Les McCann - Hey Leroy Your Mama's Callin' You / Sunny (Part 2)

Year Released: 1967
Genre: Soul Jazz / Funk / Instrumental Groove

Description:
This double-sider from pianist and bandleader Les McCann captures the crossover between soul jazz and early funk that defined McCann’s sound in the late 1960s. Released on Limelight Records, “Hey Leroy, Your Mama’s Callin’ You” is an exuberant, Latin-tinged funk tune led by organ, congas, and McCann’s playful vocal interjections.

The B-side, “Sunny (Part 2),” is an instrumental jam version of Bobby Hebb’s classic, showcasing McCann’s trademark gospel-rooted piano phrasing and tight, funky rhythm section.

Les McCann’s catalog — particularly this single — became a source of inspiration and samples in hip-hop and acid jazz. “Hey Leroy” was sampled by De La Soul and DJ Shadow, while McCann’s broader body of work (including “Compared to What” and “Go On and Cry”) influenced artists like Madlib, The Avalanches, and Guru’s Jazzmatazz.

This single stands as an early example of McCann’s knack for combining jazz sophistication with street-level funk energy — a bridge between post-bop musicianship and dancefloor rhythm.