Gil Evans played an encore in the church of St. Francis, before departing this world, oblivious to his doctors’ orders. He is still remembered in his decorated singlet, walking around the Rosetta before leaving for Lake Trasimeno to sleep off the late nights spent with his orchestra. Nobody got much sleep at Umbria Jazz in those days. The Festival began in Assisi with the gospel choirs singing in Assisi’s Upper Basilica. Other events included the meeting between Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter, which threw up a form of jazz fusion very similar to that of Weather Report.
Herbie Hancock, Buster Williams and Al Foster played as a trio, with Hancock reminding the public what a great jazz pianist he was; while Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan and Dizzy Gillespie represented the solidity of jazz, Milton Nascimento injected the Festival with the colours of tropical Brazil. The programme also included a preview of Clint Eastwood’s film “Bird”, while David Chertok left his precious film clips to his son, Michael.
