On June 21,1969 pianist and vocalist Les McCann and his group played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. The performance was recorded and released by Atlantic Records as the album "Swiss Movement."  One of the tunes on the date, Compared to What, became a hit single. The performance and the recording also put the Montreux festival “on the map,” making it a preferred destination for jazz musicians to play and record live.

McCann’s group that day included Eddie Harris on tenor saxophone, Benny Bailey playing the trumpet, Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Donald Dean at the drums. The original pressing of the album featured five tracks including the well-known Cold Duck Time written by Harris. The album reached #1 on the jazz record charts and #2 on the R&B charts. It was also nominated for a Grammy.

Les McCann’s first recording was “Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Truth” which was released in 1960. “Swiss Movement” was his 26th release. McCann released 53 albums as a leader, his most recent being “28 Juillet” in 2018. He also appeared as a sideman with Herbie Mann, Stanley Turrentine, Lou Rawls and Bill Evans. After suffering a stroke in the mid-1990s, McCann returned to performing in 2002. Les McCann passed away in late December of 2023.

Here is a link to Compared to What from the album “Swiss Movement” recorded 57 years ago today:

"COMPARED TO WHAT"