UMG releases a vibrant 180-gram vinyl of a seminal Gil Evans Verve album.
Gil Evans – The Individualism Of Gil Evans – Verve/Contemporary V6-8555 (1964)/Universal Music Group 00199957337427 (2026) Verve Vault 180-gram stereo vinyl, 32:29 ****1/2:
(Gil Evans – piano, arrangements; Johnny Coles – trumpet; Thad Jones – trumpet; Jimmy Knepper = trombone; Bill Barber – tuba; Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone; Phil Woods – alto saxophone; Eric Dolphy – flute, bass, clarinet, alto saxophone; Kenny Burrell – guitar; Gary Peacock – double bass; Paul Chambers – double bass; Margaret Ross – harp; Elvin Jones – drums; Al Block – flute; plus many more)
Canadian-born jazz icon Gil Evans was a formidable pianist, composer and arranger. He was self-taught by transcribing music of jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. He specialized in big band arrangements, often incorporating unique instruments like French horns and tubas. He avoided the denser arrangements of other large ensembles. Evans became more widely known for his collaborations with Miles Davis on Miles Ahead, Porgy And Bess, Sketches Of Spain and Quiet Nights. In the 60’s he began a solo career working with Steve Lacy, Wayne Shorter and Eric Dolphy. Always open to new frontiers, he would explore rock instrumentals that included guitars, electric bass and synthesizers. He recorded an album of Jimi Hendrix music for Bluebird Records. His career discography is diverse and unprecedented.
As part of the Verve 70th anniversary, Universal Music Group has released a 180-gram stereo vinyl of the 1964 album, The Individualism of Gil Evans. Featuring a veritable all-star lineup of jazz greats, Evans handles the piano in a group of complex layered jams. Side A opens with a moody cover of Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht’s “The Barbara Song” (from The Three Penny Opera). This is hauntingly atmospheric, with a gradual unfurling of fluid melody lines. Wayne Shorter offers low-keyed atmosphere, as delicate reeds and horns are present, but dialed back to fit the overall ambiance. The hypnotic flow moves deliberately with near-cinematic noir dynamics.
Next up is Evans’ signature composition, “Las Vegas Tango”, a pared-down take on 12-bar blues. Evans kicks things off with measured (at times dissonant) notation on the piano and is followed by the fuller orchestral movement, anchored in what appears to be two baseline chords. A plaintive trombone permeates the first half and a crisp bluesy guitar solo by Kenny Burrell plays against punctuated horn accents. Evans’ minimalist piano lines lead into graceful orchestral swells, anchored by a tight Latin-infused rhythm section.
Side B includes a number co-written by Miles Davis (“The Flute Song”). There is a unhurried tension with a near-mournful flugelhorn and blended horns and reeds, allowing excellent spacing for dramatic flute counterpoints. Subtleties like drum cymbals and harp are not overwhelmed. Another original Davis collaboration is part of a two-piece “jazz suite’ (“The Flute Song”/“Hotel Me”). Al Block provides the sinewy lead flute. Eric Dolphy and Steve Lacy contribute alto and soprano saxophone). At the 2:00 mark, Jones lays down a bawdy late night pattern that Evans accompanies with bluesy piano accents. The sharper horn tonality and guitar add texture to the piece. There are modulations and fades. The finale, “El Toreador” is an amazingly succinct cut (3:30) that showcases the soaring trumpet of Johnny Coles against a brooding musical template of exotic motifs.
This vinyl upgrade of The Individualism Of Gil Evans is a historical document that shines a light on one of jazz’s legendary musicians. The re-mastered mix (Ryan K. Smith/Sterling Sound) is sourced from the original analog tapes, (including Rudy Van Gelder) and has excellent instrumental balance and separation with attention to smaller details like percussion and harp.The gatefold packaging with original album art and liner notes is top-notch.
Highly recommended!
—Robbie Gerson
The Individualism Of Gil Evans
TrackList:
Side A: The Barbara Song; Las Vegas Tango
Side B: The Flute Song; Hotel Me; El Toreador
From Verve Records, a Vinyl re-mastered release of the 1964 album “The Individualism of Gil Evans”. Jazz Music Review by Robbie Gerson.
