Castles Made of Sound: The Story of Gil Evans

By Larry Hicock

Da Capo Press, 288pp., $25 If you’re at all familiar with Gil Evans it’s probably via his extraordinary triumvirate of collaborative, late-Fifties albums with Miles Davis, Miles Ahead, Porgy & Bess, and Sketches of Spain. With the simple declaration “arranged and conducted by Gil Evans,” the unassuming, free-spirited Evans became a legendary figure within the larger jazz community. In an art form most worshipful of indomitable instrumentalists, Evans, like Duke Ellington, used his pen to transform orchestras and ensembles into his personal instrument. Larry Hicock’s fast-moving book relies on innumerable interviews of family members, fellow musicians, and musical colleagues to trace the remarkable career of this soft-spoken, charismatic arranger, pianist, and bandleader. From his early days as a self-taught musician leading a Thirties swing band in California on through late-career projects with the likes of Robbie Robertson and Sting and highly successful international tours with his own visionary, rock-influenced large band, Evans set the standard for creating orchestral sounds and colors. He embraced technological advancements and incorporated the new sounds into his writing. His 40-year relationship with Miles Davis was particularly fruitful, musically and personally. Beginning with the Birth of the Cool sessions in the late Forties and the aforementioned albums a decade later, Evans continued to consult and arrange for Davis throughout the rest of both of their lives. The fact that Evans is rarely credited on album sleeves didn’t seem to matter to either of them. At a time when many jazz musicians were clueless about the rock revolution of the late Sixties, Evans was busy planning a project with Jimi Hendrix before the guitarist’s premature death. The recurring themes throughout the book’s many interviews are repeated mention of Evans’ selfless, nondictatorial leadership, his eternally youthful spirit, the enthusiasm and respect that musicians had for his music, and his uncanny ability to bring the best out of his collaborators. This reader was disappointed at the absence of a proper discography, but that hardly detracts from this comprehensive celebration of a jazz legend.

This article appears in June 28 • 2002.

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