Gil Evans - Great Jazz Standards (1959) @320


A follow-up to New Bottle, Old Wine, this Gil Evans set has colorful arrangements of five jazz standards plus "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" and Evans' "Theme." 

Using a band consisting of three trumpets, three trombones, a French horn, Bill Barber's tuba, soprano-saxophonist Steve Lacy (the first important post-swing player on his instrument), tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson (on half of the program), and a four-piece rhythm section (including the leader's piano), Evans contributes some very memorable written ensemble passages, most notably on "Straight No Chaser." 

In addition to Lacy  and Johnson, the main soloists are trumpeter Johnny Coles, trombonists Curtis Fuller and Jimmy Cleveland, and guitarist Ray Crawford. Highly recommended. 




01 Davenport Blues (Beiderbecke) 4:25
02 Straight, No Chaser (Monk) 6:19
03 Ballad of the Sad Young Men (Landesman, Wolf) 4:00
04 Joy Spring (Brown) 2:49
05 Django (Lewis) 8:05
06 Chant of the Weed (Redman) 4:25
07 La Nevada (Theme) (Evans) 6:15


Recorded in New York on February 5, 1959 (tracks 3,4,6,7) and early 1959 (tracks 1,2,5)



[1], [2], [5]
trumpet : Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci, Allen Smith
trombone : Bill Elton, Curtis Fuller, Dick Lieb
french horn : Bob Northern
tuba : Bill Barber
soprano saxophone : Steve Lacy
reeds : Al Block
piano : Gil Evans
guitar : Chuck Wayne
bass : Dick Carter
drums : Dennis Charles


[3], [4], [6], [7]
trumpet : Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci, Danny Stiles
trombone : Jimmy Cleveland, Curtis Fuller, Rod Levitt
french horn : Earl Chapin
tuba : Bill Barber
soprano saxophone : Steve Lacy
clarinet, tenor saxophone : Budd Johnson
reeds : Ed Caine
piano : Gil Evans
guitar : Ray Crawford
bass : Tommy Potter
drums : Elvin Jones