GIL EVANS — The Gil Evans Orchestra Play the Music of Jimi Hendrix (review)

GIL EVANS — The Gil Evans Orchestra Play the Music of Jimi Hendrix album cover Album · 1974 · Progressive Big Band Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
A daring attempt to legitimize Jimi Hendrix’s music, this is a big band arrangement of some of Hendrix’s lesser-known works, but also some higher profile works. Armed with a very different big band than during his prime, Gil Evans’ big band features the usual wide array of brass instruments (including future star saxman Sanborn), but also two lead guitarists (including the future star John Abercrombie), some synthesizers and a bunch drums and percussion players.

Among some of the tracks Gil chose to interpret and rearrange there are some that come from the Cry Of Love posthumous release, including the opening Angel and Up From the Skies, which are not the most enthralling, IMHO. Some of the arrangements made on some of the better-known Crosstown Traffic, Foxy Lady, Little Wing, Voodoo Chile can actually surprise or disappoint, because they either render the songs less accessible or less recognizable. Some very pleasant surprises come with the generally overlooked 1983 and Gypsy Eyes (actually a Noel Redding track). Indeed both of these come from the depth of the excellent Electric Ladyland album’s second disc. As for the closing “reprise” of the Up From the Skies, I find it rather ill-advised closer, because it’s less interesting than the first version on the opening side.

Generally seen as a major Gil Evans oeuvre, the present album is relatively disappointing for me, but then again, this is always a risky bet for rockheads like me, but if you’re into Evans and Hendrix, this is definitely worthy of investigation, if you don’t already have it.

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