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{{Short description|American composer, vibraphonist and vocalist}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Gary McFarland
| name = Gary McFarland
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| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| origin =
| origin =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|11|03|1933|10|23}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|11|02|1933|10|23}}
| death_place = [[New York City]]
| death_place = [[New York City]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
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}}
}}


'''Gary Robert McFarland''' (October 23, 1933 – November 3, 1971)<ref name="AllMusic-Gary-McFarland" /> was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. He recorded for the prestigious jazz imprints [[Verve Records|Verve]] and [[Impulse! Records]] during the 1960s. ''[[DownBeat|Down Beat magazine]]'' said he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz".<ref name="AllMusic-Gary-McFarland" /><ref name="DownBeat 1966 Feb 24" /><ref name="SaturdayReview 1965 Feb 13" /> A 2015 review of a McFarland DVD documentary called him "one of the busiest New York jazz arrangers of the 1960s." The review further stated that McFarland's "ascendance coincided with the rise of [[bossa nova]], and McFarland was adept at translating the mercurial song form into orchestrations. He wrote some beautiful orchestral settings for great soloists, yet wasn’t immune to commercial forces."<ref>[http://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/this-is-gary-mcfarland Silsbee, Kirk, "Gary McFarland: This Is Gary McFarland" (review)], ''DownBeat'', April 2015 </ref>
'''Gary Ronald McFarland''' (October 23, 1933 – November 2, 1971<ref name="AllMusic-Gary-McFarland" />) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, vibraphonist, and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints [[Verve Records|Verve]] and [[Impulse! Records]] during the 1960s. ''[[DownBeat|DownBeat magazine]]'' said he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz".<ref name="AllMusic-Gary-McFarland" /><ref name="DownBeat 1966 Feb 24" /><ref name="SaturdayReview 1965 Feb 13" /> A 2015 review of a McFarland DVD documentary called him "one of the busiest New York jazz arrangers of the 1960s". The review further stated that McFarland's "ascendance coincided with the rise of [[bossa nova]], and McFarland was adept at translating the mercurial song form into orchestrations. He wrote some beautiful orchestral settings for great soloists, yet wasn't immune to commercial forces."<ref>[http://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/this-is-gary-mcfarland Silsbee, Kirk, "Gary McFarland: This Is Gary McFarland" (review)], ''DownBeat'', April 2015 </ref>


==Life==
==Life==
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As well as his own albums and arrangements for other musicians he composed the scores to the films ''[[Eye of the Devil]]'' (1966) and ''[[Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name?]]'' (1971). By the end of the 1960s, he was moving away from jazz towards an often wistful or melancholy style of instrumental pop, as well as producing the recordings of other artists on his [[Skye Records]] label (run in partnership with Norman Schwartz, [[Gábor Szabó]] and [[Cal Tjader]], until its bankruptcy in 1970). He also produced and arranged the soft-rock album ''Genesis'' by singing sisters [[Wendy and Bonnie]] Flower.<ref>[https://spidey.kfjc.org/3254/wendy-and-bonnie-genesis/ Diamond, Jack, "Wendy and Bonnie — ''Genesis''" (album review)], KFJC 89.7FM, Jan. 15, 2009</ref>
As well as his own albums and arrangements for other musicians he composed the scores to the films ''[[Eye of the Devil]]'' (1966) and ''[[Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name?]]'' (1971). By the end of the 1960s, he was moving away from jazz towards an often wistful or melancholy style of instrumental pop, as well as producing the recordings of other artists on his [[Skye Records]] label (run in partnership with Norman Schwartz, [[Gábor Szabó]] and [[Cal Tjader]], until its bankruptcy in 1970). He also produced and arranged the soft-rock album ''Genesis'' by singing sisters [[Wendy and Bonnie]] Flower.<ref>[https://spidey.kfjc.org/3254/wendy-and-bonnie-genesis/ Diamond, Jack, "Wendy and Bonnie — ''Genesis''" (album review)], KFJC 89.7FM, Jan. 15, 2009</ref>


McFarland was considering a move into writing and arranging for film and stage. However, at age 38, on November 3, 1971 – the same day that he completed the Broadway album, ''To Live Another Summer; To Pass Another Winter'' – McFarland died in [[New York City]] at [[Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center|St. Vincent's Hospital]] from a lethal dose of liquid [[methadone]] that he had ingested at Bar 55 at 55 [[Christopher Street]] in [[Greenwich Village]]. It is not known whether he took the drug on purpose or someone spiked his drink; police did not investigate.<ref name="AllMusic-Gary-McFarland" /><ref name="JazzTimes 2015 Jul 22" /> McFarland had been married since 1963 to Gail Evelyn Frankel (maiden; 1942–2007); they had a son, Milo (1964–2002), and a daughter, Kerry. Milo McFarland died of a [[heroin overdose]] at the same age as his father, 38.<ref name="JazzTimes 2015 Jul 22" />
McFarland was considering a move into writing and arranging for film and stage. However, at age 38, on November 2, 1971{{mdash}}the same day that he completed the Broadway album, ''To Live Another Summer; To Pass Another Winter''{{mdash}}McFarland died in [[New York City]] at [[Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center|St. Vincent's Hospital]] from a lethal dose of liquid [[methadone]] that he had ingested at Bar 55 at 55 [[Christopher Street]] in [[Greenwich Village]]. It is not known whether he took the drug on purpose or someone spiked his drink; police did not investigate.<ref name="AllMusic-Gary-McFarland" /><ref name="JazzTimes 2015 Jul 22" /> McFarland had been married since 1963 to Gail Evelyn Frankel (maiden; 1942–2007); they had a son, Milo (1964–2002), and a daughter, Kerry. Milo McFarland died of a [[heroin overdose]] at the same age as his father, 38.<ref name="JazzTimes 2015 Jul 22" />

On June 25, 2019, ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'' listed Gary McFarland among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the [[2008 Universal fire]].<ref name="Rosen2">{{cite web |last1=Rosen |first1=Jody |title=Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/magazine/universal-music-fire-bands-list-umg.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=28 June 2019 |date=25 June 2019}}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
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===As leader===
===As leader===
* 1961: ''[[The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying"]] - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
* 1961: ''[[The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying"]] - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
⚫
* 1963: ''[[The Gary McFarland Orchestra|The Gary McFarland Orchestra: Special Guest Soloist: Bill Evans]]'' - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
* 1963: ''[[Point of Departure (Gary McFarland album)|Point of Departure]]'' - [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]]
* 1963: ''[[Point of Departure (Gary McFarland album)|Point of Departure]]'' - [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]]
⚫
* 1963: ''[[The Gary McFarland Orchestra|The Gary McFarland Orchestra: Special Guest Soloist: Bill Evans]]'' - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
* 1964: ''[[Soft Samba]]'' - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
* 1964: ''[[Soft Samba]]'' - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
* 1965: ''Jazz at The Penthouse'' (CD album released in 2014 included with the DVD documentary ''This Is Gary McFarland!'')
* 1965: ''Jazz at The Penthouse'' (1965 club date released in 2014 ad CD with the DVD documentary ''This Is Gary McFarland!'')
* 1965: ''[[Tijuana Jazz]]'' with [[Clark Terry]] - [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]]
* 1965: ''[[Tijuana Jazz]]'' with [[Clark Terry]] - [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]]
* 1965: ''[[The In Sound (Gary McFarland album)|The In Sound]]'' - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
* 1965: ''[[The In Sound (Gary McFarland album)|The In Sound]]'' - [[Verve Records|Verve]]
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* 1969: ''Slaves'' with [[Grady Tate]] - [[Skye Records|Skye]]
* 1969: ''Slaves'' with [[Grady Tate]] - [[Skye Records|Skye]]
* 1969: ''Today'' - [[Skye Records|Skye]]
* 1969: ''Today'' - [[Skye Records|Skye]]
* 1971: ''Butterscotch Rum'' with Peter Smith ([[Buddah Records]])
* 1971: ''Butterscotch Rum'' with Peter Smith - [[Buddah Records]]
* 1972: ''Requiem for Gary McFarland'' ([[Cobblestone Records]])
* 1972: ''Requiem for Gary McFarland'' - [[Cobblestone Records]]


===As producer/arranger===
===As producer/arranger===
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* 1969: ''[[1969 (Gábor Szabó album)|1969]]'' – Gábor (Skye)
* 1969: ''[[1969 (Gábor Szabó album)|1969]]'' – Gábor (Skye)
* 1969: ''[[Lena & Gabor]]'' – [[Lena Horne]] and Gábor (Skye)
* 1969: ''[[Lena & Gabor]]'' – [[Lena Horne]] and Gábor (Skye)
* 1971: ''[[Steve Kuhn (album)|Steve Kuhn]]'' – [[Steve Kuhn]] (Buddah)
* 1971: ''Steve Kuhn'' – [[Steve Kuhn]] (Buddah)


===As sideman===
===As sideman===
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<ref name="SaturdayReview 1965 Feb 13">"Mid-Month Recordings: The Young Art of Gary McFarland," by [[Robert Farris Thompson]], ''[[Saturday Review (U.S. magazine)|Saturday Review]]'', Vol. 48, No. 7, February 13, 1965, pps. 58–59; {{ISSN|0036-4983}}; {{OCLC|48957008}}</ref>
<ref name="SaturdayReview 1965 Feb 13">"Mid-Month Recordings: The Young Art of Gary McFarland," by [[Robert Farris Thompson]], ''[[Saturday Review (U.S. magazine)|Saturday Review]]'', Vol. 48, No. 7, February 13, 1965, pps. 58–59; {{ISSN|0036-4983}}; {{OCLC|48957008}}</ref>


<ref name="JazzTimes 2015 Jul 22">[https://jazztimes.com/reviews/videos/gary-mcfarland-this-is-gary-mcfarland/ "Gary McFarland: This is Gary McFarland"] (film review), by Thomas Conrad, ''[[JazzTimes]]'', July 22, 1915 (retrieved November 8, 2015)</ref>
<ref name="JazzTimes 2015 Jul 22">[https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180740/https://jazztimes.com/reviews/videos/gary-mcfarland-this-is-gary-mcfarland/ "Gary McFarland: This is Gary McFarland"] (film review), by Thomas Conrad, ''[[JazzTimes]]'', July 22, 2015 (retrieved November 8, 2015)</ref>


}}
}}

Revision as of 21:19, 15 June 2024

Gary McFarland
Birth nameGary Ronald McFarland
Born(1933-10-23)October 23, 1933
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 1971(1971-11-02) (aged 38)
New York City
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger
InstrumentVibraphone
Years active1963–1971
LabelsVerve, Impulse!, Skye, Cobblestone, Buddah

Gary Ronald McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 2, 1971[1]) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, vibraphonist, and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. DownBeat magazine said he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz".[1][2][3] A 2015 review of a McFarland DVD documentary called him "one of the busiest New York jazz arrangers of the 1960s". The review further stated that McFarland's "ascendance coincided with the rise of bossa nova, and McFarland was adept at translating the mercurial song form into orchestrations. He wrote some beautiful orchestral settings for great soloists, yet wasn't immune to commercial forces."[4]

Leben

McFarland was born in Los Angeles, on October 23, 1933, but grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon.

He attained a small following after working with jazz luminaries Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Johnny Hodges, John Lewis, Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, and Anita O'Day.[1]

As well as his own albums and arrangements for other musicians he composed the scores to the films Eye of the Devil (1966) and Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name? (1971). By the end of the 1960s, he was moving away from jazz towards an often wistful or melancholy style of instrumental pop, as well as producing the recordings of other artists on his Skye Records label (run in partnership with Norman Schwartz, Gábor Szabó and Cal Tjader, until its bankruptcy in 1970). He also produced and arranged the soft-rock album Genesis by singing sisters Wendy and Bonnie Flower.[5]

McFarland was considering a move into writing and arranging for film and stage. However, at age 38, on November 2, 1971—the same day that he completed the Broadway album, To Live Another Summer; To Pass Another Winter—McFarland died in New York City at St. Vincent's Hospital from a lethal dose of liquid methadone that he had ingested at Bar 55 at 55 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. It is not known whether he took the drug on purpose or someone spiked his drink; police did not investigate.[1][6] McFarland had been married since 1963 to Gail Evelyn Frankel (maiden; 1942–2007); they had a son, Milo (1964–2002), and a daughter, Kerry. Milo McFarland died of a heroin overdose at the same age as his father, 38.[6]

Discography

As leader

As producer/arranger

As sideman

With Bob Brookmeyer

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Gary McFarland" (biography), by Douglas Payne, AllMusic (retrieved February 20, 2008)
  2. ^ "Gary McFarland – Theme and Variations" (cover photo: McFarland), by Dan Morgenstern, DownBeat, Vol. 33, No. 4, February 24, 1966, pg. 25; ISSN 0012-5768
  3. ^ "Mid-Month Recordings: The Young Art of Gary McFarland," by Robert Farris Thompson, Saturday Review, Vol. 48, No. 7, February 13, 1965, pps. 58–59; ISSN 0036-4983; OCLC 48957008
  4. ^ Silsbee, Kirk, "Gary McFarland: This Is Gary McFarland" (review), DownBeat, April 2015
  5. ^ Diamond, Jack, "Wendy and Bonnie — Genesis" (album review), KFJC 89.7FM, Jan. 15, 2009
  6. ^ a b "Gary McFarland: This is Gary McFarland" (film review), by Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes, July 22, 2015 (retrieved November 8, 2015)
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