Les McCann Opens the Door in 1971
McCann surrounded himself with top session players and let the grooves breathe—funkier and more experimental than his usual fare.
Invitation to Openness arrived in 1971 when Les McCann was already established as a reliable funk-soul pianist, but this album sits slightly apart from his better-known work. It's a sessionman's dream—Yusef Lateef on woodwinds, Cornell Dupree and David Spinozza on guitars, Alphonse Mouzon, Ralph MacDonald, and Bernard "Pretty" Purdie rotating through the rhythm section, with Corky Hale adding harp textures to several tracks. The album doesn't chase a single sound but instead explores different configurations across its cuts, which gives it an experimental quality McCann didn't always pursue.
The grooves lean heavier into funk and soul-jazz than some of his earlier trio recordings, with plenty of wah-wah guitar and layered percussion creating density without clutter. McCann's keyboard playing stays functional rather than flashy—he's steering the sessions, not showing off. The presence of both Jimmy Rowser and Bill Salter on bass across different tracks suggests these were working arrangements, players brought in for specific feels.
This isn't McCann's most celebrated record, and it didn't reshape anyone's understanding of the era. But it captures something honest about 1971 studio work—the casual competence of top-tier session musicians making records that fit the moment, with enough personality in the arrangements to stand out from typical funk-soul releases. For McCann specifically, it shows him comfortable stepping back and letting others shape the sound, which is its own kind of confidence.
Who's playing
Jimmy Rowserbass
Bill Salterbass
Jodie Christianelectric piano
Cornell Dupreeelectric guitar
David Spinozzaguitar
Buck Clarkepercussion
Donald Deanpercussion
Ralph MacDonaldpercussion
Alphonse Mouzonpercussion
Bernard “Pretty” Purdiepercussion
Corky Haleharp
Yusef Lateefwoodwind
Les McCannkeyboard
Where next?
More by Les McCann
All 32 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
