The In Sound / Soft Samba

At the beginning of the 1960s Gary McFarland was the darling of the jazz community. A songwriter, arranger, producer, bandleader and vibes player, he had worked with the cream of the crop including Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, the MJQ and Anita O'Day. Imagine the shock, then, when these vocalese takes of pop numbers showed up in the mid-60s. Unfortunately, the purists blotted out just how innovative and appealing the music really was. Over the last half century these records have developed considerable respect and a sizeable cult following. Produced by Creed Taylor for the Verve label, these albums featured top musicians including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Kenny Burrell, Bob Brookmeyer and Gabor Szabo. McFarland was also one of the first "serious" musicians to recognise the talents of Lennon and McCartney, with four Beatles covers on "Soft Samba" and the Stones' 'Satisfaction' on "The In Sound". His mysterious and shocking death in a Greenwich Village bar in 1971, at the age of 38, only served to increase the mystique surrounding this true jazz pioneer. Notes and rare photographs are provided by Douglas Payne, a long-time champion of McFarland's music. Stereolab fans will be familiar with this release as the band borrowed both the cover and the title for their 1999 7" EP.