A great record – and one that's filled with so many wonderful little moments! The whole thing's a very cool, very off-beat set of jazz tracks recorded by vibist Gary McFarland, with a group that includes Jimmy Raney on guitar, Richie Kamuca on tenor, and Steve Swallow on bass – a lineup that's as quirky as the sound of the record! The tunes are quite different than some of Gary's larger arrangements for Verve, but they've definitely got a very similar charm – quite groovy, and a unique blend of bossa influences, west coast jazz, modal rhythms, and other wonderful touches. Tracks include "Pecos Pete", "Hello To The Season", "Schlock-House Blues", and "Love Theme From David & Lisa". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from Gary – one of his more obscure albums, and a record dedicated to the signs of the Zodiac! The tracks are a mixture of Gary's usual easy jazz approach – with vibes, whistling, and bossa-style rhythms showing up a lot – plus a few more driving numbers that are more like his arranged work for other players, and which even include some nicely funky tunes! A real gem – lost amidst most of his catalog – possibly because the marketplace wasn't ready for such zodiacary! Titles include "Sad Eyes", "Long Live The King", "Close Your Eyes & Follow Me", "Can't Help Dancing", "Runaway Heart", "Thanks But No Thanks", and "Days Dipped In Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Gary McFarland – lightly jazzy instrumentals with a warm bossa nova undercurrent! The style is incredible – a sweet blend of vibes, guitar, and even some light whistling – often also featuring wordless jazz vocals – scatting along with the groove in a melodic and lovely kind of way! The whole thing's incredibly charming, and even familiar tunes come across sounding quite different in McFarlands hands. Titles include "From Russia With Love", "More", "Emily", "La Vie En Rose", "The Love Goddess", and even a groovy take on "I Want To Hold Your Hand". For you true swingers, the cover includes directions for mixing a "Soft Samba Cocktail" (courtesy Spanish Sherry Institute)! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible document of late 60s America – composed and conducted by Gary McFarland, in a style that's much more ambitious than any of his other work! The album's fully titled "America The Beautiful: An Account Of Its Disappearance" – and features "movements" with very telling subtitles that include "On This Site Shall Be Erected", "80 Miles An Hour Through Beer Can Country", "Suburbia: Two Poodles And A Plastic Jesus", and our personal favorite, "Due To A Lack Of Interest, Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled". Gary's really wearing his politics on his sleeve here – picturing a late 60s America that's without hope, without revolution, and clearly in danger of falling prey to its own plasticization. The whole thing's a wonderful antidote to the "revolution is coming" side of the 60s that is more popularly pushed – and Gary was one of the few musicians at the time with an eye that was clear enough to see that in the 60s, you could sing "The Times Are A-Changing" – but in reality, the corporations were a-growing! Musically, the album features a larger group of jazz players working in a full, rich style that has lots of soundtrack touches. There's a real Axelrod-like feel to the set – with string passages one minute, funky rhythms the next – and some breakout jazz soloing that really colors the tunes nicely! Players include Jerome Richardson, Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, and Chuck Rainey – and Gary's mostly doing the conducting on the set. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – a sublime blend of jazz, bossa, and easy – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The album's probably the most perfect realization of the unique groove that Gary McFarland was going for back in the day – a mix of vibes, whistling, and wordless vocals, supported by some gently funky rhythms that use a fair bit of electric bass to underscore the groove! The lineup here is wonderful – with Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Gabor Szabo on guitar, Grady Tate on drums, and Sadao Watanabe making a rare 60s US appearance on flute and tenor sax. Gary blends these instrumental elements perfectly for the record – and comes up with a completely unique sound that can only be described as "McFarlandy"! Amazing cuts include "Fried Bananas", "Bloop Bleep", and "Over Easy" – but the whole album's incredible, and other tracks include "The Sting Of The Bee", "Wine & Bread", "Here I Am", "The Hills Of Verdugo", and "The Moment Of Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

Wild stuff – and very different than Gary McFarland's earlier albums! Today was recorded late in Gary's career, and is has him moving a bit away from jazz – into a more sunshine pop feel – one that still retains plenty of the bossa and breezy elements of his Verve work, but which also features a bit more vocals and a cool and groovy style overall! Gary's singing on most tracks – not just in his wordless and whistling mode, but also taking some of the lyrics more directly – delivering them with a hauntingly-recorded quality that makes the whole thing sound beautifully moody. The core group is still quite jazzy – and features Hubert Laws, Curtis Fuller, and Grady Tate – plus some light cello, guitar, and even a bit of percussion by Airto. Titles include "Suzanne", "My Cherie Amour", "Sombras De Saudade", "Berimbau", "Desafinado", "I Will Wait For You", and the Beatles' beautiful tune "Because", done in a great breathy style! Moody and beautiful, and proof that McFarland was one of the 60s true pop geniuses! LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Gary McFarland – much more serious than some of his whimsical bossa sides, but also a stunning example of the depths of his talents! The group on the session isn't really an "orchestra" – just a combo with Gary on vibes, Bill Evans on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Phil Woods and Spencer Sinatra on reeds – plus some added strings. The tracks have the fragility of some of the collaborations between Bill Evans and Jim Hall – but also a bit more swing and space at times, and a wonderfully chromatic edge from McFarland's vibes! The feel's a bit like some of the work done by Gary over at Impulse – and titles include "Reflections In The Park", "Night Images", "Peachtree", "Tree Patterns", and "A Moment Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little jazz record by Gary – very different than his groovy/easy albums on Verve, and with a dark sound that shows his strength as a composer and arranger. The group features McFarland in the lead on vibes, plus reed work by Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, and Richie Kamuca, and lots of rhythm backing by the likes of Richard Davis, Gabor Szabo, Sam Brown, and others. Willis Conover does a bit of narration, and tracks include "Sage Hands", "Milo's Other Samba", "Winter Colors", and "Bygones & Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from the great Gary McFarland – and completely sublime all the way through! The record's part jazz, part easy, and all McFarland, with a cool compressed breezy vibe that's just about impossible to describe accurately. Gary's vibes are wonderfully set in a small combo with reeds by Jerome Richardson, bass by Richard Davis, organ by Warren Bernhardt, and guitar by Sam Brown. The group play haunting, almost-invisible versions of 60s pop tunes, like "God Only Knows", "Here, There & Everywhere", and "O Morro" – plus a jaunty McFarland original called "Flea Market". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual little soundtrack to this obscure pre-Roots film about slavery – handled with some very nice touches from Gary McFarland, Bobby Scott, and Grady Tate! The music is penned by Scott, and is mostly in that hip blend of jazz and soul roots that he was using on some of his own 60s vocal work – but expanded a bit more here with the groovier styles of Skye Records, thanks to arrangements and conducting from Gary McFarland! The work's not as funky as you might expect, but is still plenty darn great – and there's a few instrumental numbers that are especially great here. Grady Tate sings on the vocal ones, often in the deep-voiced style of his own Skye albums – but with an approach that's a bit more down home and soul-based, which is a nice change – almost like Oscar Brown Jr at the best moments. A number of tracks are done in both instrumental and vocal versions – and titles include "Nightwind", "Slaves", "Black Lullabye", "Another Mornin", and "Pickin Cotton". LP, Vinyl record album