Swiss Movement


Swiss Movement is a soul jazz live album recorded on June 21, 1969 at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland by the Les McCann trio, with saxophonist Eddie Harris and trumpeter Benny Bailey. The album was a hit record, as was the accompanying single "Compared to What", with both selling millions of units.

Reception and influence

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of best jazz performance, small group. It reached No. 1 on Billboard's jazz album chart, No. 2 on the R&B chart, and No. 29 on the LP chart.
A Billboard writer commented in 2006 that "what put Montreux on the recorded-live-in-concert map was the legendary Swiss Movement album".
The tapes of this impromptu concert were originally recorded by the festival's organisers and then passed on to Atlantic, who decided to release them after paying a fee of less than 100 dollars.

Track listing

  1. "Compared to What" - : 8:41
  2. "Cold Duck Time" - : 6:31
  3. "Kathleen's Theme" - : 5:45
  4. "You Got It in Your Soulness" - : 7:08
  5. "The Generation Gap" - : 8:45
  6. "Kaftan" - - bonus track on the 1996 reissue:

    Personnel