Original_To:  @ALLMUSIC
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Wed, 12 Aug 1992 14:42:00 CDT
From:         TBUCK@KNOX.BITNET
Subject:      Sting, Gil, Miles, Jajouka and the Stones....

> Sting and Gil Evans: Last Session. A bootleg from Itlay - Sting with the
> Gil Evans' Orchestra along with Branford live at the Perugia Jazz Festival
> in July of 1987. The sound quality is great and the highlights include a
> big band version of Synchronicity, a couple Hendrix tunes, and lot's of
> Police and Sting material with great Gil Evans arrangments. Wow! What a
> find!!! And it's over 75 minutes long!!! Best find in months - only $31.

More info in the Sting and Gil CD, now that I've listened to it a couple
times. Here are the tunes with my impressions of them:

   Up From The Skys and Little Wing: similar to the studio versions (from
   Nothing Like The Sun and a bonus CD3) with more energy, and extra lyrics.

   Strange Fruit (the Billie Holiday classic): Wonderful with "Sketches o'
   Spain" like voicing in the band. Much better than the studio version.

   Shadows In The Rain, Consider Me Gone, Tea In The Sahara: Similar to the
   versions on Bring On The Night, or what-ever the double-live Sting CD is
   called. The Gil Evans Orchestra only adds to the performance and doesn't
   really try to steal the show like I wish they would.

   Roxanne: Accoustic like the Secret Policeman's Other Ball version, but then
   it goes into high gear with searing horn lines and a great soprano sax solo
   from Branford.

   Synchronicity I: Wow! The best song on the disc. It's an instrumental big
   band version and it really cooks! Wonder if Gil did the arrangements?

And I just got the Miles Davis: No Blues import CD in the mail yesterday.
It's the one from Paris, November 6th, 1967. Miles plays *open* through the
entire 75 minute CD. What a big surprise - not that he played much muted
stuff on E.s.p., Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, or Nefertiti, but still, I was
expecting him to do something with the mute! It's very strange hearing him
perform 'Round Midnight, No Blues, I Fall In Love Too Easy, Walkin', and
Green Dolphin Street with out the mute. The tunes are very elastic and very
flowing. It sounds like you'd expect this quintet to sound, but since the
material is older, it's like a big phase-shift. Superimpose the ideas
behind Nefertiti on the older material, and they sound like totally new
ideas. Very enlightning. Wish I could describe it better. I'll listen some
more and try again....

And finally, I forgot to mention that I found a great CD in the $2 bin. The
Master Musicians Of Jajouka: Apocalypse Across The Sky. This is the same
great African drum group that Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones recorded
back in the late 60's. (More info, anyone?) They are also featured on the
Steel Wheels CD on the song Continental Drift. Only sampled the CD, but it
sounds great, and hell, for $2, it would have to be downright awful to have
been a bad buy.

Well, gotta run. Happy Trails and Later Days....

                                                    Tom <TBuck@Knox.Bitnet>
                                                    "Sound Can Move Planets"
                                                           - Sun Ra -
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic