Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard, Vol. 2

New Album from Grammy Award-Winning Producer Ryan Truesdell
Available May 30, 2025 on Outside in Music

Album Pre-Release Concerts at Birdland, NYC: May 13-17, 2025

Grammy Award-winning producer Ryan Truesdell unveils another monumental release with the highly anticipated “Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard, Vol. 2,” scheduled for release on May 30, 2025, through Outside in Music. This new album offers an exciting continuation of the Gil Evans Project’s journey, featuring performances recorded live at the iconic Jazz Standard in New York City.

Building on the success of two Grammy Award-nominated albums, Centennial (2012) and Lines of Color (2015), Shades of Sound brings new life to the musical legacy of the legendary Gil Evans. This album marks the band’s debut on vinyl and features some of New York’s most celebrated jazz musicians, including Lewis Nash, Donny McCaslin, Steve Wilson, Ryan Keberle, Wendy Gilles, and the late Frank Kimbrough.

Album Features & Track Highlights:
Recorded live between May 13-18, 2014, during the Gil Evans Project's annual engagement at Jazz Standard, Shades of Sound includes both new compositions and iconic Gil Evans arrangements. The album showcases four never-before-recorded works ("Laughing at Life," "It’s The Sentimental Thing To Do," "I Had Someone Else Before I Had You," and "Neetie’s Blues") alongside Evans’ classic pieces such as "Spoonful," "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men," "Barbara Song," and "Buster’s Last Stand."

Truesdell’s decision to record live honors the essence of Gil Evans' work, capturing the unrepeatable magic of live performance, as musicians blend Evans’ iconic orchestrations with fresh, spontaneous energy. "Live recording captures an intangible energy that happens when the music is lifted off the page in front of an audience," Truesdell explains.

Notable Collaborators & Musicians:
The album features performances from some of the top jazz talent in New York, including Lewis Nash on drums, Donny McCaslin on tenor sax, and Frank Kimbrough on piano. Truesdell brings Evans' intricate arrangements to life with vocal contributions from Wendy Gilles and rich instrumental solos from the ensemble.

Special Focus on Lost Compositions:
The album includes rare gems like "Neetie’s Blues," a previously unknown Evans composition discovered by Truesdell from the late 1960s/early 1970s. Additionally, Truesdell’s team brings to light "Laughing at Life," a composition originally intended for Marcy Lutes' 1957 album Debut but left unrecorded until now.

Pre-Release Concerts in NYC:
To celebrate the release, the Gil Evans Project will perform at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City from May 13-17, 2025. The week-long residency will feature live renditions of the new album’s tracks, along with rare works from Evans' extensive catalog. The event also marks the 113th birthday of Gil Evans, adding a celebratory touch to the performances.