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Among the events that have marked my life as a jazz listener, there is a special place in my heart for the unforgettable performance of the Gil Evans Orchestra, which I had the privilege of hearing in Perugia in 1988. The great old man had just passed away, but his presence lingered so strongly, it was almost palpable. The orchestra was firmly conducted by his son Miles and carried forward by his faithful musicians, determined to transmit into the future the message of one of the musical geniuses of the past century.
I particularly remember an incredible version of "Liberty City" and a "Little Wing" introduced by the fantastic bass of Mark Egan... I remember the photo towering on stage: Gil Evans shaking hands with Jaco Pastorius.
All these memories surged back vigorously with the listening of this album by Gil Goldstein, an excellent pianist, accordionist, bandleader, and collaborator of Gil Evans in his last years.
It is indeed Gil Evans and Jaco Pastorius who are the guiding stars of this recording. Goldstein includes all the most famous compositions of the great bassist in the repertoire, wrapping them in a sound cloak that seems to come directly from the pen of the great Evans.
The ensemble has been intelligently and creatively assembled, gathering musicians who have a strong artistic debt towards Pastorius. There is Mike Mainieri (whose vibraphone often sounds like steel drums), the mind behind Steps Ahead, who took fusion themes to their extreme (and more commercial...) consequences. There's trumpeter Randy Brecker, who often played in the brass sections of Jaco's records. Then there's the percussion of the great friend Don Alias, alas also passed away. Richard Bona, a bassist originally from Cameroon, doesn't have an easy task, yet manages to convincingly blend technique and expressiveness. Additionally, he proves to be an excellent singer in the concluding "Suninga".
Almost touching is the choice to include, alongside famous tracks ("Donna Lee", "Liberty City"), some less frequented compositions ("Three Women", "Good Morning Anya"), which shine with a lunar and soft beauty in the hands of the group. What's almost completely missing is the more rebellious Pastorius, the formidable scourger of the electric bass, the pagan celebrator of feedback. Rather, everything plays on chiaroscuro, on softness (thanks to the Zebra Coast String Trio), on the Caribbean sound so loved by ours. And so, the thirteen movements of the concert (recorded live at the Blue Note in New York) become a stream of consciousness that unfolds seamlessly throughout the entire album, alternating soft "sound clouds" with inspired solos (highlighting saxophonist Chris Potter).
Of course, proportions must be re-established, and it's fair to admit that Goldstein, though he has done an excellent job, is not Evans. He has taste galore but lacks the stroke of genius: certain classics that we all have in our ears (one name above all: "Three Views of a Secret") are exciting, but perhaps it would have been better to listen to them in a more "adventurous" guise...
Beyond this, the album remains very pleasant, with "The Dream" by Rousseau on the cover adding pleasure to pleasure.
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