Brilliant steps towards Gil's bandleading career, reprised through the albums New Bottle Old Wine, Great Jazz Standards and Out Of The Cool. The earlier two are by 14-piece studio bands – the first with great dollops of Cannonball, the second with some of the best-ever Johnny Coles (only soloists are listed above) – while the third has a similar ensemble that appeared live in late 1960. The writing gradually loosens up Evans' early work for Miles into the long modal excursion of ‘La Nevada’. There are so many highlights, from two trombone ballads (Cleveland's ‘Ballad Of The Sad Young Men’ and Knepper's ‘Where Flamingos Fly’) to Gil's first version of the George Russell ‘Stratusphunk’. (This public-domain set doesn't include the restored edits on Blue Note's version of Great Jazz Standards.) The fourth album Into The Hot is a different kettle of fish, with Evans contributing nothing but his patronage to three tracks each by John Carisi of ‘Israel’ fame (whose arrangements for Urbie Green are on another Avid reissue) and Cecil Taylor (doubtless the latter's first appearance on the label). If this material had been replaced by the wonderful Prestige album Gil Evans Plus Ten, then we'd have a five-star reissue.