Gil Evans - The Individualism Of Gil Evans

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1964
Time: 68:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 167,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:28) 1. Time of the Barracudas
(10:02) 2. The Barbara Song
( 6:38) 3. Las Vegas Tango
(12:32) 4. A. Flute Song, B. Hotel Me
( 3:30) 5. El Toreador
( 3:59) 6. Proclamation
( 2:40) 7. Nothing Like You
( 7:42) 8. Concorde
(13:45) 9. Spoonful

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.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-individualism-of-gil-evans-mw0000194738#review

Personnel: Gil Evans – piano, arranger; Johnny Coles – trumpet (Solo); Thad Jones – trumpet; Ernie Royal – trumpet; Bernie Glow – trumpet; Louis Mucci – trumpet; Jimmy Knepper – trombone; Frank Rehak – trombone; Jimmy Cleveland – trombone (Solo); Tony Studd – trombone;Bill Barber – tuba; Wayne Shorter – tenor sax (Solo); Phil Woods – alto sax (Solo); Eric Dolphy – woodwinds (flute, bass clarinet, alto sax); Steve Lacy – soprano sax; Jerome Richardson – reeds, woodwinds; Bob Tricarico – reeds, woodwinds; Al Block – woodwinds (flute solo); Garvin Bushell – reeds, woodwinds; Andy Fitzgerald – reeds, woodwinds; George Marge – reeds, woodwinds; Julius Watkins – French horn; Gil Cohen – French horn; Don Corado – French horn; Bob Northern – French horn; Jimmy Buffington – French horn; mRay Alonge – French horn; Pete Levin – French Horn; Harry Lookofsky – tenor violin; Bob Maxwell – harp; Margaret Ross – harp; Kenny Burrell – guitar (Solo); Barry Galbraith – guitar; Gary Peacock – bass; Ron Carter – bass; Paul Chambers – bass; Richard Davis – bass; Ben Tucker – bass; Milt Hinton – bass; Elvin Jones – drums (Solo); Osie Johnson – drums.

The Individualism Of Gil Evans

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Gil Evans Orchestra - Jazz Standards With Evans

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:01
Size: 85,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:54) 1. Django
(3:58) 2. Ballad of the Sad Young Man
(4:42) 3. Chant of the Weed
(6:38) 4. Straight No Chaser
(6:39) 5. Theme
(4:22) 6. Davenport Blues
(2:45) 7. Joy Spring

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.~Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gil-evans-mn0000551815/biography

Jazz Standards With Evans

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Helen Merrill - Dream Of You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:41
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:24)  2. By Myself
(4:11)  3. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is My Home
(3:34)  4. I've Never Seen
(3:02)  5. He Was Too Good To Me
(3:10)  6. A New Town Is A Blue Town
(3:26)  7. You're Lucky To Me
(2:46)  8. Where Flamingos Fly
(2:55)  9. Dream Of You
(4:08) 10. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:09) 11. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
(3:16) 12. Troubled Waters

One thing that set Helen Merrill apart from other '50s jazz singers was her acutely dramatic vocal style. Her earnest phrasing, elongated notes, and incandescent tone might even strike the contemporary listener as qualities more appropriate for the Broadway stage than a jazz club. On 1955's Dream of You, though, Merrill found reconciliation, sounding both melodramatic and swinging within Gil Evans' darkly spacious, yet economical arrangements. Suitably, torchy ballads are prominent. On the somewhat grandiose side there's "Where Flamingos Fly" and "I'm a Fool to Want You," which find Merrill in a pensive mood amidst a variety of tempo and timbre shifts. More subdued ground is covered on "I've Never Seen" and "He Was Too Good to Me." Briskly swinging numbers like "People Will Say We're in Love," "By Myself," and "You're Lucky to Me" balance the program and feature the demure, yet fluid delivery Merrill favored on fast numbers. What is most impressive on this date is a group of sultry, medium tempo numbers including "Anyplace I Lay My Hat Is Home," "Just a Lucky So and So," and in particular "A New Town Is a Blue Town." The programmatic quality of Merrill's coyly sensual voice and Evans' slightly askew, bubbling reeds and languid rhythm conjure up dramatic, balmy southern scenes á la Tennessee Williams. In the picturesque arrangements one also hears the seeds of Evans' own future collaborations with Miles Davis. Even though her collaborations with Clifford Brown and others are great recordings, this one with Gil Evans shows off more of Merrill's expressive vocal talents, due in no small part to the sympathetic and urbane arrangements. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-of-you-mw0000090446

Personnel: Helen Merrill - vocals;  Gil Evans - arranger, conductor;  John LaPorta - clarinet, alto saxophone;  Jerome Richardson - flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone;  Danny Bank - baritone saxophone;  Art Farmer, Louis Mucci - trumpet;  Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett - trombone;  Hank Jones - piano;  Janet Putnam - harp; Barry Galbraith - guitar; Oscar Pettiford - double bass;  Joe Morello - drums

Dream Of You

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Miles Davis - Star People

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(11:03)  1. Come Get It
(10:07)  2. It Gets Better
( 8:33)  3. Speak
(18:46)  4. Star People
( 5:51)  5. U 'n' l
( 4:30)  6. Star on Cicely

On this 1983 release, Miles Davis rediscovers the blues. He really stretches out on "Star People," making dramatic use of silence and placing each note carefully. "Come Get It" is also memorable although "U 'n' I" (which had the potential to catch on) is only heard in a truncated version. In general Davis is in fine form on this set and, although saxophonist Bill Evans is barely heard from (many of his solos were edited out), the contrasting guitars of Mike Stern and John Scofield hold one's interest. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/star-people-mw0000023240

Personnel: Miles Davis – trumpet, keyboards; John Scofield – electric guitar; Mike Stern – electric guitar; Bill Evans – tenor & soprano saxophone; Marcus Miller – electric bass; Tom Barney – electric bass; Al Foster - drums; Gil Evans – arranger (uncredited)

Star People

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Gil Evans - Paris Blues

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:55
Size: 137,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:11)  1. Reincarnation Of A Lovebird
( 5:23)  2. Paris Blues
( 9:11)  3. Esteem
(14:38)  4. Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Blue Silk
( 8:47)  5. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
( 5:47)  6. Jelly Roll
( 8:55)  7. Esteem

Recorded just three months before arranger/pianist Gil Evans's death, this duet album teams Evans with the great soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. In truth, Evans's playing here is generally little more than melody statements and comping behind Lacy and, although the soprano is in top form, little of significance occurs. The duo performs lengthy versions of three Charles Mingus tunes, Duke Ellington's "Paris Blues" and Lacy's "Esteem." Evans was never a masterful keyboardist and clearly was not in Lacy's league as a player, so this CD is of greater interest from a historical standpoint than musical. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-blues-mw0000195937

Personnel:  Gil Evans - piano, electric piano; Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone

Paris Blues

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Gil Evans - Out of the Cool

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:29
Size: 89,1 MB
Art: Front

(15:38)  1. La Nevada
( 5:15)  2. Where Flamingos Fly
( 4:13)  3. Bilbao Song
( 8:04)  4. Stratusphunk
( 4:17)  5. Sunken Treasure

Out of the Cool, released in 1960, was the first recording Gil Evans issued after three straight albums with Miles Davis Sketches of Spain being the final one before this. Evans had learned much from Davis about improvisation, instinct, and space (the trumpeter learned plenty, too, especially about color, texture, and dynamic tension). Evans orchestrates less here, instead concentrating on the rhythm section built around Elvin Jones, Charlie Persip, bassist Ron Carter, and guitarist Ray Crawford. The maestro in the piano chair also assembled a crack horn section for this date, with Ray Beckinstein, Budd Johnson, and Eddie Caine on saxophones, trombonists Jimmy Knepper, Keg Johnson, and bass trombonist Tony Studd, with Johnny Coles and Phil Sunkel on trumpet, Bill Barber on tuba, and Bob Tricarico on flute, bassoon, and piccolo. The music here is of a wondrous variety, bookended by two stellar Evans compositions in "La Nevada," and "Sunken Treasure." The middle of the record is filled out by the lovely standard "Where Flamingos Fly," Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht's "Bilbao Song," and George Russell's classic "Stratusphunk." The sonics are alternately warm, breezy, and nocturnal, especially on the 15-plus-minute opener which captures the laid-back West Coast cool jazz feel juxtaposed by the percolating, even bubbling hot rhythmic pulse of the tough streets of Las Vegas. The horns are held back for long periods in the mix and the drums pop right up front, Crawford's solo drenched in funky blues is smoking. When the trombones re-enter, they are slow and moaning, and the piccolo digs in for an in the pocket, pulsing break. Whoa.

Things are brought back to the lyrical impressionism Evans is most well known for at the beginning of "Where Flamingos Fly." Following a four-note theme on guitar, flute, tuba, and trombone, it comes out dramatic and blue, but utterly spacious and warm. The melancholy feels like the tune "Summertime" in the trombone melody, but shifts toward something less impressionistic and more expressionist entirely by the use of gentle dissonance by the second verse as the horns begin to ratchet things up just a bit, allowing Persip and Jones to play in the middle on a variety of percussion instruments before the tune takes on a New Orleans feel, and indeed traces much of orchestral jazz history over the course of its five minutes without breaking a sweat. "Stratusphunk" is the most angular tune here, but Evans and company lend such an element of swing to the tune that its edges are barely experienced by the listener. For all his seriousness, there was a great deal of warmth and humor in Evans' approach to arranging. His use of the bassoon as a sound effects instrument at the beginning is one such moment emerging right out of the bass trombone. At first, the walking bassline played by Carter feels at odds with the lithe and limber horn lines which begin to assert themselves in full finger popping swing etiquette, but Carter seamlessly blends in. Again, Crawford's guitar solo in the midst of all that brass is the voice of song itself, but it's funky before Johnny Coles' fine trumpet solo ushers in an entirely new chart for the brass. The final cut, "Sunken Treasure," is a moody piece of noir that keeps its pulse inside the role of bass trombone and tuba. Percussion here, with maracas, is more of a coloration device, and the blues emerge from the trumpets and from Carter. It's an odd way to close a record, but its deep-night feel is something that may echo the "cool" yet looks toward something deeper and hotter which is exactly what followed later with Into the Hot. This set is not only brilliant, it's fun. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-the-cool-mw0000649500

Gil Evans Orchestra: Gil Evans (arranger, conductor, piano); Budd Johnson (soprano & tenor saxophones); Eddie Caine, Ray Beckenstein (alto saxophone, flute, piccolo); Johnny Coles, Phil Sunkel (trumpet); Keg Johnson, Jimmy Knepper (trombone); Tony Studd (bass trombone); Bill Barber (tuba); Bob Tricarico (flute, piccolo, bassoon); Ray Crawford (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Charlie Persip, Elvin Jones (drums, percussion).

Out of the Cool

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Gil Evans - Priceless Jazz Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: Progressive jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 5:09] 1. Where Flamingos Fly
[ 5:49] 2. Push De Button
[ 3:10] 3. Cheek To Cheek
[15:31] 4. La Nevada
[ 2:58] 5. Trav'lin' Light
[ 4:04] 6. Cocoanut Sweet
[ 4:10] 7. The Bilbao Song
[ 2:51] 8. Aren't You Glad You're You
[ 3:49] 9. Savannah
[ 4:16] 10. Sunken Treasure
[ 4:54] 11. Napolean

One of the most significant arrangers in jazz history, Gil Evans' three album-length collaborations with Miles Davis (Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain) are all considered classics. Evans had a lengthy and wide-ranging career that sometimes ran parallel to the trumpeter. Like Davis, Gil became involved in utilizing electronics in the '70s and preferred not to look back and re-create the past. He led his own band in California (1933-1938) which eventually became the backup group for Skinnay Ennis; Evans stayed on for a time as arranger. He gained recognition for his somewhat futuristic charts for Claude Thornhill's Orchestra (1941-1942 and 1946-1948) which took advantage of the ensemble's cool tones, utilized French horns and a tuba as frontline instruments, and, by 1946, incorporated the influence of bop. He met Miles Davis (who admired his work with Thornhill) during this time and contributed arrangements of "Moon Dreams" and "Boplicity" to Davis' "Birth of the Cool" nonet. After a period in obscurity, Evans wrote for a Helen Merrill session and then collaborated with Davis on Miles Ahead. In addition to his work with Davis (which also included a 1961-recorded Carnegie Hall concert and the half-album Quiet Nights), Evans recorded several superb and highly original sets as a leader (including Gil Evans & Ten, New Bottle Old Wine, and Great Jazz Standards) during the era. Among the albums he worked on in the '60s for other artists were notable efforts with Kenny Burrell and Astrud Gilberto. After his own sessions for Verve during 1963-1964, Evans waited until 1969 until recording again as a leader. That year's Blues in Orbit was his first successful effort at combining acoustic and electric instruments; it would be followed by dates for Artists House, Atlantic (Svengali), and a notable tribute to Jimi Hendrix in 1974. After 1975's There Comes a Time (which features among its sidemen David Sanborn), most of Evans' recordings were taken from live performances. Starting in 1970 he began playing with his large ensemble on a weekly basis in New York clubs. Filled with such all-star players as George Adams, Lew Soloff, Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson, Chris Hunter, Howard Johnson, Pete Levin, Hiram Bullock, Hamiet Bluiett, and Arthur Blythe among others, Evans' later bands were top-heavy in talent but tended to ramble on too long. Gil Evans, other than sketching out a framework and contributing his keyboard, seemed to let the orchestra largely run itself, inspiring rather than closely directing the music. There were some worthwhile recordings from the '80s (when the band had a long string of Monday night gigs at Sweet Basil in New York) but in general they do not often live up to their potential. Prior to his death, Gil Evans recorded with his "arranger's piano" on duets with Lee Konitz and Steve Lacy and his body of work on a whole ranks with the top jazz arrangers. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Priceless Jazz is a good midline sampler of highlights from Gil Evans' recordings for MCA and GRP. Although this isn't a definitive collection, it offers representative material to make this a good introduction to these recordings for curious listeners on a budget. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Priceless Jazz Collection

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Gil Evans - New Bottle Old Wine

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:15
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. St Louis Blues
(3:18)  2. King Porter Stomp
(4:37)  3. Willow Tree
(4:32)  4. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(4:14)  5. Lester Leaps In
(4:06)  6. 'Round About Midnight
(5:14)  7. Manteca!
(6:50)  8. Bird Feathers

Gil Evans' second album as a leader (a World Pacific set that has been reissued by Blue Note) features his reworking of eight jazz classics including "St. Louis Blues," "Lester Leaps In" and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." Evans' charts utilize three trumpets, three trombones, a french horn, a prominent tuba, one reed player, altoist Cannonball Adderley and a four-piece rhythm section. Most memorable is a classic rendition of "King Porter Stomp" featuring the exuberant altoist Cannonball Adderley, who is the main soloist on most of the selections. Other key voices include Evans' piano, guitarist Chuck Wayne and trumpeter Johnny Coles. This is near-classic music that showed that Gil Evans did not need Miles Davis as a soloist to inspire him to greatness. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-bottle-old-wine-mw0000194405

Personnel: Gil Evans (piano, arranger, conductor); Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Johnny Coles, Louis Marcel, Ernie Royal, Clyde Reasinger, Frank Rehak (trumpet); Joe Bennet, Tom Mitchell (trombone); Julius Watkins (French horn); Harvey Phillips, Bill Barber (tuba); Jerry Sanfino (reeds); Chuck Wayne (guitar); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones (drums).

New Bottle Old Wine

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Gil Evans - The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:22
Size: 179,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:09)  1. Angel
( 5:03)  2. Castles Made Of Sand - Alternate Take
(10:09)  3. Up From The Skies - Alternate Take
( 3:22)  4. Gypsy Eyes - Alternate Take
( 6:33)  5. Crosstown Traffic
(11:30)  6. Medley
(10:37)  7. Up From The Skies
( 7:28)  8. 1983 - A Merman I Should Turn To Be
( 5:01)  9. Voodoo Chile
( 3:43) 10. Gypsy Eyes
( 6:33) 11. Little Wing
( 4:07) 12. Angel - Alternate Take

This CD reissue (which adds additional material to the original LP program) is much more successful than one might have expected. Jimi Hendrix was scheduled to record with Gil Evans' Orchestra but died before the session could take place. A few years later, Evans explored ten of Hendrix's compositions with his unique 19-piece unit, an orchestra that included two French horns, the tuba of Howard Johnson, three guitars, two basses, two percussionists and such soloists as altoist David Sanborn, trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson, Billy Harper on tenor, and guitarists Ryo Kawasaki and John Abercrombie. Evans' arrangements uplift many of Hendrix's more blues-oriented compositions and create a memorable set that is rock-oriented but retains the improvisation and personality of jazz. [This album was re-released in 2002 on the Bluebird label with four bonus tracks from the same sessions] ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-gil-evans-orchestra-plays-the-music-of-jimi-hendrix-mw0000212756

Personnel: Gil Evans (arranger, piano, electric piano, celeste); Howard Johnson (arranger, tuba, clarinet, bass clarinet); David Horowitz (arranger, electric piano, organ, synthesizer); Trevor Koehler (arranger, soprano & tenor saxophones, flute); Tom Malone (arranger, trombone, bass trombone, flute, piccolo, synthesizer); "Hannibal" Marvin Peterson (vocals, trumpet); David Sanborn (soprano & alto saxophones, flute); Billy Harper (tenor saxophone, flute); Lew Soloff, Ernie Royal (trumpet, flugelhorn); Peter Gordon (French horn); Warren Smith (vibraphone, marimba, chimes, gong, percussion); John Abercrombie, Ryo Kawasaki, Keith Loving (guitar); Michael Moore (bass); Herb Bushler (electric bass); Sue Evans (drums, tympani, congas, cow bell); Bruce Ditmas (drums, tabla, cuica); Tony Williams (drums).

The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix

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Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions

Styles: Post-Bop, Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:14
Size: 175,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. St. Louis Blues
(6:48)  2. Straight No Chaser
(4:00)  3. Ballad Of The Sad Young Men
(2:49)  4. Joy Spring
(8:06)  5. Django
(4:48)  6. Chant Of The Weed
(6:46)  7. La Nevada (Theme)
(3:17)  8. King Porter Stomp
(4:40)  9. Willow Tree
(4:30) 10. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(4:18) 11. Lester Leaps In
(4:08) 12. 'Round Midnight
(5:16) 13. Manteca
(6:52) 14. Bird Feathers
(4:24) 15. Davenport Blues

If Stan Kenton's ponderous Sophisticated Approach (1961) showed how little jazz it is possible to make with an orchestra the size of Texas, Gil Evans' The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions shows how much more you can make with a lot less. The CD brings together two collections of brilliantly reimagined standards, New Bottle, Old Wine (1958) and Great Jazz Standards (1959), recorded when Evans was red-hot from two successes with Miles Davis, Miles Ahead and Porgy And Bess. Evans' signature brass choir is in place creatively voiced, spaciously arranged, a supple, multi-coloured, sonically surprising counterpoint to a succession of superb soloists. The added bonus, for Evans' projects, is the foregrounding of saxophone and clarinet soloists Cannonball Adderley on New Bottle, Old Wine and Steve Lacy and Budd Johnson on Great Jazz Standards. Trombonist Frank Rehak, tubaist Bill Barber and Evans himself all get to stretch out on New Bottle, Old Wine, but the album is practically an Adderley showcase (he too was newly hot in '58). He blows his stirring, circa-Somethin' Else stew of bop and soul, and it's good but Lacy and the original swing-to-bop missing link, Johnson, are the ones who will make the hair on your neck curl.

Lacy's solos on Monk's "Straight No Chaser" and John Lewis' "Django" must be some of the finest pre-free improvisations he recorded, already heading from quirky to out-there. Johnson's clarinet solo on Don Redman's spooky, swing-meets-whole tone classic, "Chant Of The Weed," and slow-burning, stirring tenor solo on Evans' "La Nevada" are some of the finest the all-but-forgotten genius ever recorded. (Both tracks appear here for the first time in their original unedited form, with missing passages restored, and the whole Great Jazz Standards set has been sympathetically remixed from a newly discovered three-track master tape.) Trumpeter Johnny Coles, featured on both albums, has the inevitable misfortune of being compared to Miles Davis and being found to be... different. Sunny, open and extroverted, he may not be a stylist of Davis' proportions, but he's an enjoyable alternative foil for Evans' arrangements. Two magnificent but neglected albums rolled into one, and still coming up fresh as daisies.~ Chris May  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-complete-pacific-jazz-sessions-gil-evans-blue-note-records-review-by-chris-may.php
 

Personnel: Tracks 1-8: Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci, Ernie Royal (1-3,5,6), Clyde Reasinger (4,7,8): trumpets; Frank Rehak, Joe Bennett: trombones; Tom Mitchell: bass trombone; Julius Watkins: French horn; Harvey Phillips (1,2,5,6), Bill Barber (3,4,7,8): tuba; Cannonball Adderley: alto saxophone; Gerald Sanfino (1,2,5,6), or Phil Bodner (3,4,7,8): piccolo, flute, bass clarinet, English horn; Chuck Wayne: guitar; Paul Chambers: bass; Philly Joe Jones (3), Art Blakey (all others): drums; Gil Evans: piano, arranger, conductor. Tracks 9,10,13: Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci, Allen Smith: trumpets; Bill Elton, Curtis Fuller: trombones; Dick Lieb: bass trombone; Bob Northern: French horn; Bill Barber: tuba; Steve Lacy: soprano saxophone; Al Block: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet; Chuck Wayne: guitar; Dick Carter: bass; Dennis Charles: drums; Gil Evans: piano, arranger, conductor. Tracks 11,12,14,15: Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci: trumpets; Jimmy Cleveland, Curtis Fuller: trombones; Rod Levitt: bass trombone; Earl Chapin: French horn; Bill Barber: tuba; Steve Lacy: soprano saxophone; Eddie Caine: alto saxophone; Budd Johnson: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Ray Crawford: guitar; Tommy Potter: bass; Elvin Jones: drums; Gil Evans: piano, arranger, conductor.

The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions

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Helen Merrill - With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:34
Size: 144,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Don't Explain
(4:22)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:01)  3. What's New
(3:56)  4. Falling In Love With Love
(6:01)  5. Yesterdays
(5:15)  6. Born To Be Blue
(3:16)  7. 'S Wonderful
(3:04)  8. He Was Good To Me
(3:36)  9. I've Never Seen
(4:10) 10. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:17) 11. Troubled Waters
(3:25) 12. By Myself
(2:36) 13. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:28) 14. You're Lucky To Me
(2:52) 15. Dream Of You

Though she eventually came to be known as a "singer's singer," Helen Merrill's 1954 debut is an unmitigated success of mainstream jazz. Besides introducing the uniquely talented young singer, the date also featured small-group arrangements by Quincy Jones and marks the introduction of another future star, trumpeter Clifford Brown. Formidable as his playing is, Brown never overshadows Merrill. She is fully up to the challenge on all fronts and enthusiastically tackles uptempo numbers such as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and "Falling in Love with Love" with aplomb. A winning stylistic combination of cool jazz and hard bop, Merrill particularly excels on Mel Tormé's "Born to Be Blue," making the sophisticated tune her own as she revels in Tormé's down-and-out lyric. ~ Richard Mortifoglio  http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/helen-merrill-with-clifford-brown-gil-evans-mr0001164321

With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans

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Helen Merrill - Dream Of You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:28
Size: 90.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1956/1992
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. People Will Say We're In Love
[3:23] 2. By Myself
[4:10] 3. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home
[3:33] 4. I've Never Seen
[3:02] 5. He Was Too Good To Me
[3:09] 6. A New Town Is A Blue Town
[3:26] 7. You're Lucky To Me
[2:45] 8. Where Flamingos Fly
[2:54] 9. Dream Of You
[4:07] 10. I'm A Fool To Want You
[3:08] 11. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[3:14] 12. Troubled Waters

One of the finest jazz vocal albums of the 1950s is Helen Merrill's Dream of You. Recorded over the course of three days in July 1956 for EmArcy, the session paired Helen with arranger Gil Evans nearly a year before his first majestic session with trumpeter Miles Davis. Helen's Dream of You isn't a typical jazz-vocal recording of the period, where a singer belts out a set of American Songbook tunes backed by a bouncy band. Instead, what you have here is a true artistic duet—with Helen delivering deeply passionate readings of offbeat songs as Evans' jagged orchestrations lap at the lyrics and at times wash right over them.

What I love most about this recording is Helen's phrasing. To me, Helen sounds as though she's singing while lying in a grassy field, pulling out blades aimlessly as she tries to make sense of her life and feelings. In many cases in the '50s, big bands functioned as male counterparts to female vocals. But here, Evans' approach is decidedly feminine in its sophistication and sensitivity. His charts play the role of best friend, empathizing with Helen's wonderment, adding a flute affirmation here and violin shoulder to cry on there.

Evans truly is at the top of his arranging game here before he was brought to Columbia by producer George Avakian. Combined, Helen and Evans make you think and feel, and they don't take no for an answer. Dig Andy Razaf and Eubie Blake's You're Lucky to Me. Helen is at first girlishly shy before letting loose with adulation over her good fortune in love. Or the exotic quality of Elthea Peale, Harold Courlander and John Benson Brooks' Where Flamingos Fly. Or Duke Ellington and Mack David's haughty I'm Just a Lucky So and So.

What's special about this album are its impositions. This isn't pop material. Each song is an artistic commitment, and both Helen and Evans work hard to engage you with every note and lyric line. As with Billie Holiday, Helen's voice is an instrument offering a hidden message—where the breaths are taken and how forceful or tender the expression. ~Marc Myers

Dream Of You

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Kimiko Kasai & Gil Evans - Satin Doll

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Sony
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:26
Size: 81,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Day by Day
(3:35)  2. Poor Butterfly
(2:54)  3. Bye Bye Blackbird
(3:05)  4. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(3:51)  5. Satin Doll
(5:47)  6. I'm Walkin'
(3:25)  7. When Sunny Gets Blue
(3:40)  8. There'll Never Be Another You
(3:51)  9. Good-bye

When Gil Evans came to Japan in 1972, he was revered as one of the best jazz arrangers in the world and often referred as the "magician of the sound." Many top Japanese jazz musicians wanted to collaborate with him, and talented singer Kimiko Kasai was no exception. Kasai had visited Evans' home in New York earlier and agreed on most of the tunes and rough arrangements. When Evans came to Japan, he only had a few days to rehearse with eitht other musicians. Despite the short preparation time and the fact that he probably had not met the six Japanese musicians before, Evans produced a magical result. It is astonishing to hear such dense and airy sound from only five horn players. The arrangements support Kasai beautifully: they are musical, unobtrusive, sympathetic and very effective. 

With such a wonderful backing, Kasai sounds relaxed and gives a swinging, soulful vocal performance. (http://www.eastwindimport.com/product-info.asp?ProductId=52).

Kimiko Kasai - vocals; Gil Evans - arranger, conductor, piano, electric piano; Marvin Peterson - trumpet; Hiroshi Fukumura, Hiroshi Munekiyo - trombone; Kosuke Mine - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone; Billy Harper - tenor saxophone, flute; Masayuki Takayanagi - guitar; Yoshio Suzuki - bass, electric bass; Yoshiyuki Nakamura - drums

Satin Doll

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