Release of Gary McFarland "13" movie score

[Shrdlu]

Not sure whether to place this under Artists or Discography, lol. Feel free to move it, Jim.

Gary McFarland completists (and I mean that in a nice way), certainly including me, will be glad to see that his film score for the 1966 movie "13", originally scheduled for release as Verve V6-8674 in early 1967, has recently become available on a CD. The label is called FSM Silver Age Classics - it is a label that issues movie scores. The catalog number seems to be FSM Vol. 11, No. 1, whatever all that means. They seem to have escaped the clutches of Universal, which, of course, owns all of the issued Verve material.

I spotted it during a routine eBay search a few weeks ago and now have the CD in my hot little hand. It will be available from the usual suspects as well.

This music was recorded during a busy visit by Gary to London in 1966, during which the orchestral parts for his "Soft Samba Strings" LP, and Zoot Sims' "Waiting Game" album, were also recorded. So, in a way, it forms part of a trilogy.

It does not include instrumental performances by Gary or any other jazz musicians, so you need to be warned that it is somewhat of a curiosity. But the main theme is a very haunting melody. It has appeared on several other albums, including the aforementioned "Soft Samba Strings" and "Waiting Game" LPs, as well as the Steve Kuhn album "October Suite" (which has been reissued on an Impulse mini LP CD), and Cal Tjader's "Solar Heat" album. So it is already quite well known. One thing is likely: the superb harpist heard playing the theme (and not identified in the notes for the new CD) is almost certainly David Snell, who is featured on the Zoot Sims album and identified there in the personnel listings.

The CD notes include a nice pic of Gary with Creed Taylor and Jack Parnell, who conducted the orchestra on the three albums.

On a side note, now that it has emerged that the tapes for this project still exist, it would be great if the tapes recorded in London for the "Soft Samba Strings" LP could be found. The orchestral parts were recorded in London and mixed with the performances by the jazz players (McFarland, with piano, bass and drums) which were presumably recorded back home in the States. Unfortunately, there was an error with the tape speed during the dubbing, and the intonation is painfully bad at times. The piano, especially, sounds way out of tune and sour. I am amazed that the album was issued with that obvious problem. The music is excellent, and it would be great if the small group parts and the orchestral parts still exist separately, so that an in-tune mix could be achieved. ( Shades of "Kind of Blue"!! I used to try to play along on my alto with that LP, and had a real time trying to tune up to it.)

[Teasing the Korean]

As another Gary completist, I started a lengthy thread about this in the Releases section a few weeks back. I got the CD and it's a welcome addition to G McF's catalog.

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=40463

[Shrdlu]

Sorry for the duplication. Should have done a search I guess.

As I listened to the opening track, where the lovely main theme is presented by David Snell on the harp, it made me wish that Bill Evans had recorded it. It would have been perfect for him. The group gets into a slightly jazzy section here, and Snell sounds a bit like Bill.

[DMP]

Isn't there a version of one of the tunes on the first Jimmy Smith/Wes Montgomery album?

[Teasing the Korean]

Isn't there a version of one of the tunes on the first Jimmy Smith/Wes Montgomery album?

Yes, called Death March or something.