Although Gil Evans had gained a lot of acclaim for his three collaborations with Miles Davis in the 1950s and his own albums, this CD contains (with the exception of two tracks purposely left off), Evans's only dates as a leader during 1961-68. The personnel varies on the six sessions that comprise the CD (which adds five numbers including two previously unreleased to the original Lp) with such major soloists featured as tenorman Wayne Shorter, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, trumpeter Johnny Coles and guitarist Kenny Burrell. Highlights include "Time of the Barracudas,""The Barbara Song,""Las Vegas Tango" and "Spoonful." Highly recommended to Gil Evans fans; it is a pity he did not record more during this era. - Scott Yanow
Tracks
1. Time Of The Barracudas (Miles Davis/Gil Evans)
2. Barbara Song (WillAckerman/Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill)
3. Las Vegas Tango (Gil Evans)
4. Flute Song / Hotel Me (Miles Davis/Gil Evans)
5. El Toreador (Gil Evans)
6. Proclamation (Gil Evans)
7. Nothing Like You (Bob Dorough)
8. Concorde (John Lewis)
9. Spoonful (Willie Dixon)
GIL EVANS piano, arranger
JOHNNY COLES trumpet
THAD JONES trumpet
ERNIE ROYAL trumpet
BERNIE GLOW trumpet
LOUIS MUCCI trumpet
JIMMY KNEPPER trombone
FRANK REHAK trombone
JIMMY CLEVELAND trombone (solo)
TONY STUDD trombone
BILL BARBER tuba
WAYNE SHORTER tenor saxophone (solo)
PHIL WOODS alto saxophone (solo)
ERIC DOLPHY flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone
STEVE LACY soprano saxophone
JEROME RICHARDSON reeds, woodwinds
BOB TRICARITO reeds, woodwinds
AL BLOCK woodwinds (flute solo)
GARVIN BUSHELL reeds, woodwinds
ANDY FITZGERALD reeds, woodwinds
GEORGE MARGE reeds, woodwinds
JULIUS WATKINS french horn
GIL COHEN french horn
DON CORADO french horn
BOB NORTHERN french horn
JIMMY BUFFINGTON french horn
RAY ALONGE french horn
PETE LEVIN french horn
HARRY LOOKOFSKY tenor violin
BOB MAXWELL harp
MARGARET ROSS harp
KENNY BURRELL guitar
BARRY GALBRAITH guitar
GARY PEACOCK bass
RON CARTER bass
PAUL CHAMBERS bass
RICHARD DAVIS bass
BEN TUCKER bass
MILT HINTON bass
ELVIN JONES drums (solo)
OSIE JOHNSON drums
Recorded at A&R Studios, New York in September, 1963; at Webster Hall, New York on April 6 and May 25, 1964; and at Van Gelder's Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on July 9 and October 29, 1964.
Verve Records UCCU-5146