PREZFEST celebrating Gil Evans, March 13, 2011

On Sunday March 13, 2011, Saint Peter’s Church (619 Lexington Avenue at 54th street, New York) opened its doors to the music of Gil Evans. The afternoon kicked off with a panel discussion ("Gil Evans: In and Out of the Cool - The Man and His Music") with Maria Schneider, Helen Merrill, Howard Johnson and Ryan Truesdell and moderated by Stephanie Crease. It was followed by 2 concerts featuring some previously unrecorded music Evans wrote in the late 40ies and late 50ies as well as pieces that were never recorded in their full written form.

The first show was with the Jazz Vespers performing the music of Gil Evans and with the guest soloists Helen Merrill, Steve Wilson, Howard Johnson and Frank Kimbrough. The second show, “Rarely- performed and some never-before heard music of Gil Evans,” featured Phil Woods, Andy Bey and Frank Kimbrough with the Eastman School of Music Chamber Jazz Ensemble. The artists performed music arranged by Gil Evans. The Ensemble was directed by Ryan Truesdell, whose Gil Evans’ Centennial Project is an effort to shed light on some unknown music of Gil Evans. Ryan Truesdell will release an album in 2012, for Gil’s 100th birthday, of some of the artist’s unheard pieces.