Generally recognised as some of Bill Evans’ finest 1950s and 60s trio recordings, these much reissued titles continue to offer immense pleasure and food for thought. The incredible interplay between Evans, Motian and LaFaro ended abruptly after LaFaro (two days after he had accompanied Stan Getz at The Newport Jazz Festival) was killed in a car crash on 6 July 1961 in upstate New York, and 10 days after the famous Village Vanguard “live” sessions. An already introverted Evans was inconsolable, and went into semi-retirement for a year. These high-quality vinyl LPs contain the complete Vanguard recordings, together with the studio albums Portrait In Jazz and Explorations.
Extended comment on any or all of these seminal albums would be impractical and superfluous as all have been extensively analysed and praised over the intervening years. All offer proof positive of the camaraderie, rapport and understanding between the equally talented participants.
The sleeve notes and edited reflections on the four LPs, by producer Orrin Keepnews, Don DeMichael, Ira Gitler, Joe Goldberg and John S. Wilson provide astute and informative comments. In his recollections, published as The View From Within: Jazz Writings 1948-1987, Keepnews wrote that even before the appearance of the Explorations album, this Evans trio “had made giant strides towards the goal of becoming a three-voice unit rather than a piano player and his accompanists”. As Richard Cook and Brian Morton observed, LaFaro’s “melodic sensitivity, and insinuating sound flowed between Evans and Motian like water [and] the playing of the three men is so sympathetic that it set a standard that holds to this day”.
If pressed to nominate personal favourites from the four albums, I would probably choose Autumn Leaves and Blue In Green (both versions) from Portrait In Jazz, Israel and Nardis from Explorations, My Romance, Gloria’s Step, I Loves You Porgy (not on the original album) and Milestones from The Village Vanguard Sessions. But then I might just as easily select eight other gems. Whatever, this is timeless trio jazz to treasure.
Discography
LP1: [Portrait In Jazz] (1) Come Rain Or Come Shine; Autumn Leaves; Witchcraft; When I Fall In Love; Peri’s Scope (22.00) – What Is This Thing Called Love?; Spring Is Here; Some Day My Prince Will Come; Blue In Green; Blue In Green* (alt take) (24.30)
LP2: [Explorations] (2) Israel; Haunted Heart; Beautiful Love; Elsa (c. 20.00) – Nardis; How Deep Is The Ocean;: I Wish I Knew; Sweet And Lovely; *The Boy Next Door (25.00)
LP3: [The Village Vanguard Sessions] (3) My Foolish Heart; My Romance; Some Other Time; *Alice In Wonderland (22.15) – Solar; Gloria’s Step; My Man’s Gone Now (21.45)
LP4: All Of You; Alice In Wonderland; *I Loves You Porgy (23.40) – Milestones; Detour Ahead; Waltz For Debby; Jade Visions (25.05)
(1) Bill Evans (p); Scott LaFaro (b); Paul Motian (d). New York, 28 December 1959. (2) New York, 2 February 1961. (3) New York, 23 June 1961. *Bonus tracks from the same sessions.
WaxTime 772357
