Quote from Jazz Messengers
See: https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/72136/gary-mcfarland/the-gary-mcfarland-orchestra-feat-bill-evans

A brilliant vibes player, arranger and conductor, Gary McFarland’s name didn’t achieve lasting fame due largely to his premature death under strange circumstances in 1971 at the age of 38. This release presents the complete original LP The Gary McFarland Orchestra / Special Guest Soloist: Bill Evans (Verve V6-8518), which was the only recorded collaboration between McFarland and Evans. As a bonus, McFarland’s previous album in its entirety: The Jazz Version of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (Verve V6-8443), on which he arranges music from the Frank Loesser-Abe Burrows musical of the same title, as well as “Why Are You Blue?”, which was the only McFarland composition from a Bob Brookmeyer LP presenting nearly the same instrumentation as the bonus album. The McFarland orchestra featured throughout this CD is a real who’s who of jazz greats, including such names as Joe Newman, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Hank Jones, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, and Mel Lewis, among many others.

PERSONNEL:

THE GARY McFARLAND ORCHESTRA:

GARY McFARLAND, vibes, arranger & conductor.
BILL EVANS, piano
PHIL WOODS, clarinet
SPENCER SINATRA, alto sax, flute
JIM HALL, guitar
RICHARD DAVIS, bass
ED SHAUGHNESSY, drums
JULIEN BARBER, ALLAN GOLDBERG, viola
AARON JUVELIER, JOSEPH TEKULA, cello

(*) BONUS ALBUM [7-14]: GARY McFARLAND & HIS ORCHESTRA
The Jazz Version of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

COLLECTIVE PERSONNEL: Doc Severinsen, Joe Newman, Bernie Glow, Herb Pomeroy (tp),
Clark Terry (tp, fl hrn), Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb), Willie Dennis, Billy Byers (tb), Eddie Wasserman (cl),
Phil Woods (as, cl), Al Cohn (ts, cl), Oliver Nelson (ts), Sol Schlinger (bar, b-cl), Hank Jones (p),
Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell (g), George Duvivier, Joe Benjamin (b), Mel Lewis, Osie Johnson (d),
Gary McFarland (vib, arr, cond), among others.

(**) BONUS TRACK (15): THE BOB BROOKMEYER ORCHESTRA.Gary McFarland (arranger).

INCLUDES 20-PAGE BOOKLET

William John Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer who mostly played in trios. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block chords, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines continues to influence jazz pianists today.

William John Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer who mostly played in trios. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block chords, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines continues to influence jazz pianists today.

Duet albums were rare in 1962 and encounters of this quality are still rare. Bill Evans and Jim Hall, two modern jazz giants, were in peak creative form at the time, Evans leading his own trio and Hall working with Sonny Rollins's quartet at the time.

These two masters challenge and complement each other brilliantly on a series of standards and jazz originals. Newly remixed and remastered in 24 bit, this new edition of Undercurrent, which contains two more tunes (tracks 7 & 8) and two alternate takes (tracks 9 & 10) added to the original United Artists album, sound exceptional.

William John Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer who mostly played in trios. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block chords, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines continues to influence jazz pianists today.

BILL EVANS - piano
SCOTT LAFARO - bass
PAUL MOTIAN - drums
Recorded live at the Village Vanguard New York; June 25, 1961.