Gil Evans

Biography

Already during the childhood of Gil the Evans family moved towards the California. Gil had took the family name of his/her father-in-law and does not have any family ties with other musicians of jazz of the same name, for example the Bill Evans (1929-80, pianist; *1953, saxophonist) or the percussionnist Sweat Evans (*1951), which during 1969-82 was member of Gil Evans Orchestra.

Gil Evans is primarily autodidact given with regard to the music. It forms its first orchestra in 1933 in Stockton (California). - As from 1946, he lives and works with New York, where in 1963 he marries in second marriage the young Afro-American Anita Cooper, of which he has the wire Miles and Noah, and who remained with him until the end.

Of 1941 at 1948, it is arranger for the orchestra of Claude Thornhill that after the war, in 1946, dislodges from California in New York. This big band of entertainment is rather atypical, by its instrumentation (section of horns, tuba - as from 1947 -, clarinets often used in section - saxophonists doubling all on this instrument), by a padded sonority (absence of vibrato) and the use of techniques of writings daring of new sound alloys (far from the writing “by sections” used mainly at the time in the big bands swing). Arrangements of Gil Evans take again the general esthetics of this orchestra by adding to it advanced Be-bop and its own innovative designs.

In 1948 -1950, it takes part in the adventure of the famous little nun of Miles Davis in with dimensions of the arrangers Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis and John Carisi. As at Thornhill, one finds a French horn and a tuba and, especially, this felted sonority of big band, which characterizes the “cool jazz” of this coterie. (It is completely other thing with “cool the more intellectual jazz” of a Lennie Tristano (1919-78) and its trios with sextets 1949). The training of Davis records 12 titles, at the time published independently, joined together like LP in 1957 pennies the judicious name of Birth off the cool . Half of arrangements came from Mulligan, Evans signs to him even two of the pieces of this disc (“ Boplicity ”, “ Moon Dreams ”) and a brief live-intro.

Of 1950 at 1956, Gil Evans knows one difficult period when he saw mainly food work: arranger for the radio and of the singers/known singers; 1952, with Mulligan, pianist in a club. With regard to the jazz, it arranges a session - moreover not very conclusive - for Charlie Parker (1953), “more than slow” of Debussy for the sextet of Gerry Mulligan; 1955 “ Round Midnight ” for Davis-sextet; two titles for a disc of the saxophonist Hall MacKusick (1956) and an album with and for the singer Helen Merrill Dream Off You (1956).

In 1957 , Miles Davis comes to sign at Columbia. It is for this label which sublimates it Miles ahead records (by “Miles Davis + 19”), where the trumpet player who besides for the occasion plays of the Bugle is the single soloist and arrangements are all of Gil Evans. Follow Porgy and Bess (1958), Sketches Of Spain (1960) and Quiet Nights (1963). These recordings are tops of the writing for great training in jazz. It is accompanied by an orchestra directed by Gil Evans that Miles Davis occurs for a single concert in Carnegie Hall of New York in 1961.

At the same time Evans records under its own name Big Stuff (known like Gil Evans & Ten , 1957), New Bottle, Old Wine (1958), Great Jazz Standard (1959) and especially the albums fulminant Out Of The Cool (1960) and The Individualism Of Gil Evans (1963). Evans often uses there materials sets of themes minimalists (one or two agreements - as in the modal jazz -, a front or a small melody cell) which it transfigures by the richness of arrangement. One can note that Into The Hot (1961), whose Evans is the leader, is in fact work for a face of Cecil Taylor, for the other of John Carisi.

Of 1964 at 1969, Gil Evans is erased one second time a little the music scene. It nevertheless arranges, for this period, Guitar Forms (1965) for the guitarist Kenny Burrell and records with its orchestra and the Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto Latin album evansien Look The Rainbow (1966). An album was envisaged with Jimi Hendrix, but he will not be born because of died of the guitarist in 1970.

When it returns in studio in 1969 , its esthetic choices changed. Gil Evans was subject to the influence of the free jazz and the Rock. Arrangements leave more and more very army maneuvers to the musicians - one can sometimes almost speak “about spontaneous arrangements” - and the forms become increasingly long. The instrumentation still diversifies, in addition to an expansion of percussions (tubular drinking cups, congas, marimba, vibraphone, bells,…) and them, now usual, horns and tubas, one sees appearing electric instruments (low guitar, electric piano, synthetizer…) and even of the instruments exotic like the Koto. This offers to Evans a plentiful sound pallet. Its orchestra is then a true seedbed of young talents. To this period go back, inter alia, the albums Blues in Orbit (1969/71), Where flamingos fly (1971).

1974 a great concert in Carnegie Hall The Gil Evans Orchestrated Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix , a few days after recorded in studio RCA; there too There comes has time (1975).

In the years 1980 , Gil Evans has an increasingly intense activity. To New York, it gives a concert Live At The Public Theater (1980); in live-duet with the saxophonist Lee Konitz in records Heroes & Anti-heroes (1980); this album makes it possible to appreciate its style of very purified piano. It is regularly invited in Europe to give concerts with its Gil Evans Orchestra or to take part in local festivals. As from 1984, its orchestra occurs, with regularly many guests, every Monday with the club Sweet Basil in New York. - He plays the part of advising for the album “Star people” of Miles Davis (1983). He collaborates with the singer Sting for a concert in the festival of Umbria in Italy (1987) and a title of the album “Nothing like the sun” (1987). He writes for the cinema: Absolute Beginners (Simon Temple, 1985), the color of the money (Martin Scorsese, 1986). With Helen Merrill it re-records, thirty years after, Dream Of You under the new title Collaboration (1987). In France, it records with ONJ directed then by Antoine Herve; in November 1987 with “Big Band Light” of Laurent Cugny Rhythm-A-Ning and Golden delicious To hate . In December, still with Paris, its last album, in duet with the saxophonist Steve Lacy Paris Blues .

Gil Evans dies at the 75 years age, of a pneumonia, in Cuernacava in Mexico on March 20th, 1988.

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