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More unreleased Bill Evans from Resonance Records looming ahead ....


soulpope

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3 hours ago, Brad said:

Someone on Hoffman posted that they would be Morning Glory, a 1973 concert at the Teatro Gram Rex in Buenos Aires; and Inner Spirit, a 1979 concert at the Teatro General San Martin in Buenos Aires.

Yes. (Both shows are on YouTube, while not under those titles.) The 1979 concert in particular is very good. I look forward to how Resonance will present these concerts, and if there are any additional tracks.

On the topic of drummers with Evans — that could probably be a thread to itself! Motian is near-perfect for the original trio, though I would like to have heard what he would've played with Evans in the 70's. I wasn't crazy about Morell when I first heard him, but his playing on some live sets (I think) is quite good; more interesting than Arnold Wise or Joe Hunt. Eliot Zigmund, for me, is the underrated Evans drummer. His triplets on brushes often remind me of Elvin Jones but with a much lighter touch. Joe LaBarbera was a great fit for the final trio, though I would like to have heard DeJohnette guest, say, in 1979.

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I agree that it seems heavy to have so many Evans releases. . . but I find them fascinating and will grab cd versions of the upcoming two when and if. 

I think the last one was excellent sounding and I happen to like Morell with Evans. . . he has a different approach and its influence on the music I enjoy. Zigmund also. Having a different drummer with the trios is always a nice thing for me. . . a former drummer.

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5 hours ago, Late said:

I wasn't crazy about Morell when I first heard him, but his playing on some live sets (I think) is quite good. Joe LaBarbera was a great fit for the final trio, though I would like to have heard DeJohnette guest, say, in 1979.

Which sets with Morell are you thinking of? And I totally agree about LaBarbera.

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On 8/27/2021 at 1:43 PM, J.A.W. said:

Really? The ones I've heard (Another Time and Some Other Time) sounded pretty average, uninspired to me.

If you ask me, Resonance filled a very important gap in Evans' discography with these two releases and Evans in England.    The trio with Jack DeJohnette was one of the most interesting.   Before these releases from Resonance, all we had from this trio was At the Montreux Jazz Festival and 4 tracks in poor sound on Secret Sessions.   

Edited by John L
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2 hours ago, John L said:

If you ask me, Resonance filled a very important gap in Evans' discography with these two releases and Evans in England.    The trio with Jack DeJohnette was one of the most interesting.   Before these releases from Resonance, all we had from this trio was At the Montreux Jazz Festival and 4 tracks in poor sound on Secret Sessions.   

True, but that doesn't alter the fact that I found them rather uninspired, and DeJohnette being barely audible on some tracks doesn't make it any better.

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On 8/28/2021 at 4:16 PM, J.A.W. said:

Which sets with Morell are you thinking of? And I totally agree about LaBarbera.

Let me see if I can find the specific track where Morell's soloing stood out to me. Playing behind Evans, Morell is ... unobtrusive.

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I haven't purchased them all by any means, but I think the recent "Behind the Dikes" is very good. Really fine sound quality.

True there's a lot of them, and I am heartened by the fact that Evans' family is benefitting from them. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that the family financial situation was not the most stable when he was alive.   

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On 8/28/2021 at 4:16 PM, J.A.W. said:

Which sets with Morell are you thinking of?

Finally got around to sleuthing out which live date I thought Morell sounded good on. It's this one from 1974:

R-2968166-1309625388.jpeg.jpg

This was recorded live for CBC radio; it's an excellent recording, even if Gomez seems miked just a little too close at times. Morell is more aggressive than usual, which is why I took notice. When he trades fours with Evans on the opener "One For Helen," he has some good ideas, but I will say the execution feels a little stiff — he plays right on, and sometimes slightly ahead of, the beat. The album, which I think presents Evans at a highpoint in the 70's, won't change anyone's opinion of Morell. But he IS locked in with Gomez, which is nice, and Evans takes more chances than usual. Of those I've heard, I'd say this is one of Evans' best live recordings from the mid-70's.

Oh, and the cover drawing is by Tony Bennett!

 

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On 8/28/2021 at 1:35 PM, JSngry said:

I wish there was more with Philly Joe.

I was just listening last night to California, Here I Come from 1967 with Philly Joe. It's weird how Philly anticipates Evans' figures at times, and then plays the figure WITH Evans ... live. I've read about LaFaro and Evans' "telepathy" many times, but I think it actually existed with Philly and Bill. Philly seems, at first, an unlikely drummer for Bill Evans, but he's actually near perfection. You can hear Eddie Gomez (admittedly just starting with the band) out of sorts at times. 

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On 10/4/2021 at 6:28 AM, Late said:

I was just listening last night to California, Here I Come from 1967 with Philly Joe. It's weird how Philly anticipates Evans' figures at times, and then plays the figure WITH Evans ... live. I've read about LaFaro and Evans' "telepathy" many times, but I think it actually existed with Philly and Bill. Philly seems, at first, an unlikely drummer for Bill Evans, but he's actually near perfection. You can hear Eddie Gomez (admittedly just starting with the band) out of sorts at times. 

Is this release included on any of the Evans boxed sets?  How, is sound quality of CD? 

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I'm reasonably certain Laton is talking about the live Vanguard material recorded for Verve. It was released separately on cd and was collected into the Complete Verve Recordings box set. I have the latter--the sound is excellent. I imagine the standalone cd also has very good sound quality.

Edited by jazzbo
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1 hour ago, jazzbo said:

I'm reasonably certain Laton is talking about the live Vanguard material recorded for Verve. It was released separately on cd and was collected into the Complete Verve Recordings box set. I have the latter--the sound is excellent. I imagine the standalone cd also has very good sound quality.

Yes, to answer my own question it is discs 11-13 in the Complete Bill Evans on Verve.  Thanks.

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On 10/5/2021 at 11:40 AM, jazzbo said:

I'm reasonably certain Laton is talking about the live Vanguard material recorded for Verve. It was released separately on cd and was collected into the Complete Verve Recordings box set. I have the latter--the sound is excellent. I imagine the standalone cd also has very good sound quality.

Yes, you're right.

hbbfam — that 1967 Vanguard material is really good. It was originally a 2-LP set, but it fits on a single compact disc. (Maybe you have it?) I have the Japanese SMH-CD edition, and the sound is unusually good for live material. I think it was Eddie Gomez's first appearance as part of the trio, and Philly was (somewhat) guesting. Regardless, his ears were fully attuned to what Evans was playing!

Now that I think about it, while Evans is certainly a piano trio icon, I sometimes think he was more comfortable in a(n implied) duo setting. He did record with Gomez (minus Morell) in a duo setting, and the 1967 Vanguard material (while Gomez is of course playing as part of the trio) almost feels like duo work with Philly Joe Jones. When I listen to that disc, I hear Evans and Philly "talking" to each other, while Gomez is filling spaces in between. But that's just the way I'm hearing it these days — not a demonstrative observation. I've really come to love late-period Evans, which, many years ago, I shrugged off as simply more of the same. It's not.

(Oh — and I wouldn't classify 1967 as "late-period." I'm actually thinking of the trio with Johnson and LaBarbera. I love that trio, but still can't say I "know" their work.)

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I no longer have that single disc--I thinned the herd of Verve cds when I got the Complete box set. Yes, Philly and Bill had a certain communication between them. I really have come to like Bill with all the different drummers and bassists. In one sense they didn't matter--Bill was his own man in his trio. But in another sense I feel they each shaped the music in (often subtle) ways.

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14 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

But in another sense I feel they each shaped the music in (often subtle) ways.

Agreed.

For years, I only listened to Evans from (about) 1955-1966. Those, of course, are classic years, and the Riverside albums are iconic. But when I finally started listening to the final trios, I realized how much I'd been missing out. Evans really was in peak form in the late 70's.

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6 hours ago, sidewinder said:

He was in very, very good form in mid 1980 ... [m]ind over matter, really.

Very much agree. The final Village Vanguard recordings are amazing, as are the Keystone Korner recordings ... with only (roughly) two weeks to live? In his final trio, Evans seemed to be opening up to more discordant sounds.

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