Funky tune: "Cold Duck Time"

[Lionel Mandrake]

played by Les McCann & Eddie Harris for the very first time ...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Lionel Mandrake!

Wow, that burst of sound at the start was a bit much, with a (brief) commercial even. I know it can be difficult to find really good recordings, though.

I dug the music!

Thank you!

[Lionel Mandrake]

2. My dear CP,

You're welcome! I'm glad you liked the music.

The sucky commercials are the price we sometimes pay to receive YouTube.

[panader0]

3. I love that one but this is my fave: 'Compared to What'

I had a chance to see them one night in Tucson, outdoors by a hotel pool. Very cool.

[Lionel Mandrake]

6. The two are very different.

"Cold Duck Time" is strictly instrumental, but "Compared to What" is a song, with lyrics that are angry and political. For example: "The president, he's got his war / Folks don't know just what it's for / Nobody gives us rhyme or reason / Have one doubt, they call it treason". Those lyrics were composed during the Vietnam War, but how much has really changed since then, except for the worse? (Today we enjoy fewer Constitutional rights than ever, thanks in part to the so-called USA PATRIOT act.)

There are musical differences as well. In "Compared to What", Les McCann farts around with the harmony, moving the key signature several steps up the chromatic scale before he starts singing. This isn't often done in jazz, but it seems to work here.

[mulsh]

4. Any body else ever drink Cold Duck?

A cheap sparkling wine as I recall that along with Red Mountain jug wine fueled many of my parent's summer parties in the 60's & early 70's. As it fueled one of my very first hangovers.

I love Eddie Harris's music.

[Lionel Mandrake]

13. I've eaten Peking Duck,

but it wasn't cold.

[hifiguy]

14. i remember it as being vile.

Boone's Farm level vile.

[progressoid]

15. Yep. My Dad used to buy that.

And Mogen David.

Yuck.

[olddots]

5. Roberta Flack also did Compared To What

a great political lyric and Ron Carter's bass part is beyond funky .

[Lionel Mandrake]

7. Well worth listening to ...

[olddots]

8. Les McCann for president !!

that lryic says it all .

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. That is a ticket I could vote!

[Lionel Mandrake]

11. Me too.

He didn't write the lyrics, but he sang them with conviction. That's good enough for me.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. Very nicely done. Especially considering it was the first time out.

Thanks, Lionel

[Lionel Mandrake]

12. My pleasure.