Miles Davis and Gil Evans: "Porgy and Bess"

Tonight's Jazz Feature pays once again tribute to Black History Month with this classic by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. This is their personal and instrumental tribute and interpretation of the Gershwin's music for the famous folk opera "Porgy and Bess". The story is essentially about the love found and lost and found again between a poor black fisherman, Porgy and the town's most beautiful and desirable woman, Bess. It takes place in a southern fishing village in 1912. The opera was first produced in 1934 and the music has become some of the best known and loved in American History. This was the second collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans and perhaps the deepest of their four recorded albums together. Miles Davis is Miles Davis and Gil Evans is the most unique arranger and musical alchemist ever. The Evans orchestra is made up of top New York p[layers and is full of brass, trumpets, trombones, French horns, tubas, flutes, oboes, saxophones and clarinets. The bass is provided throughout by the great Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb is the drummer on all selections save for three tunes where the incredible Philly Joe Jones takes charge. This album is a true classic and a credit to the deep and profound artisrty of Miles Davis and Canadian-born Gil Evans.