Chameleon by Maynard Ferguson

Chameleon

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Chameleon

Reader Reviews
So what if Maynard is Canadian, his chops on the trumpet are obviously amazing and his style is also hip. If you're into big band jazz, this is a must. Maynard basically lives in the high register, which he is famous for, and it's impressive to listen to although it often gets tiring. The remake of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" is one of the most innovative versions of the song in a long time. The arrangement is excellent. The sidemen (another trumpet player, a couple saxophone players among others) are very good also and pay a good contribution to the album. "Gospel John" starts off with Maynard playing a trumpet solo with church organ in the background, which sounds very good. The ensemble playing on this track is amazing, and fits perfectly with the tune. "The Way We Were" is a classic ballad, and also is my favorite track on the album, Maynard plays some amazing trumpet solos on here, and also the trombone theme sounds nice. A very laid-back type big band piece, and once again there is powerful ensemble playing. "Jet" is another example of Maynard in action, with its switches from middle register soloing to stratosphere playing. "La Fiesta" of course has the nice spanish-tinge and a lively feel. A Chick Corea composition, and also of course, has a huge array of high notes playing throughout. On "I Can't Get Started", Maynard actually sings a bit on the track although he is not a bad singer. His trumpet playing is also very nice on this track, almost reminiscent of Louis Armstrong, except more modernized and without the classic scratchy voice. The only aspects of this album that drop the rating from five to four are the last two tracks, "Livin' For The City" (a Stevie Wonder composition) and "Superbone Meets The Bad Man". While both are nice tracks, neither of them are at the same level of the previous tracks on the album. That lowers the overall rating of the album, however, if you are into jazz, especially jazz with an orchestra setting then this album is a definite recommendation. The only album I own by a Canadian person, although if you heard Maynard play you wouldn't know that he was white. The music is neither, it's neutral, which is one thing that makes it nice to listen to. One of the menionable jazz releases of the 1970's.

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