The Gil Evans Orchestra – Out Of The Cool – Vinyl Review
Vinyl surface noise: 5
Dynamic Range: 5
Stereo Imaging: 5-
Image depth/perspective: 4
Overall frequency response: 5-
Side 1:
- La Nevada
- Where Flamingos Fly
Side 2:
- Bilboa Song
- Stratusphunk
- Sunken Treasure
Instrumental Line up:
Gil Evans (piano), Billy Ray Barber (tuba), Raymond Beckenstein & Eddie Caine (flute/piccolo/alto sax), Ron Carter (bass/trombone), Johnny Coles & Phil Sunken (trumpet), Ray Crawford (guitar), Budd Johnson (alto sax/soprano sax/tenor sax), Keg Johnson (trombone), Elvin Jones & Charlie Persip (drums/percussion), Jimmy Knepper (trombone), Tony Studd (trombone/bass trombone), Bob Tricarico (bassoon/flute/piccolo).
This album is part of the Acoustic Sounds Series from Verve/Universal Music Enterprises that is being supervised by Chad Kassem CEO of Acoustic Sounds Inc. Currently there are thirty 180gram audiophile album rereleases in this series all mastered at Sterling Sound from the original analog master tapes, pressed at Quality Record Products (QRP) and packaged in Stoughton Printing “old style” Gatefold Tip-On jackets. This album was mastered by Ryan K. Smith.
This album was released on May 13th, 2021 on the Impulse label – CATALOG: AIMP 21101
A groundbreaking jazz recording by the longtime Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans, highlights the latter’s supreme and influential skills as a jazz orchestrator.
This album is a brilliant example of Evans’ ability to make a large orchestra sound like a smaller jazz combo using orchestrations that infuse the larger unit with the immediacy and spontaneity of the smaller. Out Of The Cool features some of Evan’s finest compositions, including the famous “La Nevada” as well as a magnificent performance of George Russell’s “Sratosphunk.”
The original recording was made by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder on November 18 & 30 and December 10 & 15, 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ and released in February 1961 on the Impulse label.
Reviewed using my Hana SL, Lentek Head Amp and MX-VYNL pre-amp.
See here for my vinyl review playback hardware.
The first disc arrived with a damaged sleeve and Acoustic Sounds immediately sent a pre-paid RMA label and shortly thereafter a replacement album. Unfortunately while the second album was beautifully clean, concentric and flat with no visible surface damage or vinyl imperfections, it had three serious clicks on S2T2, the third click being very severe and having the potential to create HF speaker damage. There were no improvements in surface noise or to the clicks after cleaning with my Nitty Gritty. I am still negotiating with Acoustics Sounds to have a (third) replacement album sent – see update below.
Vinyl noise was commendably low with no (other) memorable clicks or pops, and with only a few tracks each side allowed for higher levels of modulation and great dynamic range capture.
While this is a stereo recording, instrumental positioning would have been achieved by panning and with all the open mics there is plenty of studio reverb and some bleed over from other instruments. Imaging is still very good with a mainly upfront lineup having a restricted depth perspective. The following jacket image shows the studio instrumental and microphone positioning and type.
Instrumental Positioning & Microphone Models
While the brass and woodwind instrumental positioning are mostly accurate the guitar was panned hard left on side 1 and hard right on side 2. The kit and S1T1 shaker were always panned hard right with several percussive instruments on side 2, hi-hat, cymbals, shaker etc. positioned as shown above, plus a trumpet on S2T2 appearing hard left.
For such an old recording, over 60+ years, the remastering by Ryan K. Smith is superb and the dynamics, openness and clarity are truly impressive. Instruments just come to life with many having terrific presence.
The kit was hard panned to the right hand speaker but snare and cymbals were occasionally imaged at other locations due to microphone bleed. Unfortunately the kit never got its own solo or even a short break. The cymbals and hi-hat were bright and well detailed with no signs of a hard edge, the impactful snare and toms were well damped with a short hollow ring with well detailed brush work on several tracks. The kick drum rarely raised its head but when it did so it was a solid, well damped, deep thud, exhibiting no beater noise but some studio reverb. Other percussive instruments, like shakers, were panned hard right on S1 and had a wonderfully detailed rattle. S2 percussive instruments were as described above and I also thought that I heard congas at the same location.
The string bass was tight and clean with no coloration or boom, had plenty of body, never getting lost in the mix, and providing a couple of impressive solos/breaks on S1T1, S2T1 and S2T2. A little finger action was present that helped add to the realism.
Instrumental presence was very good with several instrumental solos having such realism so as to “appear” in my room. There are plenty of solos throughout each track. In particular the double bass S2T1, trombones S1T1 and S1T2, trumpets S1T1, S2T2 and S2T3 and saxophones S1T1. Overall the sound was very open and forward with brass instruments having a pleasing bright clean edge, trombones providing a nice tight “rip” and woodwinds a smooth reedy tone. Not to be left out, the flutes, piccolos and bassoon made their presence known having delicate tones that sounded very natural, were well detailed and clean with the piccolos providing a real sharp edge. None of the brass or woodwind instruments exhibiting any degree of stridency or an excessively hard edge. The electric guitar providing a bright, warm and mellow tone with little finger or fret noise with solos on S1T1 and S2T2. The piano, played by Gil Evans, had a warm and soft tone with softer dynamics, showing no key or action noise and sat out front, slightly right of center making itself known on most tracks.
Overall reverb, which I assume was just from the studio, was easy to hear on many of the instruments, it had a medium decay and was moderate in level providing sufficient ambience to fill the sound out and generate a pleasing warmth.
I am not a musician, but from a performance and orchestration perspective these jazz tracks were awesome and as a 60+ year old recording, sound amazing.
Soloists include Budd Johnson (tenor sax), Johnny Coles (trumpet), Ray Crawford (guitar), Elvin Jones (drums), Ron Carter (bass) and Jimmy Knepper/Tony Studd (trombone/bass trombone). The ensemble is superbly recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder.
A terrific sounding re-master and pressing with great dynamics and clarity and is a must-have for all lovers of jazz. Highly recommended.
See these videos for more information on this jazz audiophile vinyl series.
UPDATE: 7/25/2021. – I just received my third copy from ACOUSTIC SOUNDS and I am VERY disappointed with it. Not only is it slightly warped, but despite there being no visible signs of surface damage, it is clean, bright and shiny, two tracks have a very low level repetitive click for approximately 6 revolutions. Considering this is supposed to be an AUDIOPHILE pressing from Acoustic Sounds/Quality Record Pressings (QRP) it shows poor quality control. This is not the first time I have had this problem with QRP pressings. Acoustic Sounds has now refused to provide a fourth album and will only offer a full refund. So I guess I am stuck with this version!!
Buy from Acoustic Sounds or Elusive Disc or Center Stage/Impex Records.
For more audiophile vinyl jazz reissues see my posts here and here.
