At the beginning of the 1960s Gary McFarland was the darling of the jazz community. A songwriter, arranger, producer, bandleader and vibes player, he had worked with the cream of the crop including Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, the MJQ and Anita O'Day. Imagine the shock, then, when these vocalese takes of pop numbers showed up in the mid-60s. Unfortunately, the purists blotted out just how innovative and appealing the music really was. Over the last half century these records have developed considerable respect and a sizable cult following. Produced by Creed Taylor for the Verve label, these albums featured top musicians including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Kenny Burrell, Bob Brookmeyer and Gabor Szabo.