show from 1972-74. McCann also practiced as a photographer, exhibiting on a number of occasions, and worked as a volunteer teacher with his wife in Mexico. His recording diminished in the late '70s, following an unsuccessful foray into soul and R&B.