Favourite Bill Evans

[mikeweil]

Today I spinned this beautiful disc:

which is my favourite Bill Evans from the 1970's - I like this much more than his trio recordings of the time. On first sight, an unlikely combination - Harold Land, Kenny Burrell, Ray Brown, and Philly Joe Jones - but it works out fine.

Similarly, I dig his late 1950's dates as a sideman for Hal McKusick or George Russell very much.

So what are your favourite Bill Evans dates in larger groups from quartet to big band - other than solo, duo, or trio?

Edited November 26, 2004 by mikeweil

[jazzbo]

My favorites ARE trio or solo. . .

I guess I'll say something off the wall to answer your question that probably others won't. . .well Shrdlu might. . . the sessions with Gary McFarland. AND I really love Evans' contributions to Mingus and Russell albums!

[vibes]

. . . the sessions with Gary McFarland.

[Joe Carter]

Crosscurrents with Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Eddie Gomez, Eliot Zigmund. Fantastic playing from all involved. I'm surprised Bill didn't record more with Lee and Warne. It's a great and very natural sounding combination.

Joe C.

[skeith]

I like that one too MikeWeil - I think it is underrated!

[Larry Kart]

They're sideman dates from first-stage Evans, but I think he's in fine form on George Russell's "Jazz Workshop" and "Jazz in the Space Age," and Eddie Costa's "Guys and Dolls Like Vibes."

[jlhoots]

Interplay

[king ubu]

They're sideman dates from first-stage Evans, but I think he's in fine form on George Russell's "Jazz Workshop" and "Jazz in the Space Age," and Eddie Costa's "Guys and Dolls Like Vibes."

Same favourites here! Add Evans' fantastic solo on Russell's All About Rosie on that third stream album on Columbia.

And maybe that date with Miles which yielded a great Evans solo on "Love for Sale" (I think there's touches of Monk in there).

ubu

[Alon Marcus]

Affinity - with Toots and Larry Schneider

[kinuta]

Mingus -Eastcoasting

Winners Circle ( credited as a Coltrane album but really a collective effort)

Both on Bethlehem.

Eddie Costa- Guys & Dolls Like Vibes ( Coral )

[brownie]

Affinity - with Toots and Larry Schneider

Love that one. Superb versions of 'Body and Soul' and 'Blue and Green'.

The Warner Brothers album 'We Will Meet Again' with Larry Schneider - again - and Tom Harrell is beautiful, too!

[MartyJazz]

Check out BUT BEAUTIFUL (Milestone) which consists of material recorded in concerts at Laren and Antwerp in August 1974 by Evans' trio with guest, Stan Getz. Some magnificent playing by all including a tremendous version of "Funkallero".

[porcy62]

What about the Art Farmer's Modern Art?

[JohnS]

As leader

Interplay

We Will Meet Again

[Larry Kart]

Definitely agree about "Modern Art." But then I'm one of those bastards who doesn't care for most everything Evans recorded after the death of LaFaro.

[Brad]

Interplay but here's out of left field on which I thought he was very good: The Ivory Hunters Double Barrelled Piano.

[JSngry]

70s and beyond?

SYMBIOSIS and LIVING TIME.

[AllenLowe]

Interesting piece of musicianal myopia: I'm reading Dan Morgenstern's new book, and it has an old interview with Evans, in which he puts down the duo/solo he did with Paul Bley on Jazz in the Space age, as indicative that free playing is too easy - well, that happens to be one of his best solos, IMHO -

[Dmitry]

On a tangent - I was less than impressed with the Evans-Russell 1972 Columbia collaboration titled the Living Time. Still have the Lp, so might give it another spin, but from what I remember it was a massive pile-up of [loud] sounds and Evans was the wrong man for the job.

His record with Toots Thielemans is perhaps the ultimate cocktail party album.

[Noj]

Crosscurrents with Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Eddie Gomez, Eliot Zigmund. Fantastic playing from all involved. I'm surprised Bill didn't record more with Lee and Warne. It's a great and very natural sounding combination.

Joe C.