From Publishers Weekly
One of jazz's great musical arrangers and composers the author compares him to Duke Ellington and Aaron Copland Evans is principally known today for his groundbreaking work with trumpeter Miles Davis. In this comprehensive albeit somewhat dry biography, music journalist Crease depicts how Evans's life and career both shaped and were shaped by the changes in jazz. After a hardscrabble upbringing in California, Evans, a self-taught musician, quickly became a top arranger during the big band era of the 1930s. Even during this early period, he showed what was then an unusual trait: an interest in borrowing from other musical genres, principally classical. After World War II, Evans moved to New York City, where he became part of the scene that fueled jazz's postwar boom. Following a brief career downturn in the early 1950s, he rose to some prominence with the well-known and flamboyant Davis. Together, the two pioneered the relaxed, subtle sound of cool jazz referred to in the book's title. Unfortunately for the lay reader, Crease fails to define or explore the elements of cool jazz. She also gives little attention to Evans's personal life, which for a jazz musician of his generation was relatively quiet, though it included a brief breakdown and a divorce from a wife who many believed was alcoholic. There's little doubt that Evans, who died in 1987, deserves wider acclaim; unfortunately, this biography is unlikely to generate it.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Evans (1912-88) was a lavishly gifted jazz arranger whose brilliant collaborations with alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Miles Davis ensure him an enduring fame despite the lingering prejudice of purists who insist that if it's written down, it's not jazz. Until the end of his life, Evans devoted his days and often his nights to searching for new sounds, for it was pure sound not melody or rhythm that had always fascinated him. With the cooperation of Evans's friends and family, journalist Crease carefully chronicles Evans's progress, first as the leader of a highly successful West Coast band, next as an arranger for the Skinnay Ennis band (after Ennis had left Hal Kemp), and then as an arranger for the Claude Thornhill band. Most likely, it was Thornhill who inspired Evans to begin to think in ways that would eventually lead to his innovations in harmony and instrumentation. The author is remarkably skilled at describing music, but readers should still proceed with selections of Evans's music playing in the background. Thankfully, Crease provides a discography that includes CDs by the Gil Evans orchestra and the several monumental productions featuring Davis Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain. Highly recommended, especially since competing biographies are out of print. Harold Cordry, Baldwin, KS
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
