Truesdell’s approach to Evans’s legacy transcends mere homage. Rather than modernizing Evans, he illuminates just how forward-thinking this musical visionary truly was
Outside In Music
Ryan Truesdell – Conductor; Woodwinds: Steve Kenyon – Flute, Clarinet; Steve Wilson – Soprano & Alto Sax, Alto Flute, – Clarinet; Dave Pietro – Alto Sax, Flute, Alto Flute, – Clarinet; Donny McCaslin – Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet; Scott Robinson – Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet; Brian Landrus – Baritone Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet; Tom Christensen – Alto Sax, Flute, Oboe, English horn; Alden Banta – Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Baritone sax; Brass: Adam Unsworth & David Peel – French Horn; Augie Haas, Greg Gisbert, and Mat Jodrell – Trumpet; Ryan Keberle & Marshall Gilkes – Trombone; George Flynn – Bass Trombone; Marcus Rojas – Tuba; Rhythm Section:James Chirillo – Guitar; Frank Kimbrough – Piano; Jay Anderson – Bass; Lewis Nash – Drums; Wendy Gilles – Voice; Lois Martin – Viola
If you’ve ever wished you could sit in the same room while Gil Evans shaped one of his dense, colorful charts, SHADES OF SOUND gets you close. This live set from the Gil Evans Project doesn’t treat the music like a relic—it sets it loose. Ryan Truesdell digs into Evans’s lesser-known work and brings out all the odd swells, quiet turns, and sudden brass hits. It’s detailed, unpredictable, and very much alive.
Following the Grammy-nominated CENTENNIAL (2012) and LINES OF COLOR (2015), this latest release is a continuation, not a retread. It brings to light eight pieces, half of which had never been recorded before, and all of which make a strong case for Evans not only as an arranger but as a composer with an ear for texture and tension. It was captured live at the now closed Jazz Standard in New York City back in 2014.
From the first downbeat, you can hear why Truesdell insisted on a live setting. “It allows Gil’s colors and the overtones of the music to blend in the room in a way that you can’t get from a close-mic studio recording,” says Truesdell. “Live recording captures this intangible energy that’s created when music is performed for an audience.”
The lineup is stacked with some of New York’s best: Lewis Nash on drums, Donny McCaslin and Steve Wilson on saxophones, Ryan Keberle on trombone, Wendy Gilles on vocals, and the late great Frank Kimbrough on piano, whose presence here feels especially poignant. His solo prelude on “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men”makes you stop what you’re doing and just listen. Keberle follows with a muted trombone line — delicate, sure, but also so intentional you can hear the control behind every curve.
‘Barbara Song’ and ‘Spoonful’ both appeared on Gil Evans ’1964 album THE INDIVIDUALISM OF GIL EVANS. Howlin ’Wolf’s original ‘Spoonful’ is raw blues—stripped down, all grit and growl. The Gil Evans Project opens it up in every direction. Low brass rumbles underneath, reeds curl around the edges, and the rhythm section rolls like a slow wave.
‘Barbara Song ’starts spare, with a thread of melody weaving through delicate textures. Low brass adds depth, while the reeds drift in gentle counterpoint. The voicings are layered but airy, like watercolors bleeding into each other. Tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin’s solo unfolds in
long, sculpted phrases; fluid articulation, subtle pitch bends, and dynamic swells that linger just above the ensemble.
Vocalist Wendy Gilles really shines on ‘Laughing at Life,’ originally intended for vocalist Marcy Lutes ’1957 album debut but it went unrecorded until now. “I suspect the arrangement was too difficult,” says Truesdell. “There are a few technically challenging passages that are nearly impossible to execute without extensive rehearsal.” Gilles navigates it all with smooth control and impressive ease, making the complex arrangement sound effortless.
Truesdell’s approach to Evans’s legacy transcends mere homage. Rather than modernizing Evans, he illuminates just how forward-thinking this musical visionary truly was. With SHADES OF SOUND now available on vinyl, listeners can experience the full acoustic depth of these arrangements—each drop of the needle revealing new layers in Evans’s kaleidoscopic sound world.
