What does Gary McFarland have in common with Horst Jankowski?

[Daniel A]

Answer: The perhaps dubious honour of being the subject of a tribute from me and my band. Both of them made a lot of fine compositions that should be played more often.

Here are a couple of captions from a recent live gig at Jazz Club Fasching in Stockholm:

Gary McFarland's 'Un Grão De Areia'

Horst Jankowski's 'Dreamflight'

'Someday' by George Duke

Do You Know the Way to San José

I hope that the first two will be on the studio album we're planning to record later this year.

[Teasing the Korean]

The other thing they have in common is that they are both obsessions of Your Beloved Teasing the Korean. I am looking forward to checking out the links!

[Daniel A]

I was hoping that you might notice this thread, TtK.

For the album, my aim is to find compositions that have seldom or never been recorded since the original versions came out. I try to arrange them in a suitable way for the band; however, in the case of "Un Grão..." Francy Boland's arragement for the CBBB is so great so I just scaled it down to septet format.

[Teasing the Korean]

You guys should do "Pink Balloon," which was on the same album as "Dreamflight" (in the US, at least). You'll just need to find some hot, scantilly-clad Teutonic babes to do the backing vocals.

[JSngry]

Nice full scoring for the four horns, Daniel. You're doing Duke (Pearson) proud!

Takes a lot of courage to do that (George) Duke tune as a straight-up instrumental. It's such a bizarre, convoluted construction that the words make it seem a lot more normal than it really is.

All I know of Jankowski is that Black Forest EZ-Listening hit, which totally inspired me to not look any further. But that's a nice tune you guys do. I take it there's more to him than the fluffy hit?

[Teasing the Korean]

All I know of Jankowski is that Black Forest EZ-Listening hit, which totally inspired me to not look any further. But that's a nice tune you guys do. I take it there's more to him than the fluffy hit?

Check out the aforementioned "Pink Balloon," which is a bonus track on the MPS CD "For Nightpeople Only." Alternately, check out the HJ tunes on the MPS "Snowflakes" compilation.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass did the definitive version of "Black Forest" on their "Going Places" album, one of their two best records (Whipped Cream being the other).

Edited February 20, 2011 by Teasing the Korean

[sidewinder]

All I know of Jankowski is that Black Forest EZ-Listening hit, which totally inspired me to not look any further. But that's a nice tune you guys do. I take it there's more to him than the fluffy hit?

Which always reminds me of this (about 40s in):

Radio Goodies

The TV over here has also been broadcasting recently an old archive show called 'Sounds of the 60s'. Anglo/German joint production done in Xmas 1969 full of stars of that era and Jankowski is shown walking through the snowy Black Forest, pipe in mouth ! Quite a period piece - MTV is isn't :rsmile: .

Edited February 21, 2011 by sidewinder

[Big Beat Steve]

As for Horst Jankowski, look back further, dear discophiles, and don't get stuck in the MPS rut, if you please.

His 1961 album "Gäste bei Horst Jankowski" on Metronome is fine, and his even earlier "chamber jazz" EPs on Telefunken are very nice too. Real period pieces that yet do not fall prey to the overwhelming and suffocating influence of the "Third Stream" fetichists of those times that were so beset with imparting "respectability" on jazz over here.

Compared to that, all this "Black Forest" stuff really is something more for the lounge/easy listening/mood music fans.

You really have to do some digging through those MPS mood music items to discover what's left of Jankowskis' jazz background.

[Teasing the Korean]

Compared to that, all this "Black Forest" stuff really is something more for the lounge/easy listening/mood music fans.

You really have to do some digging through those MPS mood music items to discover what's left of Jankowskis' jazz background.

Absolutely, and all of you need to send me your MPS albums immediately upon moving onto the "good" stuff. Jazz schmazz.

[Daniel A]

Anyway, 'Dreamflight' was from a Mercury album - "Jankowski Plays Jankowski". I thought about arranging 'Pink Balloon', too, but I found it was too dependant on the "babe" voices to work as an instrumental.

I know there is a certain "camp" vibe even to 'Dreamflight', but I chose it because I think it's a genuinely fine composition. So we're walking a thin line between stuff which has got enough of that happy 60s feeling but also true musical value as well. The McFarland is obviously less kitsch, but even so it's usally very popular with a less jazz-oriented audience.

The working title for the album is "Young, Shy & Handsome Plays Elevator Music", and it will contain a not yet fully decided mix of obscurities with one common factor: (unexpected) jazz significance.

BTW, thanks for the compliment, Jim!

Edited February 21, 2011 by Daniel A