Les McCann: On the Soul Side

Les McCann On the Soul Side liner notes

At this point in my musical life, I am having a great time. I am working in three bands, and that leaves me no time to get bored. About one-third of my time on the road, I get to "hang" with the likes of David "Fathead" Newman, Cornel Dupree, Chuck Rainey, and Ricky Sabastian, just some of the musicians that make up Herbie Mann's "Deep Pockets" Band. From Herbie, thus comes "Dippermouth," based on an old Louis Armstrong line. Louis lives. As if playing with Herbie's band isn't enough, I also do some "hanging" with "The Harris" (that's what I call him), Eddie Harris, master musician, ABMF. He makes me work hard ... real hard. And no one on Earth is as funny as he. Every night on the bandstand is a magic moment with "The Harris." I wish him musical love and thanks. My "mostest funniest" band is my very own "Magic Band," and don't "ax" me why because we have been together a long time, and we have been through everything. We got Ricky "Wally, Wally, Wally" Taylor, our bassist, who was off getting married while we were recording. Sorry Wally. We got Tony St. James, my Libra brother, who has been with me for fourteen years. We got The Santa Barbara Kid,· Jeff Elliott, who does most of our horn arrangements and tells the world's worst jokes. And then there's the other "kid," from Dallas, Texas: Keith "Sir Lips A Lot" Anderson. Three years ago he came with us on a tour ... we found out it was his first time out of the house.