In the early ‘70s, after decades of creating iconic arrangements and orchestrations for artists like Miles Davis as well as his own recordings, Gil Evans wanted his own performing ensemble to play his arrangements but one that was also inclined toward extensive improvisation. Gil wanted to see where the music could go. So players in the “Gil Evans Orchestra” often had unique styles and sounds – Howard Johnson, Lew Soloff, Trevor Koehler, George Adams, Billy Harper, Lenny White, Joe Beck, Bruce Ditmas, Ted Dunbar, Lou Marini and David Sanborn. In 1973, knowing how Gil loved musical textures, French Horn player Pete Levin started bringing a Moog Synthesizer to their gigs. Gil loved it! From that point, the band morphed into the free-wheeling hybrid acoustic/electric ensemble that created the award-winning recordings “Music of Jimi Hendrix” in 1976, and the powerful “There Comes A Time” in 1977.
Based in New York City, through the 70’s and 80’s the band toured Europe, South America, the Far East and all over the U.S., recording 6 studio albums and 31 live albums during that time. When they weren’t on tour, they played every Monday night in Greenwich Village at the Sweet Basil jazz club. It was standing room only there every week.
Sadly, after Gil passed in 1988 it wasn’t the same, and the band faded out. For years band members reminisced about the wonderful experience of playing Gil’s music. With that in mind, in 2014 Pete Levin booked a one-nighter at The Cutting Room in New York City and called 11 alumni of the ‘70s band to play the gig. Advertised as “The Monday Night Band” they did a 2-hour set to an enthusiastic audience. During the ‘70s the band was often very loose, but when it was “on” nothing could touch it! That night at The Cutting Room they fell right into the old routine, seeing where the music could go. The effect and the performance were electric. The show was recorded, audio and video, to be released this year. Now, 10 years later, those 11 musicians are returning to the beautiful city of Perugia, where they performed many times with Gil – sadly without our dear friends Dave Bargeron, who is unable to make the trip, and Lew Soloff, who passed away in 2015.
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Gil Evans Remembered
- John Clark, french horn
- Chris Hunter, alto sax
- Alex Foster, tenor Sax
- Alex Sipiagin, trumpet
- Tom Malone, trombone, baritone sax
- David Taylor, bass trombone
- Pete Levin, piano, electric piano
- Dave Stryker, guitar
- Mark Egan, bass
- Danny Gottlieb, drums
- Beth Gottieb, percussion
