The Individualism of Gil Evans

[bebopbob]

Is this recording still available on CD in th US? If so, where can I locate a sealed copy as a gift? Amazon has had it listed for quite some time as being "available in two to four weeks". Such a statement makes me believe that it can no longer be obtained and may be out of print.

[ghost of miles]

The Jazz Record Mart listed this as one of their import Verve cut-outs in their most recent catalog. I tried to order it but was too late... (Did manage to snag a copy of STAN GETZ PLAYS, however, among others.) Still, you might check with them & see if they get it again. If it's a cut-out, though, chances are they won't.

[ghost of miles]

Tower has it as a special order as well, in addition to a very expensive import with some bonus tracks:

GilIndividualism

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm pretty sure it's out of print, but it does turn up on eBay here and there. Personally, it's my all-time favorite Gil Evans album (sans Miles), and would be well worth trying to find (even used) as a present for someone.

Edit: None on eBay at the moment, but here's one at half.com: CLICK HERE

Well worth $12.50 (plus $2.50 shipping), even used -- as long as the disc is in excellent shape. (Well, I think it's well worth that. Others may differ.)

Edited October 8, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[Claude]

Zweitausendeins.de has been selling this for years at budget price (7.5 Euro, still available as catalog item Nr 73763).

If it is OOP it will certainly be reissued in a remastered form. The current release is from 1990 and sounds dated.

It is also available in Japan: http://www.mediawars.ne.jp/~mundo/collect/...le/g-evans.html This can be found cheaper than the Tower price, I've seen Universal Japan CDs for 21 Euro in european stores

Edited October 8, 2003 by Claude

[kulu se mama]

if i remember correctly there was a discussion about this title on the old bnbb. verve had it scheduled to be reissued as a 2 cd set with bonus songs, but it never came out. does anyone know the status of that reissue?

[Shrdlu]

This first appeared as a single LP. Then, in the early 70s, a second LP came out, with the name "Previously Unissued Recordings". In the U.K., a two-fer was put out, which was my first exposure to this outstanding music; it consisted of the two U.S. LPs, but with extra liner notes.

The CD in question contains nearly all of the tracks from the two LPs, but longer, complete versions of some tracks were found on the original tapes. It is one of the best CDs ever. If it is OOP, I hope that they put out an upgrade.

When Michael Cuscuna was preparing the CD, Gil was still alive and he requested the omission of two quartet "sketch" tracks, which had Gil on piano, with bass, drums and a trombone. I love those tracks, and I don't think they tarnish Gil's reputation at all. To get those, you'll need an LP. The notes to the CD tantalizingly mention lost recordings of a few more pieces, sadly.

By the way, it isn't Paul Chambers on "Spoonful". The signature sustained sound of Ron Carter can be heard there.

[robviti]

i spotted a used copy of the u.s. reissue at a local store for $7.99. they do mail order. here's the link if anyone's interested: stereo jack's.

[bebopbob]

Just called Stereo Jack's. It's gone. The search continues.

[J.A.W.]

It's currently available in Japan (with 5 bonus tracks): Universal UCCI-5146. Hiroshi Tanno might be able yo help you: hiroshi@earlyrecords.com.

Edited October 12, 2003 by J.A.W.

[vibes]

I picked up the Japanese release earlier this year, and I highly recommend it, both for the sound and the music.

[Shrdlu]

Now that's tempting. If ever there were an album that was worth having with the best possible sound ...

[Shrdlu]

Just got the new Japanese CD. Wonderful sound!

It says that it's only available for six months! Why the rush to delete?

I do have one minor complaint about this CD. In their enthusiasm to get the best sound quality, 24 bits and all, they overloaded the equipment and you can hear some 60 Hz hum during the quieter bits - rather like a turntable or mike would make if the ground wire was loose. A bit careless, and I feel like asking Universal to re-do the CD and send a replacement.

[Shrdlu]

Good news, in a way, about the hum.

I checked the 1989 CD, and it has it, too. So I guess the tapes are a little faulty, or the original settings were too "hot". The latter is unlikely, as there is hum on items from different recording dates at different studios. Maybe Creed Taylor left the tapes on top of the fridge.

I am especially glad that the reputation of Japanese remastering is untarnished.