Gil Evans

• 4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Gil Evans was a huge admirer of the music of Jimi Hendrix – so much so, in fact, that he resolved to collaborate with the guitarist on projects. A meeting between the two had been arranged for September 1970 but Hendrix overdosed just before his trip to New York and with that impetus obviously faltered. Four years later, however, Evans returned to Hendrix’s music to record a tribute album with a 19-man orchestra. He presented the music at a Carnegie Hall concert, part of the New York Jazz Repertory Company’s programming for that year, and took it into the RCA studios the following day.

The band included such heavyweights as guitarist John Abercrombie, trumpeter Marvin Peterson and saxophonists David Sanborn and Billy Harper. The orchestrations involve a wide range of instrumentation but of the nine songs, only two are definitively Evans’ arrangements.

PERSONNEL:

• David Sanborn - (alto flute, soprano sax)
• Don Pate, Michael Moore - (bass)
• Warren Smith, Jr. (vibes, percussion)
• Howard Johnson - (clarinet)
• Susan Evans - (congas, drums)
• Bruce Ditmas - (drums)
• John Ambercumbie, Ryo Kawasaki - (electric guitar)
• David Horowitz - (electric piano, synthesizer)
• Peter Gordon - (french horn)
• Keith Loving - (guitar)
• Peter Levin - (horn, synthesizer)
• Gil Evans - (leader piano)
• Trevor Koehler - (tenor sax, flute)
• Billy Harpe - (tenor sax, flute)
• Lewis Soloff - (trumpet)
• Marvin C. Peterson - (trumpet, vocals)

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Angel
• A2. Crosstown Traffic / Little Miss Lover
• A3. Castles Made Of Sand / Foxey Lady

• SIDE B
• B1. Up From The Skies
• B2. 1983-A Merman I Should Turn To Be
• B3. Voodoo Chile
• B4. Gypsy Eyes