Gil Evans by Cabu

An anthology 1946-1957

The arranger is a special being: far from the limelight and the cheers of the public, he flourishes in the shadow of the orchestra of which he is in fact the demiurge. Gil Evans , before being able to record under his own name and then experiencing success during his collaborations with Miles Davis at the end of the 1950s, had helped to shape the unique sound color of Claude Thornhill 's orchestra ( CD1, 1 to 9), then participated at the end of the forties in the historic Birth Of The Cool sessions (CD1, 10 & 11), before crossing a desert of several years from which emerge some shimmering oases conducive to the development of the brilliant saxophonist Charlie Parker (CD1, 12), the underrated vibraphonist Teddy Charles (CD1, 13), the precious singer Johnny Mathis (CD1, 14), the fine violist Hal McKusick (CD1, 15 and 16), the delicious singer Helen Merrill (CD1, 17 to 20) and her little-known sisters Lucy Reed (CD1, 21) and Marcy Lutes (CD2, 1 to 3), and multi-instrumentalist Don Elliott (CD2, 8 to 10): so many exemplary settings from the very personal “touch” of the arranger Gil Evans. CD2 (4 to 7 and 11 to 17) presents the master leading his own orchestra: thrills and pulpiness compete with the jubilant bursts of the brass in a sonic fireworks display which can only leave the listener in a state of satisfied bliss ...