Out Of The Cool - Gil Evans And His Orchestra (1LP Vinyl) [Vital Vinyl]

Out Of The Cool by Gil Evans And His Orchestra.

Few records in the modern jazz canon capture the sound of an orchestra breathing as one quite like this Gil Evans session. Evans, one of the great architects of ensemble color, assembled a body of work here that moves with patience and depth, letting space and texture do as much of the talking as the soloists themselves. This is music built for immersion, rewarding the listener who is willing to sit with it and let the arrangements unfold.

Side A opens with "La Nevada," a long, simmering piece that shows exactly what Evans could do with a groove and a canvas of time. It settles into a hypnotic pulse and lets the horns wander and return, an object lesson in the art of the extended jazz form. It is followed by "Where Flamingos Fly," a slower, more introspective statement that trades momentum for mood, wrapping the ensemble around a haunting central melody.

Flip to Side B and the program broadens further. "Bilbao Song," drawn from the Kurt Weill songbook, brings a theatrical, almost cabaret swagger that Evans reshapes into something distinctly his own. "Stratusphunk" follows with a knottier, more angular character, a piece that lets the orchestra dig into rhythm and tension. The set closes on "Sunken Treasure," a fitting title for a record so concerned with depth and atmosphere, drawing the listening experience to a quietly considered finish.

What makes "Out Of The Cool" endure is the way Evans treats the orchestra as a single expressive instrument. Rather than lining up soloist after soloist over a rhythm section, he layers voices and colors so that the ensemble itself becomes the star. The five pieces here give that approach room to develop, ranging from the expansive to the intimate and offering a complete portrait of Evans as both composer and conductor.

This pressing comes complete with a double-sided innersleeve that carries the liner notes, full credits, and a photo, giving you the context and detail that these recordings deserve. The front of the album carries a "Vital Vinyl" sticker on the shrinkwrap, while the back features a "Made in Czech Republic" sticker, marking its origins for collectors who track such details.

For anyone building a serious jazz collection, this is an essential Gil Evans document, a record that sits comfortably alongside his more celebrated collaborations while standing entirely on its own merits. It is a set that rewards repeated listening, revealing new textures and inner voices with each spin, and it belongs on the shelf of anyone drawn to the orchestral side of the music.

Pressing Details:
Front album contains "Vital Vinyl" sticker on shrinkwrap, back has "Made in Czech Republic" sticker.

Includes double-sided innersleeve with liner notes, credits and photo.

Track Listing:
A1. La Nevada
A2. Where Flamingos Fly
B1. Bilbao Song
B2. Stratusphunk
B3. Sunken Treasure

Artist: Gil Evans And His Orchestra

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Impulse!

Catalog Number: 00602577464294

Series: Vital Vinyl

Release Year: 2019

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)