Search - Gary Mcfarland :: America The Beautiful: An Account of its Disappearance

America The Beautiful: An Account of its Disappearance
Gary Mcfarland
America The Beautiful: An Account of its Disappearance
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (6) - Disc #1

After being critically lambasted by the jazz cognoscenti of the mid-1960s for his pop-jazz recordings, composer and arranger Gary McFarland silenced the naysayers with his impressive orchestral masterpiece, America the Bea...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Gary Mcfarland
Title: America The Beautiful: An Account of its Disappearance
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Dcc Compact Classics
Release Date: 7/1/1991
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Styles: Modern Postbebop, Bebop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 010963601527

Synopsis

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After being critically lambasted by the jazz cognoscenti of the mid-1960s for his pop-jazz recordings, composer and arranger Gary McFarland silenced the naysayers with his impressive orchestral masterpiece, America the Beautiful: An Account of Its Disappearance. A concept album that used the pro-environmental essays of Marya Mannes as its launching point, America the Beautiful successfully brought Gary McFarland's output from the early '60s full circle. A mixture of jazz and rock, America mixes McFarland's earlier orchestral style with his growing fascination with the pop-song form to create a devastating tone poem on the state of America in 1968. Breathtaking in its scope and beauty, this sadly would be McFarland's last major orchestral work. He continued to steer more and more toward popular music, and then died tragically in 1971. One of the recurring themes throughout this piece is the haunting melody that would later be renamed "Gary's Theme" and recorded as a memorial by such jazz greats as Cal Tjader and Bill Evans. --Kristian St. Clair

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CD Reviews

America The Beautiful
Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 05/30/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Approximately 38 min. Good sound. This recording,from 1968,reflects the ideas of it's time. All during his life McFarland watched what he thought was the deterioration of his country. From unspoiled land that was cleared for development,to the violence and crowding of big cities,he felt the old America of his ideal was lost forever. This music is his lament for America. Utilizing a large orchestra and small group made up primarily of jazz players,he arranged this music into a very satisfying whole. One look at the titles of the pieces will let you know his views on a changing country. The orchestra and small group are intertwined in the arrangements in the various movements. This is music that even today has a place in how we view our surroundings. There is an ebb and flow to the arrangements that constantly change and propel the music forward. This is certainly his most personal and important work. If you're the type of person who likes big band jazz,stellar arranging and music with a great deal to say,buy this. This kind of thing comes along very rarely."