12 Oct 2025
After 18 years in the archives – this Friday the album "Shades of Gil Evans" will be released
18 years ago, Bohuslän Big Band recorded music by the arranger and composer Gil Evans. Now, almost two decades later, it is finally time to release the music. On October 17, the album Shades of Gil Evans, will be released.
You really can’t say anything other than that the proverb “good things come to those who wait” is very apt here. Almost 20 years after the material was recorded, it is now time for Bohuslän Big Band to release the album Shades of Gil Evans. So how come it has taken so long for the music to be released?
“The actual recording was a test to see whether we could manage to record the music ourselves outside a real recording studio. At first it wasn’t intended to be released. The album was recorded at Mimers Hus in Kungälv using distant miking,” says the big band’s trombonist Christer Olofsson, who was the recording engineer and is also responsible for the mixing and mastering.
He continues:
“The recording turned out well and we thought that we could actually release it as an album. But for various reasons it never happened—until now.”
The big band’s trombonist Christer Olofsson was the recording engineer during the session, and his section colleague Niclas Rydh has adapted Gil Evans’s arrangements for the Bohuslän Big Band.
Gil Evans – one of jazz’s great innovators
In the early 2000s, the Bohuslän Big Band played a lot of music by Gil Evans. One of the reasons for this was that the band’s trombonist Niclas Rydh discovered Evans and his contribution to jazz.
“Gil Evans is such a great legend; looking back at the history of jazz, he is among the brightest shining names. He is just as important to jazz as Ravel, Mahler, and Debussy are to classical music,” says Niclas Rydh.
Gil Evans collaborated extensively with the legendary trumpeter Miles Davis, including on albums such as Birth of the Cool (1957), Miles Ahead (1957), and Sketches of Spain (1960). But Evans did so much more than just this.
“I wanted to bring out the music that had ended up a bit in the shadow of the collaboration with Miles. To my surprise, I discovered that what Gil Evans composed and arranged on his own was at least as good as what he did with Miles,” says Niclas Rydh.
Evans was a key figure in reshaping the sound world of jazz. He drew inspiration from classical composers like Ravel and Debussy and created an entirely new sound. His influence can still be heard today in artists such as Maria Schneider, Vince Mendoza, and Quincy Jones. With his innovative arrangements, he forged a completely new path for big band jazz.
Concerts in connection with the album release
For those who want to hear Bohuslän Big Band play Gil Evans’ music live, there are two more chances – 22 October at Skeppet in Gothenburg and 23 October at Vara Concert Hall.
The album Shades of Gil Evans will be released on October 17.