Big Band Bossa Nova Gary McFarland Artist

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, fre... Read more

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. ~ Richard S. Ginell Less