Home » Jazz Musicians » Gary McFarland

Gary McFarland

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An "adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed 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 in 1959 and with the encouragement of pianist John Lewis, concentrated on large-band arrangements of his own compositions.

He attained early notoriety and success through top-drawer affiliations (Anita O'Day, Bob Brookmeyer), outstanding melodic compositions (for Gerry Mulligan and Johnny Hodges), unique arrangements (his own interpretation of Frank Loesser's Broadway musical "How to Succeed in Business...") and an early devotion and sympathetic understanding of the bossa nova (Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer).

McFarland began devoting more attention to his own career and in 1963 released what is often regarded as his most significant recording "“The Gary McFarland Orchestra/Special Guest Soloist: Bill Evans” - a sublime, evocative score that revels in its simplicity. He also started recording in small-group settings which began to feature his own vibes playing (Point of Departure).

In 1964, shortly after staging his own ballet, Reflections in the Park, McFarland issued “Soft Samba,” a set of pop-rock covers featuring some of the earliest jazz covers of popular Beatles tunes. The controversial album featured pleasant samba-like rhythms enhanced by wordless vocals and whistling and minimal improvising. While “Soft Samba” attracted a sizable and appreciative audience, the jazz press and McFarland's early admirers were harshly dismissive. But McFarland experienced his first real hit and a taste of considerable popularity.

The success of Soft Samba allowed McFarland to form his first performing group; featuring fellow Berklee alum Gabor Szabo on guitar as well as recent Berklee graduate Sadao Watanabe, young bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Joe Cocuzzo. The band toured clubs across America during the summer of 1965 and recorded an album similar - but superior - to Soft Samba, called “The In Sound.” Here, McFarland mixed his brand of pop vocalese with the substantial improvisational talents of unique accompanists, most notably Gabor Szabo. The following year found McFarland devoting his talents to the large-scale orchestras which provided his initial notoriety. A February 6, 1966, performance at New York's Lincoln Center yielded the record “Profiles,” which collected New York's finest jazz musicians and soloists - notably, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, Gabor Szabo and Richard Davis. McFarland went on that year to record an album of blatant, Beatlesque pop with Gabor Szabo (Simpatico), a soundtrack for a David Niven film (13, eventually titled Eye of the Devil upon release) and wrote and arranged the highly regarded “The October Suite” for pianist Steve Kuhn, an outstanding set of lyrical and moody tone poems in a chamber jazz setting. He also recorded Zoot Sims in an orchestral setting for the lovely Impulse album “Waiting Game.”

Read more

Tags

2
Album Review

Gary McFarland: The In Sound & Soft Samba

Read "The In Sound & Soft Samba" reviewed by Rob Caldwell


Arranger, vibraphonist and singer Gary McFarland is regarded as one of the major purveyors of orchestral jazz--a type of jazz which had its heyday in the 1960s, but which is not heard as much anymore. A fine line separates orchestral jazz from the dreaded “easy listening" tag. A line so fine, they're often one and the same. McFarland, thankfully, managed to walk more on the jazz side, recording a series of albums for Verve and Impulse before his untimely death ...

1
Album Review

Gary McFarland - Bill Evans: The Gary McFarland Orchestra - Special Guest Soloist Bill Evans

Read "The Gary McFarland Orchestra - Special Guest Soloist Bill Evans" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff


Esce in ristampa questa storica registrazione della Verve che vide l'incontro tra il grande arrangiatore Gary McFarland e l'incommensurabile Bill Evans. Che dire! Un pianista di cui spesso si è affermato che suonava come un'orchestra, affiancato da un'autentica orchestra (e che orchestra: date un'occhiata all'elenco dei musicisti).L'analogia che viene alla mente ascoltando l'album è quella pittorica. La musica si muove per colori, per pennellate. A volte tenui e delicate, su fondi pastello, altre volte per stratificazioni successive. Sempre, ...

Read more articles

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army, he became interested in jazz and ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army, he became interested in jazz and ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army... Read more.

Place our Musician of ...

1

Video / DVD

Gary McFarland: Departure Point

Gary McFarland: Departure Point

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

In the late 1950s and early '60s, a new breed of jazz arranger began to surface. Some were deeply influenced by modern classical orchestral music. Others such as Johnny Mandel, Manny Albam, Johnny Pate and Oliver Nelson were swayed by the drama and subtle incidental melodies of television and the movies. Among the latter group, the most innovative and musically dashing was Gary McFarland. Born in Oregon in 1933, McFarland was something of a savant, teaching himself to play boogie-woogie ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army... Read more.

Place our Musician of ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army... Read more.

Place our Musician of ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army... Read more.

Place our Musician of ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Jazz Musician of the Day: Gary McFarland

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Gary McFarland's birthday today!

Gary McFarland was one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz during the 1960s. He had an unfortunately short career. But he was surprisingly productive in the brief decade he was captured on record (1960-70). An “adult prodigy," as Gene Lees once noted, McFarland was an ingenious composer whose music revealed shades of complex emotional subtlety and clever childlike simplicity. While in the army... Read more.

Place our Musician of ...

Recording

Monday Recommendation: Music Of Gary McFarland

Monday Recommendation: Music Of Gary McFarland

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey

The Gary McFarland Legacy Ensemble, Circulation: The Music of Gary McFarland (Planet Arts) Concerned that recognition of Gary McFarland’s achievement was fading, drummer Michael Benedict created the ensemble named for McFarland and recorded 11 of his compositions. The mystery of McFarland’s death at 38 in 1971 remains unsolved. His composing and arranging made him a welcome presence in jazz in the 1960s. With slight academic training and a large natural talent, he produced work of freshness and appeal in collaborations ...

Rasmus Henriksen
composer / conductor

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Stretchin' Out

Nagel Heyer Records
2023

buy

The Gary McFarland...

International Society for Improvised Music
2006

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.