Search - Gil Evans & Monday Night Orchestra :: Live at Sweet Basil, Vol. 1

Fantastic

Lovblad | Geneva, Switzerland | 08/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This live album by Gil evans is incredible. The second one is very good also. I think i saw at the virgin megastore in Paris a japanese boxed set with 4 or 5 CD's that was a complete set of these concerts. Of course I stupidly did not buy it. However these two CD's are already enough. The playing is superb."

Well performed but dated

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 09/14/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"
Thinking of Gil Evans, most listeners would have a hard time naming any projects outside of his late 1950s work with Miles Davis. Albums like "Sketches of Spain," "Quiet Nights" and "Birth of the Cool" immediately come to mind but not much else. So outside of working with Miles Davis, what has Gil Evans been up to? Evans did his own thing before and after Miles; as it turns out, the 1980s were an especially active period. Featuring one of the strangest album covers, "Live at Sweet Basil, Vol. 1" shows what his Monday Night Orchestra sounded like when on stage. The band sounds great and the improvisation is fantastic. While much of the material is straight jazz, there is an occasional hint of fusion and pop ingredients. A look at the setlist will immediately show two Jimi Hendrix tunes. 'Up From The Skies' is a highlight. The band pulls off a surprisingly effective straight jazz interpretation of the song's funky groove. 'Voodoo Chile' rocks out. Compared to groups like Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, the song doesn't play fusion in the typical sense. Rather, this is straight jazz with Hendrix-esque guitar work. 'Blues in C' is a twenty-five minute medley that includes 'Relaxin' at Camarillo.' As a whole, "Live at Sweet Basil, Vol. 1" a good listen but it sounds dated. In particular, the keyboards trap this album in the 1980s. What I've come to appreciate about jazz in the 80s is that it is seldomly appreciated by those who did not come of age during that decade; thus that distinctive sound is only enjoyed when it takes the listener back to his youth. While this project is no exception, Gil Evans' selections, arrangements and improvisation still shines. If you enjoyed what Miles Davis ("Tutu") or John Scofield ("Loud Jazz") were doing in the 80s, you'll adore this Gil Evans album. For everybody else, "Live at Sweet Basil" has merits but is not essential."