Out of the Cool

Out Of The Cool is an all time classic by Gil Evans and his masterpiece according to many. The soloists are all on their best here and Evans' arrangements are superb. If you know George Russells music then the arrangement of Stratusphunk is a surprise interpretation of that great composer. This cd should be in your collection if you are serious about your music. All the soloing on this disc is to be played and heard over and over again. Probably Gil Evans's best work.

This is a classic highly recommended!!

This is an all-time, five star classic album. Evans is rightly famous for his work with Miles Davis as a producer and co-collaborator; Out of the Cool is the unquestioned highlight of the recordings issued with Evans as the leader. Adventurous, modern sounding but not too far out there, this should be a part of every jazz fan's collection.

Truely good jazz is timeless and current no matter when you first hear it. Featured often on IHeart internet radio, I particularly like 'La Nevada' and 'Stratusphunk'. A must have for any jazz fan.

This is a great jazz album!

This album is evidence of pure genius. I've long been a fan or Evans' arrangements and compositions, but to me this is the pinnacle. The first track is by far the longest, but is also the most complex. On the surface it sounds simple and repetitive, but as it unfolds there is an intricate structure that becomes evident, and an amazing ending. The rest of the tracks have Evans' special arranging magic as well. Tracks 1 and 5 are his own compositions, but it's the arranging that shines on all of them.Normally when an album has sound samples I simply invite folks to let those convey the music. In this case there is no way that is possible. I will say that you can get a hint, but you need to grab this album for the true beauty of the work. If you are a musician, and especially a composer or arranger, this album is like taking a post graduate course. If you love great music that defies classification you will probably love this as well.The arrangements are based on a large ensemble: the brass has Johnny Coles and Phil Sunkel on trumpet, Keg Johnson and Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Tony Studd on bass trombone and Bill Barber on tuba. The reed and wind section has Bud Johnson on tenor and soprano sax, Ray Beckenstein and Eddie Caine on alto sax, flute and piccolo, and Bob Tricarico on flute, piccolo and bassoon. The rhythm section features Evans on piano, Ray Crawford on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones and Charli Persip on drums and percussion.This was recorded for the Impulse label at Rudy van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs, NJ studio on November 18 and 30, 1960 (tracks 2, 4 and 5), and December 10 and 15, 1960 (tracks 1, 3 and 6).

Today professional jazz reviewers give 4-5 stars for just about anything that's decent.This album from a true GENIUS Gil Evans deserves the highest rating.I got this album when it came out and I still get goosebumps listening to it.By the way Elvin Jones told me when I went to hear his group at Concerts by the Seaclub in Redondo Beach, Ca that it was Charli Persip played drums on La Nevada andhe played the percussion parts.

I love music of great harmonic complexity, but equal is the case for stripping to the essentials: using few chords and letting the musicians workGil Evan's does this on Out Of The Cool. The music here has bare bones structure: much of this is blues derived, but player's like Jim Hall on guitar and trumpet man John Coles do amazing work here.Listen to how this music swings, breezing by as each musician makes a subtle contribution. Often they overlap, but Evans keeps the canvas so flexible, so flickering, the musicians work off one another, not against one another.All this sounds a little academic, but academic does not mean detacted: Evans is neither ripping guts or pulling heart strings. He wants, and gets, all the little nuances ticking. Like a clock, once you hear it, you can't stop. But in this case you'll never want to.I got this on ABC Impulse glossy gatefold, solid orange spine and all. 1961 A-4 in Mono. Eat your heart out

All good, thanks!!!!

Purtroppo la mia versione in vinile di questo album ha cominciato a mostrare i segni del tempo e dell'uso.... e considerando che questo lavoro finisce con una certa frequenza tra i miei ascolti, sono dovuto correre ai ripari con questa copia in cd edita dalla Jazz Images che ci ripropone l'album originale (con relative note di copertina) è l'aggiunta di succose bonus tracks. La resa sonora di queste edizioni è semplicemente superba.Cosa dire in merito a questo capolavoro che non sia stato già detto? Questo è davvero il gioiello assoluto di Evans, qui tutta la sua fine arte di arrangiatore esce allo scoperto in tutta la sua lussureggiante maestria. C'è una tale freschezza in questi pezzi, una vitalità dirompente, cosi tanti dettagli che resti incantato dalla prima all'ultima nota per cogliere ogni singola sfumatura. E un sound che risulta moderno oggi, figuriamoci che impressione deve aver fatto in quel 1961.Freschezza e originalità in questa musica... Evans è sempre stato autore personalissimo, che si è sempre tenuto a debita distanza dagli inevitabili paragoni con Ellington... caso mai si può avvertire qualche assonanza con alcuni arrangiamenti mingussiani nell'uso dei tromboni e delle trombe (ma chi ha influenzato chi in realtà?)Certo tanta maestria da parte di Evans ma bisogna anche notare i musicisti che ha a disposizione... da un Elvin Jones a Ron Carter, da Johnny Coles a Budd Johnson a Jimmy Knepper. E gli altri magari meno noti non sono certo da meno."Out of the cool" è un vero classico che non può e non deve mancare in ogni discografia jazz degna di questo nome. Arte pura, semplicemente arte.

Ich habe diese LP vom Jazz Images Label gekauft trotz einiger negativer Kritiken über eben Jazz Images. Angeblich haben sie keine Mastertapes und benutzen MP3 Dateien oder ähnliches um diese dann auf Vinyl zu pressen. Ob das stimmt,kann ich nicht beurteilen. Meiner Meinung nach ist die 180 gr Pressung von Out Of The Cool sehr gut. Keine Knackser,Schlieren,Sprünge wie man sie leider des öfteren von anderen, neuen Pressungen erleben,hören muß. Der Klang ist für mich ebenfalls sehr ausgewogen,warm und hört sich nicht nach MP3 an. Der Preis spielt natürlich auch eine gewisse Rolle. Deshalb habe ich die LP bei Amazon gekauft. Das Foldout Cover ist neu gestaltet worden mit Fotos von Jean Pierre Leloir.Die Musik von Gil Evans ist sowieso großartig. Deshalb von mir eine klare Kaufempfehlung !

In my humble opinion it was Gil Evans who invented Miles Davis as most of us know him. Having started professionally with Parker playing bebop, Davis later came under the influence of Gil Evans who was the driving force and inspiration behind the set of 1949 recordings known as "The Birth Of The Cool" (that was initially a commercial flop until re-released on LP in 1959 when they were truly appreciated and were a commercial success for him, but more so Davis). In association with Gil Evans Davis has by then produced the three best selling albums that made him a star: "Miles Ahead", " Porgy and Bess" and "Sketches of Spain".This is an album (1960) of music either written by, or arranged by, Gil Evans, the pianist better known as composer and arranger. It is performed by a band of up to fifteen musicians some of whom were well known including: .johnny Coles, Jimmy Knepper, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones. However the names of individuals is totally irrelevant, this is music played by the whole band. It is full of grace and emotion.Just six tracks (note that there seems to be another release with just five tracks; no "Sister Sadie") ranging from the descriptive "La Nevada" (16 min) to the emotional "Where Flamingos Fly" via the funky " Stratusphunk".This is a ground breaking album in the mode of the very best Ellington, or latterly Carla Bley (presumeably a disciple). Deserves six, seven or eight stars!

Another great Jazz record in my collection.The Gil Evans Orchestra playing the stars from heaven.Recorded in New York in December 1960!The record on 180 gram vinyl is first class.Buy this world famous Jazz record!