Gil Evans Orchestra

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Gil Evans began to release LPs with his orchestra under his own name in 1957.

Originally containing tuba player Bill Barber and trumpeter Louis Mucci from Clad Thornhill’s band, over the years the group would additionally feature soloists including Lee Konitz, Jimmy Cleveland, Cannonball Adderley, and Johnny Coles.

When plans to work with Jimmie Hendrix fell through due to his untimely death, Gil wrote arrangements of some of the guitarist’s best songs for his assembly and continued to perform them for the rest of his career.

Gil Evans’ Orchestra obtained a booking at Greenwich Village’s Sweet Basil jazz club during April 1983 where they performed every Monday night for nearly five years.

Gil Evans and his Orchestra are featured live in Lugano, Switzerland in 1983 performing their own arrangement of a song by Jimmie Hendrix.

Personnel:

Gil Evans, piano & arranger
Randy Brecker, trumpet
Lew Soloff, trumpet
Benny Bailey, trumpet
Ack van Rooyen trumpet
Tom Malone, trombone
Jiggs Whigham, trombone
Hermann Breuer, trombone
Rudi Fuessers, trombone
John Clark, French horn
Michael Brecker, tenor sax
Thomas Gruenwald, tenor sax
Herb Geller, alto sax
Gil Goldstein, keyboards
Mike Mainieri, vibes
Dean Brown, guitar
Howard Johnson, tuba
Tim Landers, bass
Billy Cobham, drums

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