Gary McFarland: Reflections in the Park

There are three Gary McFarland albums that I regard as his masterworks, and this is the first. (The others are The October Suite and America the Beautiful: An Account of Its Disappearance.) It's a collection of original pieces for an unusual chamber jazz instrumentation, featuring soloists Bill Evans, Jim Hall, and McFarland. (McFarland was a capable vibraphonist who worked well within his technical limitations.) "Reflections in the Park" captures the gentle mood of the album as a whole. Evans, around whom McFarland built this project, plays beautifully, delivering masterly interpretations of music that he reportedly saw for the first time in the recording studio.