Ryan Truesdell Brings Gil Evans Project to Zankel Hall Tonight

Tonight, November 14 at 10:00 p.m., composer and producer Ryan Truesdell brings his acclaimed Gil Evans Project to Zankel Hall in a performance for large ensemble that features previously unrecorded works and authentic renderings of classics by the pioneering jazz composer and arranger Gil Evans. Evans was a Canadian jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader who played a vital role in the development of cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz, and jazz fusion, and famously had an extensive musical collaboration with Miles Davis, notably on the trumpeter's albums Birth of the Cool (1949), Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy and Bess (1958), and Sketches of Spain (1960).

For this performance, the Gil Evans Project will present music that spans 24 years, 1947 to 1971- the core section of Evans' career and a period when he had the most growth and development in his compositional voice. The evening will include the U.S. premiere (and second live performance) of music Evans wrote for his "dream band" at the Berlin Jazz Festival, as well as selections from his historic collaborations with Miles Davis, including "Spring Is Here," which had its last performance given by Davis and Evans at Carnegie Hall in 1961. In February 2015, the ensemble will release LINES OF COLOR: Live at Jazz Standard-an album featuring eleven of Gil's works, some of which will be recorded for the first time on the Blue Note / ArtistShare label. This concert and The Shape of Jazz series are made possible by The Joyce and George Wein Foundation in memory of Joyce Wein.

Prior to this performance, starting at 9:00 p.m., ticketholders are invited to enjoy Late Nights at Zankel Hall, a laid-back pre-concert experience. The first 200 ticketholders to arrive will receive a complimentary drink courtesy of Carnegie Hall. For more information, please visit carnegiehall.org/latenights.

Photo by Shaun Mader