Les McCann

The pianist Les McCann, who died Dec. 29 at the age of 88, was known for his song "Compared to What." But he had a long and celebrated expansive career that preceded — and followed — that hit.

An impromptu jam of "Compared to What" gave McCann a career-defining moment at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival.

The summer jazz festival season is about to start. Blockbuster performances at the “Big Three” longest-running summer jazz fests still engender re-makes…