STEVE KUHN — The October Suite : Three Compositions of Gary McFarland (1966-2003) RM | Serie LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Composer and arranger Gary McFarland was well known in the 1960s for his film-scoring abilities and his charting skills with midsized bands. McFarland was also, however, a jazz fan, and particularly one of scalar pianist Steve Kuhn. This project features Kuhn in the center of a program made up entirely of McFarland compositions, all but two of which were written specifically for the album. Recorded in 1966, it is an anomaly in the Impulse catalog of the time in that it did not pursue the free jazz realms with the vengeance that most of the label's other acts did during that year. It is also significant that it caught the attention of a young Manfred Eicher, who later signed Kuhn to his ECM label based on the strengths of this recording. Like Keith Jarrett, Kuhn is in the pointillistic school of jazz pianists of the era. Unlike Jarrett, Kuhn does not consider force in his attack as necessary as his labelmate does. Instrumentally, Kuhn's customary trio situation -- which is dutifully performed with zeal by Ron Carter and drummer Marty Morell -- is augmented with a string quartet on half the record and with a wind trio with harp on the other half. The tracks on side one are in some ways less revolutionary, yet more fulfilling because Kuhn is clearly at home with the sonorities afforded by the strings. They don't swing, even on "One I Could Have Loved" from the film 13 or "St. Tropez Shuttle," a strangely metered bossa tune (in 3/4 instead of 4/4). Kuhn's cautious, contemplative improvising concerns itself with scalar explorations of melody, color, and harmony rather than rhythm or modal considerations. His touch is light and airy and therefore most pronouncedly visible against the strings. The interplay between Carter and Morell is almost instinctual; they couldn't have moved any closer together on this set if the charts had been written for them -- and they were not. With the wind trio and harp, Kuhn's approach is more physical, but nonetheless strives to create a palette for the very instruments that are trying to create one for him. There is some tension in this approach, but it works to the record's advantage. In sum, The October Suite was an experiment that worked beautifully, even if it was not acknowledged as being one of the more subtly brilliant albums of its day, though it most certainly stands the test of time that way.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    One I Could Have Loved    4:45
 Gary McFarland
2    St. Tropez Shuttle    7:10
 Gary McFarland
3    Remember When    7:25
 Gary McFarland
4    Traffic Patterns    5:04
 Gary McFarland
5    Childhood Dreams    6:27
 Gary McFarland
6    Open Highway    8:43
 Gary McFarland
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Al Brown (tracks: 1 to 3)
Composed By, Conductor, Arranged By – Gary McFarland
Drums – Marty Morell
Harp – Corky Hale (tracks: 4 to 6)
Piano – Steve Kuhn
Viola – Charlie McCracken (tracks: 1 to 3)
Violin – Isador Cohen (tracks: 1 to 3), Matt Raimondi (tracks: 1 to 3)
Woodwind – Don Ashworth (tracks: 4 to 6), Gerald Sanfino (tracks: 4 to 6), Irving Horowitz (tracks: 4 to 6), Joe Firrantello (tracks: 4 to 6)

STEVE KUHN — The Early 70's (1971-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the almost more about the other Jazz side of Steve Khun the vocalist, not the Pianist. When he plays piano, it is within the language of avant garde classical, and the presence of a string quartet affirms that soundscape, yet the Jeckyll to the Hyde of that is the singing is mellifluous, accompanied by gentle Electric piano. It is in the spirit of Michael Franks, and a delight in being so. In a long and distinguished career with some of jazz' s greats, this is his oddity. Yet for the most part, the unusual experiment works, I think for the most part that there is a nostalgia for early fusion, and this is the sleeper in that format. The best instrumental tracks on the lp are comparable with the Return to Forever tracks with no guitarist on them. The later Kuhn ECM albums embrace that early hard to post bop language and have him back in the piano seat without the vocal mike. Mark Harrington
Tracklist :
1    The Zoo (a.k.a. Pearlie's Swine)    5:29
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
2    Silver    4:38
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
3    Tomorrow's Son (a.k.a. Time To Go)    3:23
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
4    The Heat Of The Moment    1:56
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
5    Saharan (a.k.a. The Baby)    4:46
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
6    The Drinking Song (a.k.a. Hold Out Your Hand)    3:12
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
7    The Meaning Of Love    2:54
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
8    Remembering Tomorrow (a.k.a. Ulla)    4:22
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
9    A Change Of Face    3:34
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
10    Day Dreaming 2:59
Written-By – Aretha Franklin
11    Something Everywhere    4:47
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
12    Trance    4:41
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
13    Last Tango In Paris 2:37
Written-By – Gato Barbieri
14    Life's Backward Glance    3:06
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Ron Carter (tracks: 1 to 8)
Arranged By – Gary McFarland (tracks: 1 to 8), Steve Kuhn (tracks: 1 to 8)
Conductor – Gary McFarland (tracks: 1 to 8)
Drums – Billy Cobham (tracks: 1 to 8), Bruce Ditmas (tracks: 9 to 14)
Electric Bass – Steve Swallow (tracks: 9 to 14)
Electric Piano – Steve Kuhn
Percussion – Susan Evans (tracks: 9 to 14)
Percussion [Latin] – Airto Moreira (tracks: 1 to 8)
Piano – Steve Kuhn (tracks: 1 to 8)
Vocals – Steve Kuhn (tracks: 1 to 8, 14)

GARY McFARLAND & Co. | CLARK TERRY - Tijuana Jazz (1965) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Considering the strong lineup of musicians on this LP (Gary McFarland on marimba, both Clark Terry and Joe Newman on trumpets, valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, and an expanded pianoless rhythm section), it had the potential to be a classic; even the material is generally good. Unfortunately, the dozen selections are overly concise (the longest clocks in at 4:01), with seven of the tunes being under three minutes long. McFarland's arrangements are fine, but the solos are quite short, and the Mexican-flavored music is not particularly memorable. A blown opportunity. Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1     South of the Border 2'06
J.Kennedy / M. Carr
2     Acapulco at Night 2'52
Gary McFarland
3     Fantastic, That's You 2'54
G. Cates / G. Douglas
4     Limehouse Blues 3'37
Douglas Furber
5     Tijuana 2'09
G. Cates / G. Douglas
6     Marcheta 2'55
Victor Schertzinger
7     Granny's Samba 3'30
Gary McFarland
8     Soul Bird (Tin Tin Deo) 4'01
Paul Gonsalves
9     Mexicali Rose 2'27
H. Stone / J. Tenney
10     Ira Schwartz's Golden Dream 3'32
Gary McFarland
11     Mary Jane 3'05
Gary McFarland
12     Sweet Georgia Brown 2'06
B. Bermie / K. Casey / M. Pinkard
Credits  
Bass [Fender] – Bob Bushnell
Drums – Grady Tate, Mel Lewis
Guitar – Barry Galbraith, Toots Thielemans
Marimba, Piano [Wurlitzer], Vibraphone – Gary McFarland
Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer
Trumpet – Clark Terry, Joe Newman

LENA HORNE + GABOR SZABÓ - Watch What Happens! (1970-1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pairing of chanteuse Lena Horne and guitarist Gabor Szabo may seem incongruous on paper, but Watch What Happens! is an unexpected delight, capturing a soulfulness and sass largely absent from the singer's previous efforts. Producer and arranger Gary McFarland's candy-coated orchestral settings afford Horne the opportunity to step out of the elegant but often stuffy refinement of her classic LPs and let down her hair. Her vocals pirouette around Szabo's hypnotically funky guitar leads with the focused abandon of a child playing hopscotch. Keyboardist Richard Tee, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Grady Tate contribute the supple grooves that highlight so many McFarland sessions, and the material is top-notch, including no fewer than three Beatles covers: "In My Life," "Fool on the Hill," and "Rocky Raccoon," the latter featuring the most purely joyful performance of Horne's career. [Watch What Happens! was originally released on Szabo's Skye Records label as Lena & Gabor in 1970.]  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 Watch What Happens 4:00
Jacques Demy / Norman Gimbel / Michel Legrand  
2 Something 3:08
George Harrison
3 Everybody's Talkin' 2:52
Fred Neil
4 The Fool on the Hill 3:35
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
5 Yesterday, When I Was Young 4:00
Charles Aznavour / Herbert Kretzmer
6 Rocky Raccoon 3:27
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
7 My Mood Is You 4:45
Carl Sigman
8 A Message to Michael 3:14
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
9 Night Wind 3:35   
Erroll Garner / Bobby Scott
10 In My Life 2:52
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
Credits :
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Gabor Szabo
Orchestrated By, Arranged By, Conductor – Gary McFarland
Organ – Richard Tee
Vocals – Howard Roberts Singers, Lena Horne

STAN GETZ - Big Band Bossa Nova (1962-2008) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Fresh from the sudden success of Jazz Samba and "Desafinado," Stan Getz asked the 28-year-old, strikingly gifted Gary McFarland to arrange a bossa nova album for big band as a follow-up. Getz is always his debonair, wistful, freely-floating self, completely at home in the Brazilian idiom that he'd adopted only a few months before. McFarland usually keeps things nice and spare (although "One Note Samba" is uncharacteristically cluttered and a bit too discordant for the material), letting his pungent voicings stab the air now and then, while allowing the soloists all the room they want within the confines of producer Creed Taylor's tight timings. Four of the eight songs are by McFarland (none of which would become standards), and Getz makes relaxed impressions with "Manha de Carnival" and "Chega de Saudade." Jim Hall takes the role of acoustic guitarist from Charlie Byrd with his usual fluidity, and Hank Jones ruminates in a boppish way on piano. This album also charted quite respectably (number 13) in the first flush of the bossa nova boom. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist:
1, Manha de Carnival (Morning of the Carnival) – 5:48
Luiz Bonfá
2. Balanço no Samba (Street Dance) – 2:59
Gary McFarland
3. Melancólico (Melancholy) – 4:42
Gary McFarland
4. Entre Amigos (Sympathy Between Friends) – 2:58
Gary McFarland
5. Chega de Saudade (No More Blues) – 4:10
Antônio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes
6. Noite Triste (Night Sadness) – 4:56
Gary McFarland
7. Samba de Uma Nota Só (One Note Samba) – 3:25
Antônio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonça
8. Bim Bom – 4:31
João Gilberto
Créditos
Arranged By, Conductor, Liner Notes [From The Original Lp Release] – Gary McFarland
Bass – Tommy Williams
Bass Clarinet – Romeo Penque
Cabasa – Carmen Costa
Clarinet – Babe Clark, Ray Beckenstein
Drums – Johnny Rae
Flute – Gerald Sanfino
Flute [Alto] – Eddie Caine
French Horn – Ray Alonge
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer [Original Session] – Creed Taylor
Tambourine – Jose Paulo
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer, Tony Studd, Willie Dennis
Trumpet – Bernie Glow, Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Joe Ferrante, Nick Travis

JOHN LEWIS - Original Sin + Essence (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 This Collectables reissue pairs up two albums by pianist, arranger, and Modern Jazz Quartet musical director John Lewis. Original Sin was Lewis' second experiment with a symphony orchestra. This ballet was originally performed in 1961 at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco, CA, with the libretto provided by beat poet Kenneth Rexroth based on Adam and Eve. Without the added excitement that improvisation could have provided, Original Sin comes across stiff. On the other hand, Essence, released in 1964, allows space for improvising around the charts provided by vibraphonist Gary McFarland. Arranged by Lewis, it featuring an array of jazz greats including Eric Dolphy, Phil Woods, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Jimmy Giuffre, and Jim Hall. Both sessions have their moments, but Essence is the main attraction on this disc. by Al Campbell

Tracklist:
 John Lewis - Original Sin (1961)
1    Creatoin of the World & Creation of Adam 3:54
John Lewis
2    Introduction 0:48
John Lewis  
3    Zebra, Lion, Camel 1:28  
John Lewis
4    Walrus, Ape 0:52
John Lewis      
5    Lamb, Leopard 1:47  
John Lewis
6    Rabbit, Skunk 0:44
John Lewis  
7    Variant V: Mountain Sheep, Deer 1:38  
John Lewis
8    Finale 2:11      
John Lewis
9    Birth of Eve 3:47  
John Lewis
10    Adam and Eve Pas de Duex 2:36
John Lewis
11    Teaching and Temptation 4:12  
John Lewis
12    Expulsion from the Garden of Eden 2:46  
John Lewis
Credits:
Conductor, Composed By – John Lewis
John Lewis ‎– Essence (1962)
13    Hopeful Encounter 4:40  
John Lewis
14    Tillamook Two 7:11  
John Lewis
15    Night Float 4:18  
John Lewis
16    Notions 4:00  
John Lewis
17    Another Encounter 5:10  
John Lewis
18    Wish Me Well 7:44
John Lewis
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 15)
Baritone Saxophone – Gene Allen (tracks: 14, 17), Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 15)
Bass – George Duvivier (tracks: 15), Richard Davis (tracks: 13, 14, 16 to 18)
Basset Horn – Don Stewart (tracks: 14, 17)
Bassoon – Loren Glickman (tracks: 14, 17)
Clarinet – Phil Woods (tracks: 14, 17)
Composed By, Arranged By – Gary McFarland
Drums – Connie Kay
Flute – Harold Jones (tracks: 14, 17)
Flute [Alto] – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 14, 17)
French Horn – Gunther Schuller (tracks: 15), Bob Northern (tracks: 13, 16, 18), Robert Swisshelm (tracks: 13, 16, 18)
Guitar – Billy Bean (tracks: 13, 16, 18), Jim Hall (tracks: 14, 15,17)
Oboe – William Arrowsmith (tracks: 14, 17)
Piano – John Lewis
Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson (tracks: 15)
Trombone – Mike Zwerin (tracks: 13, 16, 18)
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 13, 16, 18), Herb Pomeroy (tracks: 16), Louis Mucci (tracks: 13, 16, 18), Nick Travis (tracks: 13, 16, 18)
Tuba – Don Butterfield (tracks: 13, 16, 18)