Mike Abene's Charts for Maynard Ferguson

Following my Perfection post last week on Mike Abene's rip-roaring composition and arrangement of The Fox Hunt for Maynard Ferguson in 1962, Bill Kirchner sent along a treat. [Photo above of Mike Abene]

As post-1960 jazz orchestral arrangers go, Mike is among the finest, and his charts for Ferguson's big band are gracefully ferocious. I interviewed Mike in 2022 (here) and last posted about him here. [Photo above of Maynard Ferguson]

Bill's treat? He put together all 17 of Mike's studio arrangements for Ferguson in order by year [Photo above of Bill Kirchner]:

Here's Spookin', recorded in 1962...

Spookin'

Here's Overcoat Stomp, recorded in 1962...

Overcoat Stomp

Here's Lament for Susan, recorded in 1962...

Lament for Susan

Here's New Bag Blues, with solos by Lanny Morgan (as), Mike Abene (p) and Ferguson (tp), recorded in 1962...

Here's My Sweetie Went Away, She Didn’t Say Where, When, Or Why. Solos by Jack Gale or Kenny Rupp (tb) and Ferguson (tp), recorded in 1962...

Here's Born To Be Blue, with a solo by Lanny Morgan (as), recorded in 1962...

Here's Fox Hunt, with solos by Don Rader and Ferguson (tp), recorded in 1962...

Fox Hunt

Here's What’ll I Do, with solos by Lanny Morgan (as), Ferguson (tp) and Don Menza (ts), recorded in 1962...

Here's Knarf, with solos by Frank Hittner (bs) and Ferguson (tp), recorded in 1963...

Knarf

Here's Whisper Not, with solos by Willie Maiden (ts), Ferguson (tp), Frank Vicari (ts) and Dusko Goykovic (flg hrn), recorded in 1963...

Here's Chicago, with solos by Lanny Morgan (as), Mike Abene (p), Ferguson (tp) and Dusko Goykovic (tp), recorded in 1963...

Here's Cherokee, with a solo by Lanny Morgan (as), recorded in 1963...

Here's Maine Bone, with a solo by Don Doane (tb), recorded in 1963...

Here's On Green Dolphin Street, with solos by Frank Vicari (ts), Ferguson (tp) and Kenny Rupp (tb), recorded in 1964...

Here's Airegin, with solos by Lanny Morgan (as) and Ferguson(tp), recorded in 1964...

Here's Mary Ann, with solos by Ferguson (tp) and Frank Vicari (ts), recorded in 1965...

And here's I Believe in My Soul, with solos by Charlie Mariano (as) and Ferguson (tp), recorded in 1965...