I have a former roommate to thank for introducing me to the late Maynard Ferguson’s unique combination of musicianship, showmanship and stewardship of new talent. This album was his first from Great Britain, where Ferguson had retreated when big band music fell out of favor in the US.
The six tracks showcase Ferguson’s broad musical tastes, as well as his high-register trumpet playing. Track 1 is an arrangement of Laura Nyro‘s “Eli’s Comin’,” one of two “pop” covers on the disk. “Ballad to Max” mellows things out with a straight-ahead original jazz composition, on track 2.
Next comes one of Ferguson’s signature pieces, a vibrant, big band rendition of Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park.” Actor Richard Harris sang this expansive (read, long) love song with damnedly obscure lyrics in 1968. Despite his awful singing voice, it was a hit, both here and in Europe. Disco queen Donna Summer — who has a much better voice — had a hit with it a decade later.
The piece is musically complex — remarkable for a pop song — and as far as I’m concerned, works much better as an instrumental work than as a song. Webb’s lyrics were just too over the top for me then, as now. Here’s an excerpt:
MacArthur Park is melting in the dark, all the sweet, green icing flowing down,
Someone left the cake out in the rain,
I don’t think I can take it, cause it took so long to bake it,
And I’ll never have that recipe again, oh no, oh no!
The arrangement for MF Horn showcases the talents of Ferguson’s band, as well as the rhythmic and melodic complexities of Webb’s composition. If you like big band music, check this one out.
On the B side, “Chala Nata” features two Indian musicians on veena and tamboori, who open the tune with part of a raga. The band then picks up the theme, mixing Western jazz with Eastern comtemplative music. Ferguson was one of many western musicians of the 1960s — remember the Beatles? — who studied with Indian gurus. His penchant for fusing jazz with other musical styles extended to ragas.
The disk closes with two more original compositions, both on the mellow side, the short “If I Ever Thought You’d Change Your Mind” and the longer “L-Dopa.” Both are pleasant compositions, but I don’t have any special comments about them.
Ferguson, who died just last year at 78, had a reputation for encouraging young musicians to play jazz, and in fact made it a point to introduce them to a wider audience by featuring them in his bands. While he was obviously the front man, the “Big Daddy,” he made sure his bombastic trumpet playing was only a part of the band’s sound. On stage (he once played here at the Phoenix Hill Tavern), Ferguson generously shared the spotlight with the younger players, always making sure the audience knew their names. You seldom see that kind of grace among today’s stars, who wallow in a cult of personality around themselves.
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This album has been re-issued on CD:
If you’re interested, you might also check out this biography of Ferguson:
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