Gil Evans & Ten

Gil Evans & Ten

Gil Evans was already a major force in jazz arranging through his work with Claude Thornhill and Miles Davis, but this 1957 date was his first opportunity to record as a leader. The midsize group will recall his influence on the <i>Birth of the Cool</i> sessions. Rather than the uniform instruments of the conventional big band, Evans picked his instruments individually for what they could contribute to distinctive tone colors. Thus the band includes a French horn in the brass and a reed section of soprano and alto saxophones and bassoon. The result is a series of highly distinct textures and a clarity that illuminates each piece. Evans's inventiveness extended to applying his gift for complex harmonies to Leadbelly's "Ella Speed," a sign of the openness that would later lead him to the music of Jimi Hendrix. The excellent soloists here include Evans's longtime associate John Carisi on trumpet, Lee Konitz on alto, and a young Steve Lacy on soprano. <i>--Stuart Broomer</i>