My favorite Maynard Ferguson album on Roulette is Message From Newport (1958). My second favorite is the little known Maynard '63. Recorded in 1962, the album featured Maynard Ferguson (ldr,tp); Gene Coe, Natale Pavone and Don Rader (tp); John Gale and Kenny Rupp (tb); Lanny Morgan (as); Willie Maiden and Don Menza (ts); Frank Hittner (bs); Mike Abene (p); Linc Milliman (b) and Rufus Jones (d).
One of the album's many astounding tracks is Fox Hunt, composed and arranged by Mike Abene. The fast-paced chart turns Ferguson and Rader loose to compete, and the result is explosive.
Here's Mike Abene's Fox Hunt (the video is available; click on the "Watch on YouTube" link)...
Other Perfection tracks in this ongoing series...
- Paul Desmond and Jim Hall: Any Other Time, go here.
- John Coltrane: You Say You Care, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Funk Junction, go here.
- Art Farmer's Work of Art, go here.
- Miles Davis: A Gal in Calico, go here.
- Gene Krupa: Mulligan Stew, go here.
- Dave Brubeck: The Duke, go here.
- Horace Silver: The Back Beat, go here.
- Horace Parlan: Up & Down, go here.
- Dexter Gordon: Society Red, go here.
- Barney Kessel: You Go to My Head, go here.
- Count Basie: Corner Pocket, go here.
- Herbie Mann: Manteca, go here.
- Donald Byrd: Bronze Dance, go here.
- George Shearing: I'll Be Around, go here.
- Ammons & Stitt: You Talk That Talk, go here.
- Count Basie: Blues in My Heart, go here.
- Moonlight in Vermont, go here.
- Johnny Griffin / Matthew Gee, Here, go here.
- Jimmy Smith / Stanely Turrentine: When I'I Grow Too Old to Dream, go here.
- Chet Baker: Estate, go here.
- Jazz Studio 1: Tenderly, go here.
- Herb Pomeroy: Down Home Outing, go here.
- Frank Sinatra: There's a Small Hotel, go here.
- Bill Harris Herd: Blackstrap, go here.
- Gerry Mulligan: Westwood Walk, go here.
- Red Garland and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: We'll Be Together Again, go here.
- Bill Evans: Reflections in D, go here.
- Ted McNabb & Co.: Mountain Greenery, go here.
