To this day, members of a not-so-secret department of The Jazz Police pour scorn and disdain upon records made by jazzmen who have dared to feature a string section.
By the early 1960s, thundering big bands, manic blowing sessions and a grueling avant-garde were being left behind by a music – and a record industry – in search on the new thing. Jazz was changing, it was on the move. Not that it had ever stood still for long - witness the trad vs modern wars of the 1950s, and the emergence of singers over big bands following the 1942-44 American recording ban*.
In May 1962, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd introduced jazz to the living rooms and stereograms of white middle classes with the Verve LP Jazz Samba. Arguably, this was the album that kick-started the worldwide bossa nova craze. Two years later Stan iced the cake with the release of the LP Getz-Gilberto. An uncredited vocal performance by the wife of João Gilberto (and a strikingly tasteful sax solo) propelled the lead track - The Girl From Ipanema – high into hit parades worldwide and created the most durable of all bossa nova standards.
In 1964, trumpeter Lee Morgan dragged jazz back to the dance floors with his Blue Note album, The Sidewinder. Such was the success and influence of this record that the boogaloo beat soon took up pride of place on the track 1, sides 1 and 2 of countless post-bop jazz records. Musicians such as Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine and Lou Donaldson succumbed to the beat. Extended jazz dance tracks were lined up for juke-box editions; featuring six or more minutes of music spread across both sides of 7" 45s.
Throughout the 60s, Miles Davis continued to tread his own path; his music becoming more angular and challenging. By 1969 he had abandoned conventional composition and structure altogether. Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane squawked and honked, creating their most uncompromising records heard to date.
Over at Verve, the scene was shifting - arrangers and sleeve designers brought jazz into a new audio-visual dimension. Don Sebesky, Claus Ogerman and Gary McFarland brought scores and structure to their music. Whilst critics and commentators threw up their collective hands in horror, cash registers rang up more and more immaculately packaged, produced and performed ultra-slick stereo lifestyle statements. **
McFarland pushed the envelope further than most would dare. Wordless vocals, swooping strings, gently strummed Spanish guitars and gingerly tinkled pianos whirled together into the soundtrack of a sultry summer night.
Today, collectors drool over original copies of the five albums that Gary McFarland made for Verve records. Meanwhile, students of the art of arranging arrangement gasp in awe at the combined complexity and accessibility of his music.
Maybe you’re already a fan, maybe not. But do take the chance to check out the biopic of his life.
Here’s the trailer: -
It is hard to imagine two more impeccable and elegant long playing records than Soft Samba Strings and Scorpio and Other Signs. No improvised, angular solos. No furious fours – no side-long bass/drum duets. This is straight from the score, and nothing more; except for a dusting of McFarland flair.
Some say that musicians can play either to the head, or to the feet. Gary McFarland played to the heart. Now, abandon all prejudice and preconception – hit the download button for a journey beyond audio sophistication.
Saccharine? No.
Honeyed? Definitely.
Easy listening? Not quite.
Jazz? Oh, yes indeed.
Download
Soft Samba Strings (Verve V6-8682) (1967)
Scorpio and Other Signs (Verve V6-8738) (1968)
Yes, we know that all five albums appeared
briefly on compact disc in Japan. But
you try and find a copy of any of them. So,
no apologies – these are vinyl rips of music that cannot be bought new.
* Between the years 1942 and 1944, the American musicians union called a strike, forbidding the making of commercially available records. However, as singers were members of the actor’s union - not the musicians - the ban did not apply to them. Singers such as Perry Como and Frank Sinatra recorded with vocal group backing. Post-war, the singers became the stars; the decline of the big bands began.
** In 1967, Creed Taylor took his artistic roster over to A&M and along with photographer Pete Turner, elevated the audio and visual art of the long playing records beyond all previous horizons
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