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Critics find this album rather difficult to evaluate. Their judgment ranges from a colorful mixture to a successful cover album to a masterly fusion and an homage to an artist whose life came to an end far too soon - Jimi Hendrix. Jimi had long been gone when this album was recorded in 1974. But it is almost superfluous to look back to the legendary Hendrix if you focus on the great Gil Evans. After such milestones as "Birth Of The Cool" and "Sketches Of Spain" it isn't difficult to regard these late audiophile masterpieces as a logical development of Evans's exceptional skill as an arranger.
I bought the vinyl back in 1974. When I saw that the CD contained "Little Wing" and 4 alternate takes got it from Amazon. Gil Evans was years ahead of his time. Although this music is almost 40 years old, it is as modern as any music today, jazz or otherwise. The opening song is "Angel", with an alto sax solo by David Sanborn that is simple outstanding. When Sanborn played with Gil Evans, this is what all the fuss was about!! "Crosstown Traffic" combined with "Little Miss Lover" features solos by John Abercrombie(the name is misspelled in the original liner notes) and Tom "Bones" Malone, later of the Blues Brothers and a fiery vocal by the incendiary Marvin Peterson. "Castles Made of Sand" has a tenor solo by the magnificent Billy Harper and goes without break into "Foxy Lady" with the title stated by tympani. Only Evans and his musicians would even think of doing this. "Up From the Skies" is an unedited version of the vinyl and last at least 3 minutes longer. "1983- A Merman I Should Turn to Be" is fantastic!! But "Voodoo Child" is the wildest song on the CD, because it features a growling synthesizer by David Horowitz. "Gypsy Eyes" is mostly an ensemble piece. The last song that is a final take is "Little Wing", which Evens plays on other cds. Again Sanborn has a dynamite solo but the song is Marvin Peterson's. His trumpet and vocal carry the song. This version was done about one year after the other songs were completed. Finally there are 4 alternate takes which are sufficiently different to warrant inclusion. This ranks with Evans' greatest work, including what he did with Miles and his "Out of the Cool" album and belongs in any collection of music by people who don't put jazz in a narrow category.
