Gil Evans & Ten
Encyclopedia
Gil Evans & Ten is the first album by pianist, conductor, arranger and composer Gil Evans
as a leader, released on the Prestige
label in 1957. It features Evans' arrangements of five standards and one original composition performed by Evans, Steve Lacy
, John Carisi
, Jack Koven, Jimmy Cleveland
, Bart Varsalona, Willie Ruff
, Lee Konitz
, Dave Kurtzer, Paul Chambers
, Jo Jones
, Louis Mucci and Nick Stabulas
.
awarded the album 5 stars stating "As good an introduction to his work as any, this program includes diverse works ranging from Leadbelly to Leonard Bernstein, plus Evans' own "Jambangle." The arranger's inventive use of the voices of his rather unique sidemen make this a memorable set.".
Track 1 recorded on September 6, 1957; # 2, 4 and 6 recorded on September 27, 1957; tracks 3, 5 and 7 on October 10, 1957.
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
as a leader, released on the Prestige
Prestige Records
Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
label in 1957. It features Evans' arrangements of five standards and one original composition performed by Evans, Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
, John Carisi
John Carisi
John E. Carisi was an American trumpeter and composer.Carisi was member of Herbie Fields's Orchestra and Glenn Miller's Airforce Band. After the war he worked with Ray McKinley, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Barnet, Urbie Green, and Benny Goodman.He was trained by acclaimed composer Stefan Wolpe...
, Jack Koven, Jimmy Cleveland
Jimmy Cleveland
Jimmy Cleveland was an American jazz trombone born in Wartrace, Tennessee.Cleveland worked with many well-known jazz musicians, including Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Quincy Jones, Lucky Thompson, Gigi Gryce, Oscar Peterson, Oscar Pettiford and James Brown...
, Bart Varsalona, Willie Ruff
Willie Ruff
Willie Ruff is the hornist and bassist of the Mitchell-Ruff Duo and one of the founders of the W. C. Handy Music Festival. He was born in Florence, Alabama. The duo regularly performs and lectures all over the United States, Asia, Africa and Europe...
, Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, Dave Kurtzer, Paul Chambers
Paul Chambers
Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers, Jr. was a jazz bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, his importance in the development of jazz bass can be measured not only by the length and breadth of his work in this short period but also his impeccable time, intonation, and virtuosic...
, Jo Jones
Jo Jones
Jo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
, Louis Mucci and Nick Stabulas
Nick Stabulas
Nicholas Stabulas was an American jazz drummer.Stabulas worked early in his career in commercial music, then joined Phil Woods from 1954 to 1957...
.
Reception
The Allmusic review by Scott YanowScott Yanow
Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
awarded the album 5 stars stating "As good an introduction to his work as any, this program includes diverse works ranging from Leadbelly to Leonard Bernstein, plus Evans' own "Jambangle." The arranger's inventive use of the voices of his rather unique sidemen make this a memorable set.".
Track listing
- "Remember" (BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
) - 4:33 - "Ella Speed" (LeadbellyLeadbellyHuddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
, Lomax) - 5:50 - "Big Stuff" (BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
) - 4:49 - "Nobody's Heart" (RogersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, HartLorenz HartLorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
) - 4:25 - "Just One Of Those Things" (PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
) - 4:25 - "If You Could See Me Now" (DameronTadd DameronTadley Ewing Peake "Tadd" Dameron was an American jazz composer, arranger and pianist. Saxophonist Dexter Gordon called Dameron the "romanticist" of the bop movement, while reviewer Scott Yanow writes that Dameron was the "definitive arranger/composer of the bop era".-Biography:Born in Cleveland,...
, Carl SigmanCarl SigmanCarl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
) - 4:18 - "Jambangle" (EvansGil EvansGil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
) - 4:57
Track 1 recorded on September 6, 1957; # 2, 4 and 6 recorded on September 27, 1957; tracks 3, 5 and 7 on October 10, 1957.
Personnel
- Gil EvansGil EvansGil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
- piano - Steve LacySteve LacySteve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
- soprano saxophone - Jack Koven - trumpet
- Jimmy ClevelandJimmy ClevelandJimmy Cleveland was an American jazz trombone born in Wartrace, Tennessee.Cleveland worked with many well-known jazz musicians, including Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Quincy Jones, Lucky Thompson, Gigi Gryce, Oscar Peterson, Oscar Pettiford and James Brown...
- trombone - Bart Varsalona - bass trombone
- Willie RuffWillie RuffWillie Ruff is the hornist and bassist of the Mitchell-Ruff Duo and one of the founders of the W. C. Handy Music Festival. He was born in Florence, Alabama. The duo regularly performs and lectures all over the United States, Asia, Africa and Europe...
- French horn - Lee KonitzLee KonitzLee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
- alto saxophone - Dave Kurtzer - bassoon
- Paul ChambersPaul ChambersPaul Laurence Dunbar Chambers, Jr. was a jazz bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, his importance in the development of jazz bass can be measured not only by the length and breadth of his work in this short period but also his impeccable time, intonation, and virtuosic...
- bass - Jo JonesJo JonesJo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
- drums (1) - John CarisiJohn CarisiJohn E. Carisi was an American trumpeter and composer.Carisi was member of Herbie Fields's Orchestra and Glenn Miller's Airforce Band. After the war he worked with Ray McKinley, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Barnet, Urbie Green, and Benny Goodman.He was trained by acclaimed composer Stefan Wolpe...
- trumpet (1) - Louis Mucci - trumpet (2-7)
- Nick StabulasNick StabulasNicholas Stabulas was an American jazz drummer.Stabulas worked early in his career in commercial music, then joined Phil Woods from 1954 to 1957...
- drums (2-7)