Electrifying striking dynamic jazz Gil Evans Orchestra – HIDDEN TREASURES, MONDAY NIGHTS, VOLUME 1: I was first exposed to the electrifying jazz that Gil Evans created as part of a quintet performance put on by Rob Scheps right here in Olympia, and became a dedicated fan immediately… this new release from the Gil Evans Orchestra (Kenwood Dennard: Drums, Mino Cinelu: Percussion, Mark Egan: Bass, Pete Levin: Keyboards, Miles Evans: Trumpet, Shunzo Ohno: Trumpet, David Taylor: Bass Trombone, John Clark: French Horn, Chris Hunter: Alto Sax, Flute, Alex Foster: Tenor Sax, Soprano Sa,x Darryl Jones: Bass (Tune 2), Matthew Garrison: Bass & Bass Solo (Tune 2), Vernon Reid: Guitar (Tune 2), Paul Shaffer: Fender Rhodes (Tune 2), David Mann: Alto Sax (Tune 2), Gil Goldstein: Piano (Tunes 1, 2, 5, 6), Delmar Brown: Synthesizer (Tunes 1, 2, 5), Charles Blenzig Synthesizer (Tunes 2, 3, 4, 7), Gabby Abularach Guitars (Tune 1, 4, 5), Jon Faddis: Trumpet (Tunes 1, 5, 6), Dave Bargeron: Trombone (Tunes 1, 5, 6), Gary Smulyan: Baritone Sax (Tunes 1, 5, 6), Birch Johnson: Trombone (Tunes 3, 4, 7,) Alex Sipiagin: Trumpet (Tunes 3, 4, 7), Alden Banta: Baritone Sax (Tunes 3, 4, 7))… (you won’t find samples yet, so I’ll come back and add them when the album goes live in December, 2018)… tunes like the 5:29 “LL Funk” will give you chills, to be sure… this is indeed “hidden treasure”, and will be in your “favorites” stack for years to come.
The 9:50 “Groove From The Louvre” takes a few bars to really kick off, but after the 1:40 mark, the orchestra kicks into high gear, morphing into a totally hard-edged groove that is nothing less than jazz perfection!
If you’re ears are looking for something a bit in the mellow zone, you’ll totally dig “Moonstruck”… it’s a short piece, only 1:49, but captures the essence of Evans masterful style.
My personal favorite of the seven performances offered up is (without question) the opener, “Subway”… just as with my first ride on a NYC subway in 1965 (a story better told elsewhere, lol), it’s full of dynamic twists & turns all the way from the opening note to the last bar… full of life and emotion, to be sure… if any jazz tune merits an award, this is THE ONE!
I give the Gil Evans Orchestra a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this fine release. Get more information on the Pledge Music page for the orchestra. Rotcod Zzaj
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