Centennial:

[medjuck]

I just got my copy from Artistshare. If you're interested in Gil's pre-'70s work you've got to have this. Several pieces from his Thornhill days

(including one he composed) and a couple from "The Individualism of..." reworked for a larger band. You can order a cd or download it. I recommend the former because it's beautifully packaged and annotated-- worth the extra six bucks. The soloists are pretty good too-- there's one especially nice trombone solo.

I highly recommend this for Gil Evans fanatics (obviously I'm one of them).

[J.A.W.]

Amazon

Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Centennial Project, same

Edited May 28, 2012 by J.A.W.

[bertrand]

Could you post the track listing? Thanks.

Bertrand.

[medjuck]

Could you post the track listing? Thanks.

Bertrand.

Punjab 14:24 Written and rehearsed for Individualism Of but no final usable recording

Smoking My Sad Cigarette 4:27 Thornhill

The Maids Of Cadiz 6:25 Not the Miles Davis version. Arranged for Thornhill

How About You 3:11 Thornhill

Barbara Song 11:57 Arranged for "Dream Band" at Berlin Jazz Festival 1971

Who'll Buy My Violets 4:01 Thornhill

Dancing On A Great Big Rainbow 3:28 Composed by Gil and arranged for Thornhill, Tommy Dorsey and Les Brown!

Beg Your Pardon 2:59 Thornhill

Waltz / Variaton On The Misery / So Long 19:12 Arranged for "Dream Band" at Berlin Jazz Festival 1971

Look To The Rainbow 4:13 Arranged for Astrud Gilberto but simpler (non-Gil?) version on her record.

[Rooster_Ties]

Finally, a track-listing -- many thanks for posting that.

Very tempting. Any other reviews, from board members, or otherwise? (Or on-line samples??)

[jlhoots]

I have it & like it a lot.

[Free For All]

I have it & like it a lot.

+1

[marcello]

I'll see this band in a couple of weeks, but minus Kimbrough and Locke, and look forward to it.

I haven't hard the recording at all, and it will be interesting to hear how Ryan pulled off those delicate and "individual" Evans voicings.

Not a easy task.

[JSngry]

I ordered thiks direct from Artistshare last night...once you do that, you have access to all the "extras"...mostly videos discussing the project, how it came together, pictures of the scores, stuff like that.

[Rooster_Ties]

OK, finally, actual sound-clips.

90-second samples of every tune are available through the iTunes music store (I had to bring up iTunes itself to hear the samples).

Centennial (Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans)

Even more tempted. OK, I'm sold. Just have to get around to ordering one, but I will one of these days.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Rooster_Ties

[jazztrain]

+2

I have it & like it a lot.

+1

[JSngry]

Having a first listen right now...would have liked a slightly "wetter" recording, not sure about the vocals (the first two, anyway, getting to "Look To The Rainbow" now, and that sounds fine), not really feeling the interpretations of the earlier, Thornhill material, but they have a good feel for the later work, and on the whole, it's a very impressive project, some fine readings of some incredibly difficult (and substantial) music, and Joe Locke is firing on all cylinders on every cut he's on.

The cut I had the biggest worries about was "The Barbara Son", for reasons both technical (in tempo and voicings both, it's just...beyond difficult, what Gil wrote and how he had it played) and personal (the original has been a long-time obsession - almost literally, at times - of mine, because of both the chart and Wayne's solo). Hearing another version of this was something I approached with severe trepidation, and...I got a few seconds into it and was frozen. Yeah, they got it. They got it, and they held it. Getting it would be hard enough, but holding it, resisting all kinds of temptations, that hit me good.

In fact, all the later material is where the real shining occurs for me. That's not unexpected, because players of (mostly) this general age where Evan's later bands were "real time" experiences. Sometimes sloppy, sometimes transcendental, but always uniquely Gil in concept. But those later bands seldom played charts with this much ongoing detail, so it's a real treat to hear those charts played like this.

Recommended. Gil Evans was a brilliant arranger (yeah, I'd say "genius"), and this project strongly reinforces that.

Mission accomplished, I'd say!

[JSngry]

I said I'd prefer a little wetter recording, and, yeah, maybe do, but the sound as is really allows to hear all the details of the voicings in a most precise/unambiguous manner.

Good god, could that man put some notes together...what a treat this album is!

[JSngry]

I took a nap with this playing, and it was better than opium, the sensation that resulted.

[A Lark Ascending]

Could someone point me to a link with the line-up of musicians on the disc? The download only has a front cover. Merci.

[fkimbrough]

Here is collective personnel:

Henrik Heide, Jesse Han - flutes

Jennifer Christen, Sarah Lewis - oboes

Ben Baron, Michael Rabinowitz, Alden Banta - bassoons

Steve Wilson - sop. and alto saxes, flute, clar.

Dave Pietro - alto sax, clar., fl, alt.fl.

Donny McCaslin - tenor sax, clar.

Scott Robinson - tenor sax, cl., bs.cl.

Brian Landrus - baritone sax, bs. clar., alt. flute, piccolo

Charles Pillow - flute, clar., piccolo, oboe, english horn

Adam Unsworth, David Peel, John Craig Hubbard - french horns

Augie Haas, Greg Gisbert, Laurie Frink - trumpets

Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes - trombones

George Flynn - bass trombone

Marcus Rojas - tuba

James Chirillo or Romero Lubambo - guitar

Frank Kimbrough - piano, harmonium

Jay Anderson - bass

Lewis Nash - drums

Joe Locke - vibraphone

Mike Truesdell - marimba, tympani

Dave Eggar - tenor violin

Dan Weiss - tablas

Kate McGarry, Wendy Gilles, Luciana Souza - vocals

[JSngry]

I'm going to have to stop listening to this record now, but just because the new Henry Threadgill arrived yesterday. That's the only reason.

And the more I listen, the more I like the dryness of the recording. The detail is amazing, and so is the music whose details are revealed.

[BillF]

This discussion reminds me of this which came out a couple of years ago and is excellent:

[A Lark Ascending]

Here is collective personnel:

Many thanks, Frank.

Edited June 15, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[JSngry]

Up, for possibly more discussion. This record continues to both please and amaze.

[JSngry]

Not that "critical reception matters, but...received via e-mail today.

...This past year for me has been full of change and exciting experiences, all focused around the Gil Evans Project and the release of CENTENNIAL: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans. When I started the process, my main goal was to rekindle people's love of Gil, and introduce new audiences to his music. The album has been out for about eight months now, and I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support and admiration the album has received, and thrilled to see Gil's music be acknowledged with some of the recent accolades, including:

• THREE GRAMMY Nominations
  
  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble,
    
  • Best Instrumental Arrangement - "How About You,"
    
  • Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist - "Look to the Rainbow"
    

• No. 1 Jazz Album - LONDON TIMES
  
• Top 10 Jazz Albums - NPR MUSIC
  
• Top 10 albums (All Genres) - NEW YORK TIMES
  
• No. 4 Album of the Year - JAZZ TIMES
  
• Best Jazz Albums - iTunes
  
• Les Coups De Coeur, from France's Académie Charles Cros
  
• "Punjab" - Top 100 Songs (All Genres) - NPR MUSIC
  

Though 2012 marked Gil's centennial year, my hope is that the record and Gil's music will continue to flourish throughout the years to come. If you have not yet heard the album, and are interested, you may purchase it by clicking here. And if you feel so inspired, please tell your friends and family about CENTENNIAL, so we can continue Gil's legacy by sharing his music with new audiences....

All my best,

Ryan Truesdell

Again, an excellent collection of music, not to be missed if one is so inclined.