Blues in Orbit (Gil Evans album)

Blues in Orbit
Blues in Orbit
Studio album by Gil Evans
Released	1971
Recorded	1969 and 1971, New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	36:20
Label	Enja 3069
Producer	Sam Gordon
Gil Evans chronology

Blues in Orbit is an album by jazz composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Gil Evans, recorded in 1969 and 1971 by Evans with an orchestra featuring Jimmy Cleveland, Howard Johnson, Billy Harper, and Joe Beck.^[1] The album was originally released on the short-lived Ampex label as Gil Evans but received wider release on the Enja label under this title.^[2]

Reception[]

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Arranger Gil Evans's first recording as a leader in five years found him leading an orchestra that could be considered a transition between his 1950s groups and his somewhat electric band of the 1970s... A near-classic release ".^[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[4]

Track listing[]

All compositions by Gil Evans except as indicated

"Thoroughbred" (Billy Harper) - 4:57
"Spaced" - 3:04
"Love In the Open" (Warren Smith) - 6:49
"Variation on the Misery" - 3:03
"Blues In Orbit" (George Russell) - 6:49
"Proclamation" - 1:48
"General Assembly" (updated and renamed "The Time of the Barracudas" by Miles Davis and Gil Evans) - 7:12
"So Long" - 2:27

Recorded in New York in 1969 (tracks 2-4 & 6-8) and 1971 (tracks 1 & 5)

Personnel[]

Gil Evans - piano, electric piano, arranger, conductor
Johnny Coles (tracks 1 & 5), Mike Lawrence (tracks 2-4 & 6-8), Ernie Royal (tracks 1 & 5), Snooky Young (tracks 2-4 & 6-8) - trumpet
Garnett Brown (tracks 1 & 5), Jimmy Cleveland, Jimmy Knepper (tracks 2-4 & 6-8) - trombone
Ray Alonge (tracks 1 & 5), Julius Watkins (tracks 2-4 & 6-8) - French horn
Howard Johnson - tuba, baritone saxophone
Hubert Laws - flute (tracks 2-4 & 6-8)
Billy Harper - tenor saxophone
George Marge - flute, tenor saxophone (tracks 1 & 5)
Joe Beck - guitar (tracks 2-4 & 6-8)
Gene Bianco - harp
Herb Bushler - bass
Elvin Jones (tracks 2-4 & 6-8), Alphonse Mouzon (tracks 1 & 5) - drums
Sue Evans, Donald McDonald - percussion

References[]

^ Gil Evans discography accessed June 12, 2014.
^ Discogs album entry, accessed June 12, 2014
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed June 12, 2014.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 74. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

[1] Gil Evans discography accessed June 12, 2014.

[2] Discogs album entry, accessed June 12, 2014

[Allmusic-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed June 12, 2014.

[RSJRG-4] Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 74. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

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