Layers - Les McCann (1973) (1LP Vinyl)

Layers by Les McCann.

"Layers" finds Les McCann stepping away from the piano trio conventions that made his name and diving headfirst into a world of keyboards and rhythm. Released in 1973 on Atlantic, this is McCann as a one man orchestra of sorts, credited here with piano, electric piano, Arp synthesizer, Clavinet, drums, and timpani. It is a record that reflects a moment when jazz players were embracing new electronic textures, and McCann does so with warmth and character rather than cold experimentation.

The album is thoughtfully divided into two suites. Side one, "Songs From Boston," opens with the aching "Sometimes I Cry" before moving through "Let's Gather," "Anticipation," and the marching cadence of "The Dunbar High School Marching Band," closing with the first part of "Soaring (At Dawn)." Side two, "Songs From My Childhood," carries a more personal, reflective tone, running from "The Harlem Buck Strut Dance" and a brief "Interlude" through "Before I Rest," "Let's Play ('Til Mom Calls)," and "It Never Stopped In My Home Town," resolving with the companion piece "Soaring (At Sunset) Part II."

McCann composed and arranged everything here, and he conducts a tight, percussion rich ensemble. Jimmy Rowser anchors the low end, playing double bass on "Sometimes I Cry" and "Soaring (At Dawn) Part I" and switching to electric bass on "Let's Gather," "The Dunbar High School Marching Band," and "The Harlem Buck Strut Dance," while also contributing bells and percussion. Donald Dean supplies drums along with bells and percussion, and the layered rhythmic feel is enriched by both Ralph MacDonald and Buck Clarke, who bring congas, bongos, wood block, and an array of bells and percussion to the sessions.

The recording itself was captured and re-mixed at Regent Sound Studios in New York by Bob Liftin, who also lent his words to the liner notes alongside producer Joel Dorn and McCann himself. That three way conversation in the notes gives the package a real intimacy, offering perspectives from the man behind the board, the producer, and the artist. Special thanks go to Marty Cohen and Tom Oberheim, the latter a nod to the synthesizer technology that shapes so much of the album's sound.

Presented in a gatefold sleeve, the album was designed by Graphic Projects, Inc. of New York, with cover photography by Jesse Califano. The labels carry the MO and Broadway address, marking this as a period Atlantic pressing manufactured in the U.S.A. For collectors chasing McCann's electric era, "Layers" is a rewarding and deeply personal statement, a set of musical postcards from Boston and childhood rendered in soul, groove, and synthesized color.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
. Songs From Boston
A1. Sometimes I Cry
A2. Let's Gather
A3. Anticipation
A4. The Dunbar High School Marching Band
A5. Soaring (At Dawn) Part I
. Songs From My Childhood
B1. The Harlem Buck Strut Dance
B2. Interlude
B3. Before I Rest
B4. Let's Play ('Til Mom Calls)
B5. It Never Stopped In My Home Town
B6. Soaring (At Sunset) Part II

Credits:
Les McCann - Arranged By, Conductor
Jimmy Rowser - Bells, Percussion
Jack Shaw - Co-producer [Production Associate]
Les McCann - Composed By
Ralph MacDonald - Congas, Bells, Percussion
Buck Clarke - Congas, Bongos, Wood Block, Bells, Percussion
Graphic Projects, Inc. - Design [Album]
Jimmy Rowser - Double Bass [Bass Violin] (A1, A5)
Donald Dean - Drums, Bells, Percussion
Jimmy Rowser - Electric Bass (A2, A4, B1)
Bob Liftin - Engineer [Recording & Re-mix]
Bob Liftin - Liner Notes
Joel Dorn - Liner Notes
Les McCann - Liner Notes
Marty Cohen - Other [Special Thanks]
Tom Oberheim - Other [Special Thanks]
Jesse Califano - Photography By [Cover]
Les McCann - Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Arp], Clavinet, Drums, Timpani
Joel Dorn - Producer

Notes:
-MO and Broadway address on labels

Recorded & re-mixed at Regent Sound Studios, New York, N.Y.
Album design: Graphic Projects, Inc., New York, N.Y.
℗ © 1973 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Printed in U.S.A.
Mfg. by Atlantic Recording Corp.

Gatefold sleeve.

Artist: Les McCann

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Atlantic

Catalog Number: SD 1646

Release Year: 1973

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)