Gil Evans
A superb jazz arranger and bandleader, Gil Evans rivaled Ellington and Mingus in his ability to provide imaginative frameworks for individual voices within a large orchestra. He wrote elaborate, intricate arrangements that didn't weaken or threaten his band's spontaneity. His most renowned work came in the late '50s, when Miles Davis signed with Columbia and brought Evans into the studio with a large ensemble. The resultant albums -- Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy and Bess (1958), Sketches of Spain (1959) -- became milestones in the careers of both men. Evans was hardly a purist; he began using electronics in his bands in the '70s and scandalized some by recording Jimi Hendrix material. His style got looser in later years, with more space and less precision, but certainly his music remained compelling. Evans' harmonic language, compositional and arranging skill were immense, and he was responsible for many masterpieces through either his arrangements, compositions, or conducting.
A self-taught musician, Evans led his own group in California during the mid and late '30s. He remained its arrranger after Skinnay Ennis became bandleader, until he joined Claude Thornhill's orchestra in 1941 as an arranger. His arrangements of classical bebop compositions helped shape and make Thornhill's orchestra a topflight band. He stayed until 1948, except for a stretch in the service during the mid-'40s. Evans first worked with Miles Davis in the late '40s and early '50s, creating the same magic, but with a smaller combo. He also wrote songs for Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, and Benny Goodman, while conducting albums for Astrud Gilberto and Kenny Burrell.
Evans generated more fireworks later in the '50s and '60s with Davis, writing spectacular arrangements for the albums Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain (later came Quiet Nights). Evans also played piano on some sessions. These, and his 1958 album New Bottle Old Wine remain landmark works. His own intriguing releases in the '60s included Out of the Cool, Into the Hot, and The Individualism of Gil Evans.
Evans did more writing in the '70s, penning such works as "Las Vegas Tango," "Proclamation" and "Anita's Dance." He issued more fine albums, such as 1974's The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix and 1983's Priestess.
He continued writing, arranging and recording in the '80s, and for a lengthy period his band was the featured attraction at Sweet Basil's in New York on Monday nights. Evans recorded for Enja, Mole, and other labels in the '80s. His 75th birthday concert was held in London in 1987; he died the next year.
© Ron Wynn /TiVo
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Rhythm-A-Ning
Jazz - Editado por Universal Music Division Decca Records France el 1/01/1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All That Jazz, Vol. 64: Miles Ahead in a Blue Haze (2016 Remaster)
Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis, Studio ensemble, Gil Evans
Jazz - Editado por Jube Legends el 3/06/2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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The 1958 West Coast Sessions (Remastered)
Jazz - Editado por RevOla el 30/07/2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Gil Evans - The Golden Arrow Collection
Jazz - Editado por Golden Arrow el 4/12/2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Riding With The Wind (Live Montreal '87)
Gil Evans, The Gil Evans Orchestra
Jazz - Editado por Blue Shrimp Recordings el 3/01/2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gil Evans...And Ten
Jazz contemporáneo - Editado por Poppydisc el 3/03/1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz After Midnight
Jazz - Editado por Silver Classics Jazz el 2/03/2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Great Jazz Standards
World music - Editado por TP4 Music el 28/01/2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sketches of Spain (The Mono Recordings - Original Album 1960)
Jazz - Editado por Jazz Classics el 1/01/2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Anthology (Original Recordings)
Jazz - Editado por Miradas Records el 30/01/2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Greatest Jazz Classics
Jazz - Editado por Classic Music International el 4/01/2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of Gil Evans - Jazz Masterpieces
Jazz contemporáneo - Editado por Blue Note - Cyan Records el 23/10/2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kankei (Live)
Alternativa & Indie - Editado por Wolf Tree el 13/06/2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walking Through The Clouds (Live 1984) (Live)
Jazz - Editado por Carnival el 5/07/2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Big Bands - Jazz Classics from the 1950s, Vol.5
Jazz - Editado por Documents el 23/12/2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
'Round Midnight
Jazz - Editado por Jazz Work Records el 19/06/2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ballad of The Sad Young Men
Jazz - Editado por Jazz Room el 5/01/2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Modern Jazz Masters
Jazz - Editado por Music Today Records el 17/06/2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chant of the Weed (The Collection)
Jazz - Editado por Vinyl and Dust Records el 29/07/2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo