Gary McFarland
Largely forgotten now, Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the early '60s. An "adult prodigy," as Gene Lees accurately noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music could reveal shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the Army, he became interested in jazz and attempted to play trumpet, trombone, and piano. In 1955, he took up playing the vibes. Displaying a quick ability for interesting writing, he obtained a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music. He spent one semester there and with the encouragement of pianist John Lewis, concentrated on large-band arrangements of his own compositions. He attained early notoriety and success working with Gerry Mulligan, Johnny Hodges, John Lewis, Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, and Anita O'Day. McFarland began devoting more attention to his own career by 1963 when he released what is often regarded as his most significant recording, The Gary McFarland Orchestra/Special Guest Soloist: Bill Evans. He also recorded in small-group settings, which featured his clever vibes playing. The success of his instrumental pop collection, Soft Samba, allowed McFarland to form his first performing group. But his recordings thereafter, more often than not, featured an easy listening instrumental pop bent. McFarland went on to excellent work with Gabor Szabo, Shirley Scott, Zoot Sims, and Steve Kuhn, but only rarely featured his outstanding compositional talents (as in 1968's America the Beautiful). He formed the short-lived Skye Records label with Szabo and vibist Cal Tjader in the late 60s and continued to record prolifically. By the late 60s, though, he was forgotten by his initial jazz followers and he died in 1971 after being poisoned in a New York City bar.
© Douglas Payne /TiVo
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Lena & Gabor
Lena Horne, Gabor Szabo, Gary McFarland
Jazz - Erschienen bei Skye Records am 13.09.1970
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm International: Jazz Convention Volume II
Jazz - Erschienen bei KPM International am 01.01.1968
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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America the Beautiful
Jazz - Erschienen bei Skye Records am 18.12.1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soft Samba Strings
Jazz - Erschienen bei Verve Reissues am 27.10.1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scorpio And Other Signs
Jazz - Erschienen bei Verve Reissues am 09.01.1968
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soft Samba
Latin Jazz - Erschienen bei Verve Reissues am 01.01.1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon?
Jazz - Erschienen bei Skye Records am 11.10.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brazil
Shorty Rogers, Gary McFarland, Xavier Cugat
World Music - Erschienen bei Soul Vibes am 07.05.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm International: Jazz Convention Volume I
Jazz - Erschienen bei KPM International am 01.01.1968
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Does The Sun Really Shine On The Moon
Pop - Erschienen bei SKYE am 11.10.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Flea Market / By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Jazz - Erschienen bei Skye Records am 07.07.1965
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm International: Jazz Convention Volume III
Jazz - Erschienen bei KPM International am 01.01.1968
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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On This Site Shall Be Erected/80 Miles an Hour Through Beer-Can Country
Funk - Erschienen bei Skye Records am 18.12.1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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