Gil Evans Orchestra in Ansbach

Gil Evans is forever enshrined in jazz history as one of the most impactful pianists and orchestrators of all time. He made a name for himself alongside Miles Davis from the late 1950s as an accompanist and arranger, working on the likes of Sketches of Spain, Birth of the Cool, Miles Ahead and more. Few musicians sustained such a long and fruitful relationship with the enigmatic genius trumpeter and by his side Evans helped usher in cool jazz, modal, free jazz and jazz fusion. 

Here in 1978, at the intriguingly-named Ansbach Castle in Germany, Evans was joined by a large ensemble as part of a show he did with the great saxophonist Ornette Coleman (who would take to the stage next). Relaxed, sophisticated and oozing easy mastery at every stage, Evans leads the 8-piece orchestra, demonstrating the famous vibrancy and color in his touch, a trait that always bled into his arrangements. Yet rather than mine his extensive back catalog he took on two tracks by Jimi Hendrix, the guitar hero who had agreed to collaborate with Evans just before he died at the age of 27.