Compared to What?

No, no, I mean the song! This is from an album called “Swiss Movement”. If you’re a fan of jazz you probably know about it; if you’re a newcomer to the genre you should get it. It’s a recording of pianist Les McCann playing with saxophonist Eddie Harris live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969. I bought it on vinyl that year after hearing the track below. How was it received? “It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s jazz album chart, No. 2 on the R&B chart, and No. 29 on the LP chart.”

Here’s one of the startling things about this album. It was not only recorded live, the band had been unable to rehearse. Listen to how tight they sound!