Castles Made of Sound: The Story of Gil Evans
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
Gil Evans was once described by Miles Davis as "the greatest musician in the world," yet he has remained one of the least known and most underrated innovators in jazz. Revered by generations of musicians, Evans created a unique sound, drawing from such diverse inspirations as Duke Ellington, Claude Debussy, Charlie Parker, Cecil Taylor, and Jimi Hendrix. Best known for his collaboration with Miles Davis on albums such as Birth of the Cool and Sketches of Spain, Gil Evans secured a crucial place in the history of modern jazz with his stunning orchestral arrangements. Now Evans's life and work are critically explored in this intimate, comprehensive biography of the arranger, composer, orchestrator, and bandleader. Hicock traces Evans's early work with swing, bebop, and cool jazz (which he helped to create); examines his pathbreaking work with Miles Davis; sheds new light on his innovations of the 1960s and '70s; and recounts his great final flourish of activities in the 1980s. Drawing from more than seventy exclusive interviews and featuring the voices of many of Evans's fellow musicians, this portrait of a quiet innovator and a beloved free spirit will restore him to his rightful place in jazz history.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0306809451
ISBN13:9780306809453
Release Date:May 2002
Publisher:Da Capo
Length:328 Pages
Weight:1.26 lbs.
Dimensions:1.3" x 6.3" x 9.1"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
A solid work
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
I haven't read the Crease bio, so I can't compare, but this is a solid work which provides a clear and well organized picture of Evan's personal and professional life, and how he was an amazingly laid-back and un-ambitious character, almost zen-like. Particularily well-described is his philosophy of his post-'69 bands, where he developed the philosophy of the "leaderless band", and where he even hated to count in the band. A strength of the book is it's many interviews with musicians who played with Evans, and it is here where we get a sharply delineated image of Evans the man: he clearly was much admired and loved, and was valued as much for his life-lessons as he was for his musical genius. If the book has a weakness, it's in the lack of penetrating insight into the music itself (for that one must search out Max Harrison's "Sheer alchemy, for a while" found in Bill Kirchner's Miles Davis Reader). Still, I've learned a lot about Evans, and have a much better feeling for the music and the man after reading this work; I'll give it a four.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
