Bill Evans Albums (55)
'Brandeis Jazz Festival'
Release Date 9/27/2005
Tracks 9
Label Gambit
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What The Critics Say
This oddly packaged CD compilation issued by the European label Gambit is a bit misleading, as it combines titles that appeared on several different releases, though none of the performances actually come from a concert. Most of the material is representative of third stream experiments popular for a time in the late '50s and early '60s, with Bill Evans in the role as a hired hand rather than leader, the role that falls either to conductors Gunther Schuller or George Russell, with most of the tracks originating from a Columbia LP titled Modern Jazz Concert and having reappeared in various incarnations with other selections in earlier reissues. Russell's impressive modern big band scoring of his "All About Rosie" is easily one of the highlights, with terrific ensembles and solos. Charles Mingus' "Revelations" is rather ominous, often suggesting the influence of Igor Stravinsky. The last three tracks are from an unrelated live Newport Jazz Festival Verve recording by mellophonist Don Elliott, who leads a quartet with Bill Evans, bassist Ernie Furtado, and drummer Al Beldini through merely average arrangements of three standards. The piecemeal gathering of these very dissimilar sessions for two different labels is troublesome, though the difficulty in acquiring this music make this edition a viable option for collectors. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
'California Here I Come'
Release Date 9/14/2004
Tracks 15
Label Verve
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What The Critics Say
Philly Joe Jones was a member of the Bill Evans Trio for a short time in 1967 but none of his recordings with the pianist were released at the time. This two-LP set from 1982 features the pair (along with bassist Eddie Gomez who had recently started his own longtime association with Evans) in superb form. Jones consistently lit a fire under the pianist and, even though Bill Evans was never just an introspective ballad pianist (which became his stereotype), he does play with some unaccustomed ferocity on several of these selections. The 71 minutes of music feature strong versions of three of Evans' originals (including "Turn Out the Stars") plus a dozen standards, highlighted by "You're Gonna Hear From Me," "Gone With the Wind" and the unlikely "California Here I Come." Well worth searching for. In September 2004, Verve reissued the album in a limited edition, 24-bit remastered CD. Where the original disc sounded thin in places -- as it is a live recording -- the remastered version sounds consistently full and warm throughout. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'Getting Sentimental'
Release Date 8/12/2003
Tracks 14
Label Milestone
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What The Critics Say
Native New Yorker Mike Harris is neither a professional musician nor a behind the scenes employee of the music industry; he has earned his living as an optical physicist. But he's someone who Bill Evans' hardcore fans should adore. Harris, himself a truly devoted fan, taped numerous Evans appearances at Manhattan's Village Vanguard in the '60s and '70s and asked owner Max Gordon for permission when he first started taping. Originally, Harris didn't mean for any of the recordings to be released commercially; they were strictly for his private collection. But Harris eventually realized that his gold mine needed to be shared with other Evans devotees, and in 1996 (after he went through the proper legal channels), many of those recordings found their way to Milestone/Fantasy's eight-CD, 104-track box set The Secret Sessions. As generous as that release was, Harris still had an abundance of unreleased Evans performances in his Vanguard collection -- and in 2003, some more of them became commercially available on the single-CD Getting Sentimental. While The Secret Sessions spans 1966-1975, this 73-minute disc focuses on one night: January 15, 1978, when Evans was joined by bassist Michael Moore (not to be confused with the liberal filmmaker/political activist or the American reedman who has made waves on the Amsterdam-based creative music scene) and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The sound quality is decent -- not fantastic, but decent -- and Evans' acoustic pianism is consistently solid on familiar material that ranges from "Emily" and "But Beautiful" to his own "Turn Out the Stars." Jones is a definite asset, and even though Moore doesn't enjoy as strong a rapport with Evans as Eddie Gomez and Scott LaFaro had enjoyed, he plays reasonably well. Getting Sentimental isn't essential and isn't recommended to casual listeners; nonetheless, Evans' more obsessive fans will welcome this enjoyable, if imperfect, release with open arms. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While there has been a plethora of live recordings issued on CD from the Bill Evans Trio's (with Joe La Barbera and Marc Johnson) last tours in the final two years of Evans' life, far rarer are those with his previous trio with Marty Morell and bassist Eddie Gomez. Given the jazz fascists who insist that after Scott LaFaro died there was no Bill Evans Trio, this is not surprising. Most of the evidence on studio recordings proves them to be full of ____ (fill in your own blank). This date, recorded in Paris in 1969, is a case in point. For one, those who claimed Evans wasn't playing as well toward the end of the 1960s obviously never caught him live. His elegance and singular style are in full effect here, full of subtle shadings, gorgeously swinging and muted harmonic structures, and a firm command of the direction of improvisation -- check the opener, a gorgeous read of the Bacharach/David classic "Alfie." As for the trio itself, the rapport Evans has with Gomez is nothing short of stunning, as the interplay of solos and counterpoint on "Waltz for Debbie" reveals. In a little over six minutes, Evans and Gomez move through an intervallic exchange that is dizzying in scope. The band follows with "34 Skidoo," and Gomez goes right out after Evans, forcing the tempo; even Morell is caught off guard for a brief moment before turning the tables and Evans responds fluidly, warmly, and quickly, moving through blurring 16th notes that are uncharacteristic of his style. There are a few tunes from the Evans-Miles Davis collaboration too, such as one of the most lyrical and mysterious performances of "Blue in Green" ever recorded -- the space Evans employs in the intro and in the textural harmonic architecture is almost an inversion of the melodic line, but the changes keep it anchored in reality. "Nardis" is the other, with its staggered, partial chords, building upon one another percussively before giving way to the rhythm section that stretches them into whole sentences from phrases with Monk-like rhythmnatism. Likewise, Johnny Mandel's "Emily" is transformed from a soppy ballad into a work of glorious improvisation, where the original melody becomes a cipher and in its place are questions of time, space, and coloration under the guides of a melodic frame that suggests the original without actually playing it. Gomez's solo here is nothing short of stunning. This set looks a bit generic from its cover; don't let that fool you. What is contained within is more than enough to stun on contact. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Round Midnight'
Release Date 4/1/2003
Tracks 8
Label Japanese Import
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'Immortal Concerts: Autumn Leaves'
Release Date 8/27/2002
Tracks 9
Label Giants of Jazz
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What The Critics Say
The Bill Evans Trio is heard in concerts, excerpted from two radio broadcasts in Europe, taped nearly two-and-a-half years apart, though both feature the pianist with bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Marty Morell. The first six selections come from November 1969, with Gómez as the main soloist in an intense "Autumn Leaves." Evans sparkles in his moody ballad "Turn Out the Stars" and Denny Zeitlin's lush requiem "Quiet Now." The interpretation of "Nardis" heard in 1969 is far more concise and to the point than Evans' later recordings, while the song incorrectly labeled "Very Airy" indicates this CD's bootleg origin, as the song is titled "Very Early." The last three tracks are taken from Live in Paris 1972, Vol. 1, another unauthorized release issued by France's Concert years earlier. The interplay is outstanding in the brooding rendition of the pianist's "Re: Person I Knew" (another title misidentified on this release), while it is hard to imagine the trio cooking much harder than they do in an explosive take of Scott LaFaro's "Gloria's Step." While it is better to look for the complete releases than settling for this compilation, the excellent sound of these broadcast excerpts and strong performances make this essential listening for fans of Bill Evans. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
'The Paris Concert, Edition One'
Release Date 3/20/2000
Tracks 8
Label Warner.Esp
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What The Critics Say
The two LPs recorded at this Paris concert are the last examples of Bill Evans' playing that have been released to date, although there are other concert performances from 1980 that are expected to come out eventually. With bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe La Barbera, Evans had one of the strongest trios of his career, as can be heard on such pieces as "My Romance," "I Loves You Porgy," and "Beautiful Love." The close communication between the players is reminiscent of Evans' 1961 unit with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'The Paris Concert, Edition Two'
Release Date 1/17/2000
Tracks 7
Label Discovery
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What The Critics Say
Bill Evans's death in 1980 ended the career of the most influential (along with McCoy Tyner) acoustic pianist in jazz of the past 20 years. This second of two LPs features Evans, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Paul Motian closely interacting on four of the pianist's originals, Gary McFarland's "Gary's Theme" and Miles Davis's "Nardis." The music is sensitive and subtly exciting. Until some later live sessions from 1980 are released, this can be considered Bill Evans's final recording and serves as evidence that, rather than declining, he was showing a renewed vitality and enthusiasm in his last year. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Pianist Bill Evans' final project for the Riverside label resulted in eight songs released as Bill Evans Trio at Shelly's Manne-Hole. This set doubles the program by adding eight previously unreleased selections. Evans, who is in fine form playing in a trio with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker, often sounded more relaxed in concert than in studios and he stretches himself on the material (mostly standards), making one wonder why all of the music was not orignally released. This is one of the finest recordings by this particular trio. Worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
