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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Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (Mono Version)
Gil Evans Orchestra, Gil Evans, Miles Davis
Jazz - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1959
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Priceless Jazz: Gil Evans
Jazz - Erschienen bei Verve Reissues am 01.01.1998
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Gil Evans Jazz Hits
Jazz - Erschienen bei Black Sheep Music am 09.05.2012
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Gil Evans - 52nd Street
Jazz - Erschienen bei Alpharecord - Fonotil am 19.04.2017
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Out of the Cool (Bonus Track Version)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Icon Jazz Series am 02.08.2021
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All That Jazz, Vol. 64: Miles Ahead in a Blue Haze (2016 Remaster)
Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis, Studio ensemble, Gil Evans
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jube Legends am 03.06.2016
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The 1958 West Coast Sessions (Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei RevOla am 30.07.2021
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Gil Evans - The Golden Arrow Collection
Jazz - Erschienen bei Golden Arrow am 04.12.2015
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Riding With The Wind (Live Montreal '87)
Gil Evans, The Gil Evans Orchestra
Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Shrimp Recordings am 03.01.2024
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The Real Birth of the Cool. Transcription Recordings (Bonus Track Version)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz Moon am 15.03.2016
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Gil Evans...And Ten
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Poppydisc am 03.03.1958
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Jazz After Midnight
Jazz - Erschienen bei Silver Classics Jazz am 02.03.2015
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Great Jazz Standards
World Music - Erschienen bei TP4 Music am 28.01.2019
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Sketches of Spain (The Mono Recordings - Original Album 1960)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz Classics am 01.01.2014
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The Real Birth of the Cool. Studio Recordings (Bonus Track Version)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazz Moon am 15.03.2016
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Greatest Jazz Classics
Jazz - Erschienen bei Classic Music International am 04.01.2011
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New Bottle, Old Wine + Great Jazz Standards
Jazz - Erschienen bei The Jazz Corner am 04.11.2013
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Anthology 2023 (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei jjjedizionimusicali am 07.03.2023
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The Best of Gil Evans - Jazz Masterpieces
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Blue Note - Cyan Records am 23.10.2015
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