2014: Having played in the high-energy, free-wheeling Gil Evans Orchestra for 15 years through the ’70s and ’80s, keyboardist Pete Levin was missing Gil, the band, the musicians, the life-long friends and colleagues. On a whim, he called 10 alumni of the ’70s edition of Gil’s band, got a set’s-worth of charts together, and booked a night at The Cutting Room in New York City. Billed as “The Monday Night Band” the gig was reminiscent of the years when Gil and the band played every Monday night in New York City’s Greenwich Village jazz clubs when they weren’t touring. The reunion band featured 6 dynamic horn players whose individual playing styles Gil was especially fond of: John Clark, Chris Hunter, Alex Foster, Lew Soloff, Tom Malone and Dave Bargeron. At that 2014 reunion, they fell right back into the old routine and spirit, playing a roaring 2-hour set to a packed house. The show was documented on video and a multi-track recording.
2024: Dormant for almost 10 years and the live recording never having been released, the band reunited in Europe for 2 major summer jazz festivals, Estival Jazz in Lugano, Switzerland and Umbria Jazz in Perugia, Italy. Perugia was a special treat. The guys had played Perugia many times with Gil over the years, including some memorable shows where Sting and Van Morrison sat in with the band. Renamed “Gil Evans Remembered” the 2014 Cutting Room recording was released by Dot Time Records. Additionally, the Perugia show was recorded and will be released in 2026 to coincide with upcoming summer tours.
