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
Discography
16 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Lena & Gabor
Lena Horne, Gabor Szabo, Gary McFarland
Jazz - Released by Skye Records on Sep 13, 1970
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm International: Jazz Convention Volume II
Jazz - Released by KPM International on Jan 1, 1968
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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America the Beautiful
Jazz - Released by Skye Records on Dec 18, 1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soft Samba Strings
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on Oct 27, 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scorpio And Other Signs
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on Jan 9, 1968
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soft Samba
Latin Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on Jan 1, 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm International: Jazz Convention Volume I
Jazz - Released by KPM International on Jan 1, 1968
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Flea Market / By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Jazz - Released by Skye Records on Jul 7, 1965
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kpm International: Jazz Convention Volume III
Jazz - Released by KPM International on Jan 1, 1968
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
On This Site Shall Be Erected/80 Miles an Hour Through Beer-Can Country
Funk - Released by Skye Records on Dec 18, 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -