Les McCann, oft-sampled soul-jazz pioneer, dead at 88

[2naSalit]

Les McCann, oft-sampled soul-jazz pioneer, dead at 88

Les McCann stood only 5 foot 7, but he was a towering figure when he sang and played piano. The rousing brand of soul-jazz he helped pioneer in the 1950s and '60s inspired several generations of musicians, from Bonnie Raitt and Bill Withers to such hip-hop stars as The Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, Cypress Hill, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, who sampled McCann's music on their own records.

"If it's done from the heart, people feel it," McCann said in a 1986 San Diego Union interview.

He died Friday at a Los Angeles hospital after developing pneumonia about one week ago, but his passing was only disclosed Monday by Alan Abrahams, his longtime manager.

No specific cause has been cited for the death of the 88-year-old musician, who continued performing for more than two decades after suffering a mid-concert stroke in Germany in January 1995 that partially paralyzed the right side of his body.

More at link https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/other/appreciation-les-mccann-oft-sampled-soul-jazz-pioneer-dead-at-88-i-had-a-feeling-that-i-could-do-anything/ar-AA1mn4TX

My intro to the man's talents...