GIL EVANS THE HONEY MAN
with unissued recordings for the 1986 European tour.
Recorded in Italy and Switzerland the CD presents Gil Evans and his legendary Orchestra at his best. The program includes some favorites of the Orchestra such as Boogie Stop Shuffle and Good Bye Pork Pie Hat by Charlie Mingus and Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix, Eleven by Miles Davis and Evans himself, but also two tunes rarely or never recorded by Gil Evans: Here Come De Honey Man by Gershwin and Subway by Pete Levin.
Here Comes De Honey Man is originally part of Gershwin’s « Porgy and Bess» and Gil Evans recorded it on the homonymous LP in 1958 with Miles Davis. Since then the composition has been presented live many times buy the Orchestra becoming one of the classics of the repertoire but was never recorded again. The arrangement is now very different and the trumpet of Miles Davis has been replaced by Stanton Davis who takes a very exciting solo in this version.
(Stanton Davis was here replacing Lew Soloff that could not take part to the tour that year).
Subway, a composition by Peter Levin, as far as we know, has never been recorded. Gil Evans has always left space to compositions of members of the Orchestra who contributed to the book of the band. Subway is one of these compositions. Beautifully played by the group the piece presented several beautiful solos and some interesting arrangements that include also noises and announcements.
The other tracks are more known but still very interesting. From Boogie Stop Shuffle that was the jingle of the Orchestra opening all the shows of that tour to Good Bye Pork Pie Hat wrote by Charlie Mingus in memory of Lester Young to Voodoo Chile recorded originally in 1974. Many different versions exist of this piece but it is always amazing listen the lead guitar part played by the tuba! Close the CD Eleven enriched by a fantastic solo of George Lewis.

One last line to mention the members of the Orchestra: Stanton Davis, Shunzo Ono, Miles Evans (tp), John Clark (fr horn), George Lewis (trne), Howard Johnson (tuba, bass cl., bar sax), Bill Evans (sop & ten sax), Chris Hunter (sop & alto sax, fl), Hiram Bullock (g), Mark Egan (el bass), Danny Gottlieb (dms), Gil Evans (p, el p).