After reading about Les McCann’s passing, Kim Paris from the FM Radio Archive Collection uploaded a fascinating live set from 1974 that includes both Freddie Hubbard and Les McCann. Kim emailed to let me know.
At the time, Hubbard had left CTI and had just released his first album for CBS/Columbia “High Energy”. So, it was fascinating to hear where Freddie’s live performances were.
You can play or download the two parts of the WBGO broadcast here. Alternatively, you can visit the broadcast webpage on archive.org [1]https://archive.org/details/apollo-theater-nyc-1974-hubbard-mccann-wbgo Press play and read on.
Black Music ’75
The Apollo’s Black Music ’75 was an ambitious attempt by promoter John Levy to present jazz greats such as Les McCann, Cannonball Adderley, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Nat Adderley, bluesman Johnny Guitar Watson, and singers Joe Williams and Randy Crawford to the Harlem audience. The show ran from October 18th through October 24th, with the same artists each night. The show opened with everyone on stage in one huge jam band at the start and reunited at the end. In the middle, each formation would play a short set. Tickets were $4.00 and $5.00.
Writing for the New York Times on October 20th, 1974 – Ian Dove wasn’t impressed describing it as “is an interesting experiment that does not quite come off”. Given Dove’s report was in the Oct. 20th edition, he saw the event from a different night from the recordings here. Dove’s review would also appear in Billboard Nov 30th, 1974.
Hubbard set from Oct. 22nd, presented here from the WBGO broadcast and archived by Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive, opens with a 12-minute version of the Stevie Wonder track “Too High” from Hubbard’s new album – It sees Hubbard at perhaps his most bombastic. The second and final Hubbard track is “Crisis”, also from the “High Energy” album. It’s not clear if WBGO cut anything to fit the session into a 30-minute radio slot, but from reporting at the time, it’s likely these were Hubbard’s only numbers. WBGO, as Paris notes on archive.org the show was carried by WBGO 88.3 FM (“Jazz 88“) from Newark, NJ. WBGO is a long-time Jazz station and still active today [2]Link to WBGO remembering Les McCann, published Jan 1st, 2024 – includes interview https://www.wbgo.org/music/2024-01-01/les-mccann-innovative-soul-jazz-pianist-and-composer-dies-at-the-age-of-88.
Les McCann makes his appearance in the second part of the set broadcast by WBGO. McCann and sidemen perform a couple of numbers and then call on the rest of the musicians for the finale jam set performing “Compared To What”.
References
| ↑1 | https://archive.org/details/apollo-theater-nyc-1974-hubbard-mccann-wbgo |
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| ↑2 | Link to WBGO remembering Les McCann, published Jan 1st, 2024 – includes interview https://www.wbgo.org/music/2024-01-01/les-mccann-innovative-soul-jazz-pianist-and-composer-dies-at-the-age-of-88 |
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I had to distinguish honor of being Les McCann’s drummer, Live at the Apollo 1974.
Mr Davis, thank you so much for reading and commenting. If I am right, you also performed on a number of Mr McCann’s studio albums, including “Another Beginning” that was arranged by Mr William Eaton, and included a friend of this website, Ms Morgan Aimes who among many did the backing vocals.
Correct I was Les McCann’s drummer from 1973 to 1977.
Albums: Another Beginning, Hustle to Survive and, River High River low.
Les McCann discovered me at the Club Baron (Lonnie Youngblood’s drummer) in Harlem NYC,
just home from serving in the US Army.
As a teenager, he played rudimental bass drums in St. Rocco’s Cadets Drumline, instructed by Eric Perriloux, who he considers, the most important and influential modern drummer of all time. At the age of sixteen, Harold recorded and toured with, The Sand Pebbles who released a number one single called Love Power. Other well-known artists and musical groups Harold has played with include : Les McCann, Buck Clarke, Jimmy Rowser, Bob Ramey, Eddie Harris, George Benson, Grover Washington, Jr., Average White Band, Ray Parker, Jr., Stanley Turrntine, Earth Wind & Fire, Freddie Hubbard, Nancy Wilson, NiteFlyte, Miroslav Kudykowshi, Tribe, Earl Foster, Jr., Clyde Powell, Lonnie Youngblood, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Michael Sembello, Ben Bridges, Takehiro Honda Trio– Spirits Flow, Benny Laddermore and Al Jarreau. In addition Harold co-starred in Policewoman with Angie Dickenson. Harold also served his country in the US Army in a band made up of his fellow servicemen, named TLA (Trans Love Airways) touring the Far East, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, and Okinawa. Members included : Bill Slais, Johnny Brown, Daniel Tripp and Jimmy Lawrence. TLA was the well received opening act for the Bob Hope USO Show. Harold’s talent of the drums encompasses several musical styles; Jazz, R&B, Funk and Pop.
Thank you again for such a useful comment.