An early musical success for McCann was his winning of a Navy talent contest for singing; this led to an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. McCann's main career began in the early 1960s when he recorded as a pianist with his trio for Pacific Jazz Records.
In 1969, Atlantic Records released Swiss Movement, a recording of McCann with frequent collaborator, saxophonist Eddie Harris, and guest trumpeter Benny Bailey at that year's Montreux Jazz Festival. The album contained the song "Compared To What", and both the album and the single were huge Billboard pop chart successes. "Compared To What" featured political criticism of the Vietnam War. The song was not written by McCann; fellow Atlantic composer/artist Eugene McDaniels wrote it years earlier. "Compared To What" was initially recorded and released by soul vocalist Roberta Flack. Her version appeared as the opening track on her debut recording, First Take (1969).
After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann — primarily a piano player — began to emphasize his rough-hewn vocals more. He became an innovator in the soul jazz style, merging jazz with funk, soul and world rhythms; much of his early 1970s music prefigures the Stevie Wonder albums of that decade. He was among the first jazz musicians to include electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer in his music.
In 1971, he and Harris were part of a group of soul, R&B, and rock performers — including Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, Santana and Ike & Tina Turner — who flew to Accra, Ghana for a historic 14-hour concert before more than 100,000 Ghanaians. The March 6 concert was recorded for the documentary film Soul To Soul. In 2004 the movie was released on DVD with an accompanying soundtrack album.
Les McCann discovered Roberta Flack and obtained an audition which resulted in a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
A mild stroke in the mid 1990s sidelined McCann for a while, but in 2002 he released a new album, Pump it Up. McCann has also exhibited as a painter and photographer.
Born in 1935 in Lexington, Kentucky, Les McCann is a self-taught musician (other than the four piano lessons he took as a youth from a nice old lady who lived in the neighborhood). In the early fifties, he left the South and joined the Navy. While stationed in California, he took every opportunity to visit San Francisco's jazz clubs, where he first experienced Miles Davis and his music. His first major influence though, was pianist Erroll Garner, who shared the same exuberance and bursting vocalizations. After his discharge from the military, McCann moved to Los Angeles and formed a trio, Les McCann Ltd., which became a favorite on the Sun Strip in the late fifties.
Always fueled by his renegade spirit, Les McCann was recommended by Miles Davis to play with Cannonball Adderly, but turned it down in order to form his own band. In 1960, McCann was signed to the L.A.-based Pacific Jazz label owned by producer Nick Venet, who recognized Les signature soul groove style that mothered an entire movement of back-to-the-roots jazz. McCann became the label's top-selling artist, debuting with Plays the Truth (1960). He also co-headed albums with legendary labelmates such as organist Richard "Groove" Holmes, saxman Ben Webster, The Jazz Crusaders and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
McCann's laid-back personality has always been an opening for musicians to perform together. 1960 & 62 Antibes Jazz Festival was a hit as he shared the stage with Ray Charles and Count Basie. The year after he toured Europe with Zoot Sims and Charlie Byrd. He would move constantly, playing in countless sessions with the greatest names in jazz. He co-produced and co-headlined the debut album from Lou Rawls, Stormy Monday (1960), and guested on each other's records with Stanley Turrentine, who played sax on McCann's In New York (1960) and McCann on Turrentine's That's Where It's At (1960). In the early seventies, McCann heard Roberta Flack for the first time at a nightclub in Washington D.C., and immediately became her champion, as he did similarly with Mahalia Jackson and Nancy Wilson. After a brief stint on the Limelight label (subsidiary of Mercury Records), which boasted Dizzy Gillespie, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Art Blakey, McCann signed to Atlantic Records in 1967, his first major label deal.
Les is best known for his work in the late 60s and early 70s with partner/saxman Eddie Harris, whom he first encountered at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The resulting album, Swiss Movement (1960), was a top selling jazz record, and the single "Compared to What" sold platinum. The same year, Much Les, without Harris, hit hard with the ballad "With These Hands." Second Movement (1971), reunited McCann and Harris, and acclaimed recordings such as Invitation to Openness (1972), the double-record Live at Montreux (1973), and Layers (1973) followed. The latter was a revolutionary, improvisational experiment that included 15 musicians and one 27-minute song. Les McCann helped pioneer the use of electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer, starting with this work which was one of the earliest electronic jazz albums.
The early eighties saw the creation of McCann's Magic Band, which has recorded a number of independently-released albums and featured Jeff Elliott, Keith Anderson, Tony St. James, and Abraham Laboriel. His last release, On the Soul Side (MusicMasters 1994), featured his Magic Band and once again reunited him with Eddie Harris and Lou Rawls.
As if a lifetime of musical success is not enough, Les' creations go beyond the keys. His personal relationships with jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Art Blakey, and Duke Ellington as well as many other great historical characters, have been documented in a collection of more than 8000 photographs that Les has taken over the years. As a serious photographer, Les has built a darkroom in his home, and has sold a significant number of pieces. A large exhibition of his work will be exhibited at this year's Montreux Jazz Festival, reproduced by Graham Nash (Nash Editions). In addition, Les is an exhibited painter, primarily a watercolorist with a particular interest in flowers. His work is hanging in two galleries, in Scottsdale, AZ, and Santa Barbara, CA, as well as in his home, where he entertains private showings. After the stroke, Les has become remarkably prolific, discovering that painting and maneuvering the camera are both therapeutic and strengthening. Les' expression as a visual artist communicates similar vibes of freshness, experimentation, and peace as does his music.
Les McCann is an inspiration, not only as an artist but because he is not afraid of anything. He comments, "I never plan the future," which leaves him with nothing to fear, and more space in which to create. His teaming with Alan Abrahams and the musicians on Listen Up! is brilliant and healing as well ... he remembers favorably the spontaneous energy created in the September 1995 recording session and notes that "it was evidently meant to be. Thanks to the people who have helped me, including the musicians, the hospitals -- the incredible amount of angels in my life."
In 1997 Les teamed up with Joja Wendt, Europe's hottest pianist, resulting in the outstanding recording Pacifique. In 1998, 32 jazz released "How's your Mother?" a classic live performance recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1967.
In 2002 his album Pump it Up was released which is one of his funkiest outputs - produced again by Abrahams performing songs from Bill Evans, Bill Whiters, Dean Brown and himself, backed up by e.g. Billy Preston, Marcus Miller or Abraham Laboriel.
Sunny
Les McCann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain
Oh, the dark days are done and the bright days are here
My sunny one shines so sincere
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet
You gave to me your all and all
Now I feel ten feet tall
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z
My life was torn like wind-blown sand
Then a rock was formed when we held hands
Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face
Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace
You're my spark of nature's fire
You're my sweet complete desire
Sunny one so true, I love you
The song "Sunny" by Les McCann is a tribute to a special person who has brightened up the singer's life. The lyrics begin with a reference to a period of sadness which is represented by "rain." However, this is immediately followed by the acknowledgement of that person's presence, a bright and sunny personality, who lifted the singer's mood and eased his pain. In the second verse, the sun is described to have brought light and truth to the singer's life, illuminating his perspective and bringing about a sense of completion and happiness. In the final verse, the sun is credited with being the source of nature's fiery spirit, filling the singer with desire and passion. The entire song is a heartfelt tribute to the transformative power of love and the ways in which an inspiring and positive person can change another's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain
When it rained, I felt down and hopeless. My life was consumed by the storm.
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain
Your smile brought happiness and lifted me out of the depression I was in.
Oh, the dark days are done and the bright days are here
I'm leaving behind the negativity and moving forward towards positivity.
My sunny one shines so sincere
You radiate truth and sincerity to me.
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
I'm expressing my love for you, my true love.
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet
I appreciate the warmth and happiness you bring into my life.
Sunny, thank you for the love you've brought my way
I'm thanking you for the affection and care you've shown me.
You gave to me your all and all
You've given me your everything, your full effort and attention.
Now I feel ten feet tall
Now I feel confident and empowered thanks to your support.
Sunny one so true, I love you
I'm expressing my love for you, my true love.
Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see
I appreciate the honesty you've brought to my attention.
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z
Thank you for educating me and providing me with complete information from A to Z.
My life was torn like wind-blown sand
My life felt unstable and unpredictable.
Then a rock was formed when we held hands
We became a solid, unbreakable unit when we held hands.
Sunny one so true, I love you
I'm expressing my love for you, my true love.
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face
Your smile brings me joy and happiness.
Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace
The light in your eyes represents grace and beauty to me.
You're my spark of nature's fire
You ignite a passion in me that feels natural and invigorating.
You're my sweet complete desire
You are my everything, my complete desire and love.
Sunny one so true, I love you
I'm expressing my love for you, my true love.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Broma 16, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bobby Hebb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind