Bill McFarland-Trombonist, The Chicago Horns
Sopro Records Recording Artist Press Release
By: Bud Monaco

     Without a doubt, Trombonist, ‘Bill McFarland,’ creator, band leader, and driving force of the highly acclaimed and nationally renowned Jazz Ensemble, ‘Bill McFarland and The Chicago Horns’, rides with the herd of the world’s greatest Trombone Players that have and still do perform the best of Jazz, Big Band, Swing, Be-Bop, Acid Jazz, and American Blues. These noted here are amongst the greats McFarland had admired, learned from, and stirved to emulate; Jack Teagarden, Vic Dickenson, Urbie Green, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Slide Hampton, Curtis Fuller, Steve Turre, Robin Eubanks, Frank Rosolino, Bill Watrous, Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews, Fred Wesley, Wycliffe Gordon, Curtis Fuller, Wayne Henderson, Freddie Lonzo, and Carl Fontana.
     Octogenarian McFarland, with fifty-five years of performances and recordings during his incredible music career, and over the past 30 years performing with his life-long Horn Mates, Saxophonist Hank Ford and Trumpeter Kenny Anderson, has established himself as one of the all time great Trombonists, still performing live as ‘Bill McFarland and The Chicago Horns,’ as well a two-decades-long run with Jackie Taylor’s ‘Black Ensemble Theater,’ as well as performing for the past four decades with ‘Sopro Music’s Chicago All Star Blues Revue Band’ and  McFarland still has plenty of horn music magic left to play and blow on his Slide Trombone.
      ‘Bill McFarland and The Chicago Horns’ have made their mark in the American Jazz recording world with their studio album, (produced by McFarland, co-produced and engineered by the legendary Paul Serrano), recording of their all-original tracks written and arranged by McFarland and his Horn Mates on their debut album, ‘Fire Horns,’ along with their live recorded CD albums, ‘Live Fire,’ ‘Fire Horns Alive and Live,’ and their DVD ‘Fire Horns Totally Live,’ featuring live performances from the 2001 Black Entertainment Television (BETonJazz) New York Jazz Festival and The Jazz Kitchen’s Indianapolis Memorial Day Weekend Jazz Festival, all released on the Sopro Records Label.
     To solidify McFarland’s exquisite and brilliant performance prowess, from the archives, going back to 1987, performing with the great ‘Son Seals,’ on Detroit Junior’s ‘Call My Job,’ performed live at ‘The Lonesome Pine Special’ in Louisville, Kentucky, McFarland’s elongated Trombone Solo, one of the greatest of all time, along with Son Seals majestic Guitar performance in full shred mode, can be viewed, listened to, and enjoyed through the below link.

    ‘Bill McFarland and The Chicago Horns’ CDs and DVD can be acquired through the Sopro Records website by following the below link, along with further biographies, history, and information, including all the great, world renowned, Jazz and Blues Artists Bill and his Bandmates have performed with over the past five decades.