Gil Evans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gil Evans
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Gil Evans (1978)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gilmore Ian Ernest Green |
| Born | May 13, 1912 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | March 20, 1988 (aged 75) Cuernavaca, Mexico |
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| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1933–1988 |
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Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (born Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian-American jazz musician. He was a talented pianist, composer, and bandleader. He was also a brilliant arranger, which means he took existing songs and created new, exciting versions for a band to play.
Gil Evans is known as one of the best "orchestrators" in jazz. This means he was amazing at arranging music for large groups of instruments. He helped create new jazz styles like cool jazz, modal jazz, and jazz fusion. He is most famous for his amazing work with the legendary trumpet player Miles Davis.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Gil Evans was born in Toronto, Canada on May 13, 1912. His birth name was Gilmore Ian Ernest Green. He later took the last name of his stepfather, John Evans. His family moved around a lot when he was young, living in many different places across Canada and the United States. They finally settled in California.
Gil became interested in music at a young age. He loved listening to jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong on the radio. He learned to play the piano and started to arrange music for bands. While in college, he even started his own band. This band became very popular and played at a famous ballroom in California in 1935. His early arrangements were special because they used instruments not usually found in jazz bands, like French horns and flutes.
In 1939, Gil met Claude Thornhill, who became a big influence on his music. After 1946, Gil Evans lived and worked mostly in New York City.
A Career in Jazz Music
Working with Claude Thornhill
From 1941 to 1948, Gil Evans worked as an arranger for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra. His arrangements were so complex that musicians sometimes found them challenging!
Gil's small apartment in New York City became a popular meeting spot for musicians. They wanted to create new jazz sounds, different from the popular "bebop" style of the time. Famous musicians like Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan often visited.
The Birth of Cool Jazz
In 1948, Gil Evans teamed up with Miles Davis and other musicians. They created music for a special nine-piece band called a "nonet." These groups were bigger than small jazz combos but smaller than large "big bands." This allowed Gil to use more instruments and create richer sounds, including French horns and tubas.
This group played at a famous club, and Capitol Records recorded their music. These recordings were later released as the album Birth of the Cool in 1957. This album helped define a new style of jazz called "cool jazz."
Collaborations with Miles Davis
Later, Miles Davis chose Gil Evans to arrange music for his albums. Their work together created three very famous jazz albums:
- Miles Ahead (1957)
- Porgy and Bess (1958)
- Sketches of Spain (1960)
Even though these albums were released under Miles Davis's name, Gil Evans's arrangements were just as important. He mixed his classic big band style with Miles Davis's amazing trumpet solos. Their music was unique and pushed the boundaries of jazz.
The music for Porgy and Bess was especially difficult to play. But Gil and Miles wanted to create something new and different. Gil Evans also helped Miles Davis behind the scenes on his other classic albums in the 1960s.
Gil Evans's Own Albums
From 1957 onwards, Gil Evans also started recording albums under his own name. He worked with many talented soloists like Lee Konitz and Steve Lacy. In 1965, he arranged music for Kenny Burrell's album Guitar Forms.
Gil was inspired by Spanish composers and other Latin music. He often took well-known songs and arranged them in a completely new and surprising way. His album The Individualism of Gil Evans (1964) showed his unique style. He used unusual instruments like alto flutes, bass flutes, and even a harp! He also often used two bass players at once, which was very different.
New Sounds and the Monday Night Orchestra
After a break from recording, Gil Evans became very interested in the rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix. He started to build a new orchestra in the 1970s. This new group used electric instruments like guitars, basses, and synthesizers. This helped him gain new fans who loved jazz-rock music. Sadly, Jimi Hendrix passed away before he could work with Gil Evans.
In 1974, Gil released an album of Jimi Hendrix's music, arranged for his orchestra. In his later bands, Gil Evans became more active on the keyboard. He would often guide the band from his instrument during live shows.
In 1983, the Gil Evans Orchestra started playing regularly at the Sweet Basil Jazz Club in New York. This became known as the "Monday Night Orchestra." Many top musicians played in this group. Gil was also known for letting new, young musicians join in.
In 1987, Gil Evans recorded a live album with the famous singer Sting. This album featured big band versions of songs by Sting's band The Police and Jimi Hendrix. Gil also worked with a young arranger named Maria Schneider.
The Gil Evans Project
After Gil Evans passed away, a project called the Gil Evans Project was started by Ryan Truesdell. In 2012, they released an album called Centennial. This album featured music that Gil Evans had written but had never been recorded before. Gil's son, Miles Evans, also leads the Gil Evans Orchestra today, keeping his father's music alive.
Music for Films
Gil Evans also created music for movies.
- In 1986, he produced and arranged the soundtrack for the film Absolute Beginners. He worked with popular artists like Sade Adu and David Bowie on this project.
- He also arranged music for the 1986 Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money.
Personal Life
Gil Evans was married twice. He had two children, Noah and Miles, with his second wife, Anita. His son Miles became a trumpet player and even played in his father's Monday Night Orchestra.
Gil Evans passed away on March 20, 1988, at the age of 75, in Mexico.
Awards and Honors
Gil Evans received many awards for his amazing contributions to music:
- In 1986, he was added to the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame.
- He was also inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
Grammy Awards
Gil Evans won several Grammy Awards:
- 1960: For Sketches of Spain (with Miles Davis), for Best Jazz Composition.
- 1988: For Bud and Bird (with the Monday Night Orchestra), for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Big Band. This was awarded after he passed away.
- 1997: For Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings, for Best Historical Album. This was also awarded after he passed away.
- 2012: For "How About You" from Centennial - Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans (with the Gil Evans Project), for Best Instrumental Arrangement. This was also awarded after he passed away.
Discography
As Leader
- Gil Evans & Ten (1957)
- New Bottle Old Wine (1958)
- Great Jazz Standards (1959)
- Out of the Cool (1961)
- Into the Hot (1962)
- The Individualism of Gil Evans (1964)
- Gil Evans (1970)
- Svengali (1973) – live
- The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix (1974)
- Montreux Jazz Festival '74 (1975) – live
- There Comes a Time (1976)
- Little Wing Live in Germany (1978) – live
- Parabola (1979) – recorded in 1978
- Gil Evans Live at the Royal Festival Hall London 1978 (1979) – live
- Live at the Public Theater (New York 1980) Vol.1 (1980), Vol.2 (1981)
- The Rest of Gil Evans Live at The Royal Festival Hall London 1978 (1981)
- Where Flamingos Fly (1981) – recorded in 1971
- Priestess (1983) – live recorded in 1977
- The British Orchestra (1983) – live
- Live at Sweet Basil (1985) – live
- Live at Sweet Basil Vol. 2 (1986) – live
- Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986) – soundtrack
- Bud and Bird (1987) – live
Posthumous releases
- Farewell (1988) – recorded in 1986
- Paris Blues with Steve Lacy (1988) – recorded in 1987
- Rhythm A Ning with Laurent Cugny (1988) – recorded in 1987
- Golden Hair with Laurent Cugny (1989) – recorded in 1987
- The Honey Man (1995) – recorded in 1986
- 75th Birthday Concert (2001) – recorded in 1987
- Tokyo Concert 1976 (2010) – recorded in 1976
With Others
- Glen Hall & Gil Evans, The Mother of the Book (1994) - recorded in 1985
- Kimiko Kasai & Gil Evans, Satin Doll (1972)
- Masabumi Kikuchi, Masabumi Kikuchi with Gil Evans (1972)
- Lee Konitz & Gil Evans, Heroes (1991)
- Lee Konitz & Gil Evans, Anti-Heroes (1991)
- Orchestre National de Jazz & Antoine Herve, O.N.J. 87 (1988)
- Jaco Pastorius, Gil Evans & Jaco Pastorius – Live Under The Sky Tokyo '84 (2016)
- Lucy Reed, This Is Lucy Reed (1957)
- Ray Russell, Why Not Now (1988)
- Ray Russell, A Table Near the Band (1990)
- Helen Merrill & Gil Evans, Collaboration (1988) – recorded in 1987
- James Senese, Alhambra (1988)
- Lew Soloff, Hanalei Bay (1985)
- Sting, ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987)
- Sting, Last Session - Live At Perugia Jazz Festival 11 July 1987 (1992)
- Ornella Vanoni, Ornella &... Duetti, Trii, Quartetti (1986)
Filmography
- 2004: RMS Live with Gil Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1983
- 2007: Gil Evans and His Orchestra
- 2007: Strange Fruit with Sting
- 2009: Miles Davis – The Cool Jazz Sound
Images for kids
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Gil Evans (1978)
See also
In Spanish: Gil Evans para niños
- List of jazz arrangers
