Gil Evans • Verve Jazz Masters

 

Biography

by Ron Wynn
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.

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Biografía
por Ron Wynn
Gil Evans, magnífico arreglista de jazz y director de orquesta, rivalizaba con Ellington y Mingus en su capacidad para proporcionar marcos imaginativos a las voces individuales dentro de una gran orquesta. Escribía arreglos elaborados e intrincados que no debilitaban ni amenazaban la espontaneidad de su banda. Su trabajo más reconocido llegó a finales de los años 50, cuando Miles Davis firmó con Columbia y llevó a Evans al estudio con un gran conjunto. Los álbumes resultantes -Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy and Bess (1958), Sketches of Spain (1959)- se convirtieron en hitos en las carreras de ambos. Evans no era un purista; empezó a utilizar la electrónica en sus bandas en los años 70 y escandalizó a algunos al grabar material de Jimi Hendrix. Su estilo se hizo más suelto en los últimos años, con más espacio y menos precisión, pero ciertamente su música siguió siendo convincente. El lenguaje armónico y la habilidad compositiva y de arreglos de Evans eran inmensos, y fue responsable de muchas obras maestras a través de sus arreglos, composiciones o dirección.

Músico autodidacta, Evans dirigió su propio grupo en California a mediados y finales de los años treinta. Siguió siendo su arreglista después de que Skinnay Ennis se convirtiera en director de la banda, hasta que se unió a la orquesta de Claude Thornhill en 1941 como arreglista. Sus arreglos de composiciones clásicas de bebop ayudaron a dar forma y convertir a la orquesta de Thornhill en una banda de primera categoría. Permaneció hasta 1948, salvo un tramo en el servicio a mediados de los años 40. Evans trabajó por primera vez con Miles Davis a finales de los 40 y principios de los 50, creando la misma magia, pero con un combo más pequeño. También escribió canciones para Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett y Benny Goodman, y dirigió discos para Astrud Gilberto y Kenny Burrell.

Evans generó más fuegos artificiales más tarde, en los años 50 y 60, con Davis, escribiendo espectaculares arreglos para los álbumes Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess y Sketches of Spain (más tarde llegó Quiet Nights). Evans también tocó el piano en algunas sesiones. Éstas y su álbum de 1958 New Bottle Old Wine siguen siendo obras de referencia. Sus propios e intrigantes lanzamientos en los años 60 incluyeron Out of the Cool, Into the Hot, y The Individualism of Gil Evans.

Evans se dedicó más a escribir en los años 70, escribiendo obras como "Las Vegas Tango", "Proclamation" y "Anita's Dance". Publicó más discos de calidad, como The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix, de 1974, y Priestess, de 1983.

Siguió escribiendo, arreglando y grabando en los años 80, y durante un largo periodo su banda fue la atracción principal en Sweet Basil's en Nueva York los lunes por la noche. Evans grabó para Enja, Mole y otros sellos en los años 80. En 1987 se celebró en Londres el concierto de su 75º aniversario; murió al año siguiente.

Gil Evans & Jaco Pastorius • Live Under The Sky Tokyo '84

 

 

http://gilevans.free.fr/
https://www.gilevans.com/
https://jacopastorius.com/

Gil Evans • Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix

 

Gil Evans was a huge admirer of the music of Jimi Hendrix – so much so, in fact, that he resolved to collaborate with the guitarist on projects. A meeting between the two had been arranged for September 1970 but Hendrix overdosed just before his trip to New York and with that impetus obviously faltered. Four years later, however, Evans returned to Hendrix’s music to record a tribute album with a 19-man orchestra. He presented the music at a Carnegie Hall concert, part of the New York Jazz Repertory Company’s programming for that year, and took it into the RCA studios the following day.

The band included such heavyweights as guitarist John Abercrombie, trumpeter Marvin Peterson and saxophonists David Sanborn and Billy Harper. The orchestrations involve a wide range of instrumentation but of the nine songs, only two are definitively Evans’ arrangements.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/27355/gil-evans/plays-the-music-of-jimi-hendrix

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Gil Evans era un gran admirador de la música de Jimi Hendrix, tanto que decidió colaborar con el guitarrista en varios proyectos. Se había concertado una reunión entre ambos para septiembre de 1970, pero Hendrix sufrió una sobredosis justo antes de su viaje a Nueva York y, con ello, el impulso se desvaneció. Sin embargo, cuatro años más tarde, Evans volvió a la música de Hendrix para grabar un álbum tributo con una orquesta de 19 músicos. Presentó la música en un concierto en el Carnegie Hall, dentro de la programación de la New York Jazz Repertory Company para ese año, y al día siguiente la llevó a los estudios RCA.

La banda incluía a pesos pesados como el guitarrista John Abercrombie, el trompetista Marvin Peterson y los saxofonistas David Sanborn y Billy Harper. Las orquestaciones incluyen una amplia gama de instrumentos, pero de las nueve canciones, solo dos son arreglos definitivos de Evans.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/27355/gil-evans/plays-the-music-of-jimi-hendrix

Gil Evans: Out of the Cool: His Life and Music

 

The life (1912–1988) and career of Gil Evans paralleled and often foreshadowed the quickly changing world of jazz through the 20th century. Gil Evans: Out of the Cool is the comprehensive biography of a self-taught musician whom colleagues often regarded as a mentor. His innovative work as a composer, arranger, and bandleader—for Miles Davis, with whom he frequently collaborated over the course of four decades, and for his own ensembles—places him alongside Duke Ellington and Aaron Copland as one of the giants of American music. His unflagging creativity galvanized the most prominent jazz musicians in the world, both black and white. This biography traces Evans's early years: his first dance bands in California during the Depression; his life as a studio arranger in Hollywood; and his early work with Claude Thornhill, one of the most unusual bandleaders of the Big Band Era. After settling in New York City in 1946, Evans's basement apartment quickly became a meeting ground for musicians. The discussions that took place there among Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis, and others resulted in the “Birth of the Cool” scores for the Miles Davis Nonet and, later on, for Evans’s masterpieces with Davis: “Miles Ahead,” “Porgy and Bess,” and “Sketches of Spain.” 

 

  Stephanie Stein Crease (Author)

 

Astrud Gilberto • Astrud for Lovers

 

Gil Evans • Gil Evans & Ten

 

Although arranger Gil Evans had been active in the major leagues of jazz ever since the mid-'40s and had participated in Miles Davis' famous Birth of the Cool recordings, Gil Evans & Ten was his first opportunity to record as a leader.

The set features a typically unusual 11-piece unit consisting of two trumpets, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, Bart Varsalona on bass trombone, French horn player Willie Ruff, Steve Lacy on soprano, altoist Lee Konitz, Dave Kurtzer on bassoon, bassist Paul Chambers, and either Nick Stabulas or Jo Jones on drums, plus the leader's sparse piano - As good an introduction to his work as any, this program includes diverse works ranging from Leadbelly to Leonard Bernstein, plus Evans' own "Jambangle." The arranger's inventive use of the voices of his rather unique sidemen make this a memorable set.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/96938/gil-evans/gil-evans-ten

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Aunque el arreglista Gil Evans había estado activo en las grandes ligas del jazz desde mediados de los años 40 y había participado en las famosas grabaciones de Miles Davis Birth of the Cool, Gil Evans & Ten fue su primera oportunidad de grabar como líder.

El conjunto cuenta con una inusual unidad de 11 músicos formada por dos trompetas, el trombonista Jimmy Cleveland, Bart Varsalona al trombón bajo, el trompa Willie Ruff, Steve Lacy al soprano, el contralto Lee Konitz, Dave Kurtzer al fagot, el bajista Paul Chambers y Nick Stabulas o Jo Jones a la batería, además del escaso piano del líder - Este programa, una buena introducción a su trabajo, incluye diversas obras que van desde Leadbelly a Leonard Bernstein, además del propio "Jambangle" de Evans - La inventiva del arreglista a la hora de utilizar las voces de sus singulares músicos de acompañamiento hace que este conjunto sea memorable.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/96938/gil-evans/gil-evans-ten

Gil Evans • The Individualism Of Gil Evans

 

Review
by Scott Yanow
Although Gil Evans had gained a lot of acclaim for his three collaborations with Miles Davis in the 1950s and his own albums, this CD contains (with the exception of two tracks purposely left off), Evans's only dates as a leader during 1961-68. The personnel varies on the six sessions that comprise the CD (which adds five numbers including two previously unreleased to the original Lp) with such major soloists featured as tenorman Wayne Shorter, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, trumpeter Johnny Coles and guitarist Kenny Burrell. Highlights include "Time of the Barracudas," "The Barbara Song," "Las Vegas Tango" and "Spoonful." Highly recommended to Gil Evans fans; it is a pity he did not record more during this era.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-individualism-of-gil-evans-mw0000194738

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Reseña
por Scott Yanow
Aunque Gil Evans había ganado mucha aclamación por sus tres colaboraciones con Miles Davis en la década de 1950 y sus propios álbumes, este CD contiene (con la excepción de dos temas omitidos a propósito), las únicas fechas de Evans como líder durante 1961-68. El personal varía en las seis sesiones que componen el CD (que añade cinco números incluyendo dos inéditos en el Lp original) con solistas tan importantes como el tenor Wayne Shorter, el trombonista Jimmy Cleveland, el trompetista Johnny Coles y el guitarrista Kenny Burrell. Destacan "Time of the Barracudas", "The Barbara Song", "Las Vegas Tango" y "Spoonful". Muy recomendable para los fans de Gil Evans; es una pena que no grabara más durante esta época.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-individualism-of-gil-evans-mw0000194738

VA • Stompin at the Savoy - Swinging Jazz

 

VA • Blue Note Plays Monk's Music