The fantastic arranger, composer and bandleader Gil Evans, whom we know mainly for his great works with Miles Davis, had a vision toward the end of his career. He wanted to write music for younger musicians and let them give a new life to his composition, bringing to them a different approach and conception of the music.

Laurent Cugny was one of the young musicians who had the opportunity to work with Evans on this new project. He met with the jazz legend in 1986 when writing his biography, and collaborated with him on several live projects and recordings in the late 1980’s.

Today, Laurent Cugny wants to do what Gil Evans did for him, and give a new life Evans’ music along with his own works, by gathering a band of young musicians with fresh minds and ideas.

This vision, or revision, gave birth to the Gil Evans Paris Workshop, an orchestra of fifteen young French jazz musicians and whole lot of talent, under Cugny’s direction.

Hear more about the project in Laurent Cugny’s interview: