Tonight's Jazz Feature is a suite in 6 movements written by the late Gary McFarland and it's titled "America The Beautiful: An Account of It's Disappearance". McFarland wrote this music in 1968 over deep concerns about his beloved America which was in that year in turmoil...race riots, assassinations, the Vietnam War plus the wanton destruction of the environment manifested by endless shopping malls, tract housing, garbage strewn everywhere and unmitigated greed. This suite is McFarland's protest of all of these happenings. However it is not an angry suite but more a lament for what was happening to the nation. It is an orchestral piece with the odd solo movements and played by first call New York musicians such as trumpeters, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young and reed masters like Jerome Richardson, Romeo Penque, pianist Warren Bernhardt, guitarist Eric Gayle, bassist Jerry Jemmott and Chuck Rainey and drummer Bernard Purdie to name but a few. The music of Gary McFarland and his "America The Beautiful" suite is tonight's special Jazz Feature.

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