1966
Town Hall concert pics of the Trio become available
Getty Images, one of the largest photo archives in the world,
has acquired a set of twelve black-and-white photographs of
the 1966 Bill Evans Trio (with Chuck Israels and Arnie Wise)
at Town Hall in NYC, taken in February of that year, the night
of the live recording for Verve. These are previously unreleased
and also show Bill alone backstage. Go
here to view them. (special thanks
to Marc Myers)
NEW
2-CD RELEASE: The Sesjun Radio Shows
See our friend Marc Myers superb review at
jazzwax.com here
(The following info and write-up is courtesy of our
long- time friend Dr. Rob Rejneke. Please visit his
great European Bill Evans site here!)
The
small Dutch village Laren has a long jazz tradition.
More recent jazzpodia are the former Boerenhofstede,
the Singer Museum and Nick Vollebregt's Jazzcafe.
Bill Evans played several times in these locations.
A Dutch public broadcasting organisation (TROS) began
its radio jazz concerts in 1973 under the name SESJUN.
It was broadcast from the Boerenhofstede, and Nick
Vollebregt's Jazzcafe, and became the permanent spot
for a first class series of concerts. With producer
Dick de Winter and Cees Schrama as broadcasters, the
program became very popular. These radio programs
have been broadcast by more than 200 public radio
stations in the USA and Canada. This CD is a compilation
of recordings from 1973, 1975 and 1979 with
Eddie Gomez, Eliot Zigmund, Marc Johnson, Joe LaBarbera
and Toots Thielemans. Perfect audio quality!
Read
Will Layman's great new REVIEW
at popmatters.com
Here's
the
amazon,com link.. and cduniverse.com
Disk
1
1.
Up With the Lark
2. Time Remembered
3. T.T.T.
4. The Two Lonely People
5. Some Other Time
6. Sugar Plum
7. Sareen Jurer
8. Morning Glory
9. T.T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune Two)
10. Blue Serge |
Disk 2
1.
If You Could See Me Now
2. My Romance
3. Laurie
4. Nardis
5. Blue in Green
6. Days of Wine and roses
7. I Do it For Your Love
8. Bluesette
9. Five
|
Special
thanks also to Mike Harris for important corrections!
|
NEW
CD set: Top of the Gate- new 'live' in NYC Bill Evans Trio
1968
SEE
THE VIDEO PROMO VIDEO HERE
NOT
a boot! From Resonance Records: Recorded October 23, 1968,
at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate. NYC, and featuring
Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums.
TWO
complete never before released sets, all previously unheard
performances, including one of Marty Morell's first gigs with
the trio! The only Bill Evans recording ever released from
The Village Gate, NYC!
 See
the new COVER STORY on Bill and this CD in the new Sept. 2012
DOWNBEAT issue!
Digitally remastered from the original tapes, recorded and
mixed 'live' providing stellar sound and clarity. This CD
set features rare tracks (in some cases recorded live with
the Bill Evans trio for the very first time). Deluxe 2- CD
deluxe digi-pack contains a 28 page booklet with essays by
Eddie Gomez, Marty Morell, Nat Hentoff, Gary Burton, George
Klabin and Art D'Lugoff's son, Raphael D'Lugoff.
(Read
a substantial review at the "Second Disc"
website here)
Includes iconic photos by Tom Copi, Jan Persson, Raymond Ross,
Fred Seligo, & Herb Snitzer.Also includes Interesting
historical documents including contracts, postcards, family
photos and more!
Read Marc Myers' WALL ST.JOURNAL piece here,
and the even better piece
he did for his JazzWax site here.)
The
complete JAZZ 625 TV performance (1965) now FREE
online
The trio with
Chuck Israels, bass and Larry Bunker, drums. Recorded live
by the BBC in London, March 19, 1965. If you've never seen
this great performance, now's your chance to view the whole
thing!
From openculture.com
LINK
Set
One:
“Five,”
by Bill Evans, “Elsa,” by Earl Zindars, “Summertime,”
by George Gershwin, “Come Rain or Come Shine,”
by Harold Arlen, “My Foolish Heart,” by Victor
Young, “Re: Person I Knew,” by Bill Evans, “Israel,”
by Johnny Carisi, “Five,” by Bill Evans (reprise)
Set
Two:
“Five,”
by Bill Evans, “How My Heart Sings,” by Earl Zindars,
“Nardis,” by Miles Davis, “Who Can I Turn
To?” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, “Someday
My Prince Will Come,” by Frank Churchill, “How
Deep is the Ocean?” by Bill Evans, “Five,”
by Bill Evans (reprise)
"The
Two Brothers as I Knew Them -
Harry and Bill Evans" - by Harry's widow Pat
A
brief but thoroughly engaging account of the loving
relationship between Bill Evans and his older brother (and pianist/teacher)
Harry. It's by Pat Evans, who was married to Harry and observed
Bill and his brother close-up over many years. As serious Evans
fans know, the two had an abiding life-long affinity and Bill
was all but destroyed when Harry took his own life in 1978,
and his drug use increased. You'll enjoy this and only wish
there was more. Some rare photos are included. (Opens up to
a .pdf, which you can instantly print into an 11-page document)
Bill
Evans Posters and Photos
 Perhaps
the most asked question I get in email is where can one obtain
high-quality photos and posters of Bill Evans. Keep in mind
that like music, the photos taken of Bill in his lifetime
are the copyrighted and individually-owned work of the photographers
who took them (or their respective estates) Thus, only photographers
or their agents or representatives, or those licensed to market
these photos may do so. This is one reason why this site has
never sold, or will sell or otherwise distribute Evans photographs.
However,
this
site -- allposters.com offers several photos (primarily
album covers, framed and not framed that may be exactly what
some of you have been looking for. (the link will take you
right to the Bill Evans page there.
Check
them out, and happy hunting!
"The
Big Love: Life and Death with Bill Evans" - Two reviews
Here's our
new review by bassist / Evans scholar Win Hinkle
(By the way, Win's Bill Evans blog
is back. Check it out!)
Here's
our new review by John Varrallo
Most of you know about Laurie Verchomin, Bill Evans' girlfriend
with whom he lived in the last year and a half of his life.
Her new book about her coming of age and her times with Bill
is now available. Laurie is offering a special Collector's
Edition of the book, with a beautiful reproduction of a humorous
and intriguing drawing Bill did. (Guitarist extraordinaire
and Evans aficiando John McLaughlin wrote the book's introduction!)
She decribes all this in more detail on a video (and how to
get the book) at her website, laurieverchomin.com..
THE BIG LOVE is now also
available on amazon.com
Definitely take a look, you'll be fascinated!
DON"T
FORGET to check out Marc Myers' interiew and backround of
Laurie HERE
Breakfast
with Bill Evans
 The
allaboutjazz.com editor, Michael Ricci (a great guy, by the
way) emailed me to say that AAJ is running a rare 1979
interview with Bill Evans. It was done by
Bob Kenselaar over breakfast (Bill made omelettes) at his Fort
Lee, NJ apartment in 1979. It's agreat read, and you'd be foolish
to miss it. Thanks to Mike and Bob for their nice notes, too!
GET OVER TO JAZZWAX.COM
WHERE MARC MYERS WRITE ABOUT BILL's 1976 PERFORMANCE WITH HIS
TRIO AT CARNEGIE HALL AND WITH TONY BENNETT. AND WHERE TO HEAR
IT, TOO!
RECENT
CD : 1977 trio 'live', but with Eliot Zigmund and Chuck
Israels!
This release contains a rare Bill Evans performance issued for
the first time ever. The unique formations consists of Evan’s
drummer of the period, Eliot Zigmund, plus bassist Chuck Israels,
who had left the trio in 1966. This was a very special reunion,
as was the program, which included some songs rarely recorded
by Evans during his final years, like Summertime, Some Other
Time, and I Loves You Porgy. No other recorded testimony exists
of this exact formation of Evans’ trio!
Personnel:
BILL
EVANS, piano
CHUCK ISRAELS, bass
ELIOT ZIGMUND, drums
Recorded at the Eastman Theatre, Eastman School of Music, Rochester,
New York, Autumn 1977.
Label:
RLR 88663
Release date: April 12, 2011
Tracks:
01.
Announcement by Bill Evans
02. Emily
03. Time Remembered
04. Summertime;
05. In Your Own Sweet Way
06. I Loves You Porgy
07. Up With The Lark
08. Some Other Time,
09. My Romance
"Eddie
Gomez had made his last recording with Evans, but he continued
to play in the trio for a few more months. In autumn 1977 a
date at the Eastman School of Music at Rochester, New York,
was scheduled. But Gomez had a recording session fixed in California
and was unable to play. Evans asked his former bassist Chuck
Israels to fill in and, confident that the problem was solved,
discussed repertoire with him on the flight from New York City."
(from Peter Pettiger’s Bill Evans biography How My
Heart Sings)
(Import. Try
here.) The site overstock.com
has it for about eleven dollars (USA)
"Five
Ways to Play Like Bill Evans" by Andy Laverne
 PIANO
PLAYERS TAKE NOTE: The January 2011 issue of Keyboard Magazine
has a good piece by our friend, the pianist, teacher and recording
artist Andy
Laverne, as titled above. Not than anyone can really
"play like Bill Evans" per se, but Andy shows us some
valuable useful examples of Bill's tools, like the ascending
triads used in a tune like "Re: Person I Knew" (though
not named as such in the piece), some inner voice movement,
and a few rich examples of some techniques Evans used in building
his lines. VERY worthwhile -- and luckily,
it is now all online!
If you get confused while trying to decyper the haphazard-looking
musical examples, keep it in mind to click on them and they
each open much larger in another window. Audio examples are
there as well, completing the package.
This is another example of the fine work Andy has done on BIll's
music over several decades as a Keyboard Magazine contributor
(not to mention his recordings and music books)! It's a rare
thing to see lessons like this on the web, so take advantage
of it, and check it out!
CD: "The Very Last Performance" - and a guest review
 A
surreptitiously taped copy of the September 10th, 1980 Bill
Evans Trio performance (his very last one) has been floating
around for a few years, a copy of which an anonymous site visitor
sent me, unsolicted, sometime ago..
The
sets, recorded at NYC's long-gone Fat Tuesday's (five days before
the end) show Evans at a frighteningly high creative and totally
genius level -- even without considering what we now know about
the details of his rapid deteriortion then. (He called in sick
the next day and the fine pianist Andy
Laverne finished the week out, and Bill passed on
that Sunday the15th)
Marc Johnson on bass plays almost miraculously, anticipating
and landing squarely on the pianist's often unpredictable chord
movements and tempo shifts in reubato. Sound is adequate, but
the piano is clear and clean, if not a but mid-rangey, according
to several sources. But what a performance!
I
haven't heard THIS release, though I can tell you that the.copy
of the gig that I have runs fast, and unforgiveably so. It is
horrendous, harmomically, to have to hear "My Foolish Heart"
in Bb, and "Your Story" in Ab, let alone the speed
issue.
BUYER BEWARE: Two Evans experts I know and trust contacted
me to the effect that“Like Someone in Love” and
“If You Could See Me Now” are the same recordings
that appear on the "Turn Out the Stars" Village Vanguard
June 1980 sessions. An analysis was done with sophisticated
audio software that proves it. Who knows what ELSE is real or
fabricated on this CD!?
Note
(2/21/11) : I got an email from our friend Eric Min-Tung in
France. This is the "writeup" from the circulated
tape of this now-on-CD recording:
304
Bill Evans Trio, The Last Date, 9/10/80
Recorded live at Fat Tuesdays, NYC, Wednesday, September 10,
1980. Bill Evans died on Monday, September 15, 1980.Bill Evans
piano, Marc Johnson bass, Joe LaBarbera drums. This was the
first night of a five night engagement. Bill called in sick
on the second night and Andy LaVerne was called by the club
manager to fill in for him. This is from a tape of unknown origin
and is poor quality, probably a small cassette recorder placed
on the floor of the bandstand with automatic gain control. The
tape is very bass cassette recorder placed on the floor of the
bandstand with automatic gain control. The tape is very bass
heavy and boomy. The order of tunes was edited by someone. This
is not the original order.
304/1 My Foolish Heart 3:58
304/2 Letter to Evan 5:10
304/3 Polka Dots And Moonbeams (first set?) 6:15
304/4 Polka Dots And Moonbeams (second set?) 5:50
304/5 Like Someone In Love 6:21
304/6 Your Story 3:52
304/7 Tiffany 5:19
304/8 Time Remembered 5:38
304/9 Turn Out The Stars 6:13
304/10 If You Could See Me Now 6:10
304/11 Bill's Hit Tune (first set?) 7:39
304/12 Bill's Hit Tune (second set?) 8:44
304/13 I Do It For Your Love 5:28
304/14 Knit For Mary F (first set?) 6:13
304/15 Knit For Mary F (second set?) 6:21
304/16 Laurie 6:52
304/17 Nardis 16:17
304/18 The Two Lonely People 7:41
304/19 But Not For Me 8:43
|
Video:
Bill Evans and Tony Bennett on Johnny Carson's "Tonight"
Show
 Catch
this one before it is gone: It is a snippet of
the Tony Bennett conversations with Clint Eastwood
wherein the topic is the famous "Tony Bennett/Bill Evans"
album. Mr. Bennett along with Martin Scorsese, Bill Charlap, Jonathan
Schwartz and others discuss the famous pairing with Bill on the iconic
album.
It also features part of the October 27, 1975 appearance on Johnny
Carson's "Tonight" show when they performed Cy Coleman's
"When In Rome".
Annie Ross (of famed vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross) is
credited by Tony as having had the idea for the album. Also interesting
that Clint Eastwood mentions in passing that he apparently knows Bill's
son, Evan Evans.
(Special thanks to Bruce Branigan for this item!)
CD:
BILL EVANS TRIO "Live at LuLu Whites" (1979)
 This
CD was released by Gambit (Spain) on March 30. It's taken from
a 'live' LuLu White's jazz club appearance in Boston of the
Bill Evans Trio (Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera) and was beautifully
recorded in stereo by Boston, MA jazz station WBGH-FM on October
30, 1979. It is very good sounding recording and the
trio performs quite inspiredly and engaged. Bill sounds quite
focused, clearly inspired and simply superb. The session serves
as an outstanding example of the "last trio" in their
prime in the intimate setting of a typical city jazz club of
the time) . Why doesn't a legitimate AMERICAN record company
put this out? Five stars!
The tunes:
RE: PERSON I KNEW (4:10), MIDNIGHT MOOD (6:00), THE PEACOCKS
(6:30), THEME FROM M.A.S.H. (4:35), LAURIE (8:01 ), UP WITH
THE LARK (6:07), I'M GETTIN' SENTIMENTAL OVER YOU (4:33), I
DO IT FOR YOUR LOVE (6:08 ), MY ROMANCE (8:58)
Right
now, see this cduniverse.com
page for the album, which has a much better price for this
import than does
amazon.com.
|
| Rare
Bill Evans Interview In
case you missed the broadcast of Ross Porter's dynamic and revealing,
rare late 70s interview with Bill Evans, you now can hear it
as a podcast at Jazz.FM91 here. Just check the box to the right
of the last item on the list and click the blue play button.
The
Wall Street Journal's Bill Evans article -
Read
this wonderful tribute written
by our friend , the esteemed jazz critic Doug Ramsey here.
For a little more (and a Desmond-Evans anecdote, see Doug's
blog (which you should do every day, anyway, jazz
lovers!)
Read
the Bill Evans tributes from September here, Including
a never-before published photo of Bill. Tributes by Andy Laverne,
Jack Reilly, Brian Hennessey, Mike Harris, Dr. Rob Rijneke,
Bruce Branigan and more.
|
The
Scott LaFaro book and CD
 The
Pieces of Jade CD features material previously
unavailable to American audiences. Among the highlights is
a rare glimpse inside the creative process with LaFaro in
an extended practice session with Bill Evans, both
of them working through a standard they practically owned,
"My Foolish Heart." Also included are five selections recorded
in New York City during 1961 that showcase LaFaro with pianist
Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca. Also
featured is a more recent Friedman composition dedicated to
the bassist, entitled Memories for Scotty,
as well as a rare 13-minute Bill Evans interview.
Don Friedman, piano (1-5,8) Scott LaFaro, bass (1-5) Pete LaRoca,
drums (1-5) Recorded in New York City 1961 (1-5) Track 6, Bill
Evans and LaFaro.Track 8 recorded by George Klabin. More
info and sound samples here.
And
check out allaboutjazz.com's
review here.
Make
sure you check out Doug
Ramsey's excellent piece "Listen To The Bass Player:
Part 6, Scott LaFaro" for some excellent perspective on
the great bassist. He includes some intriguing and little known
quotes from Bill
Evans. It's
all part of a series that inclues some incisive material on
Paul Chambers. Red Mitchell and other pioneers of the acoustic
bass.
 Jade
Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro
(by Helene LaFaro-Fernandez, Introduction by Gene Lees, University
of North Texas Press, 352 pp.) is
now available This book is is the first biography of one
of the twentieth century’s most influential jazz musicians
and bassists. Best known for his landmark recordings with Bill
Evans, LaFaro played bass a mere seven years before his life
and career were tragically cut short by an automobile accident
in July 1961, when he was only 25 years old.
LaFaro’s sister and well-known musicians and jazz experts
(like the late Gene Lees, Eddie Gomez, Marc Johnson, the late
Bud Shank, Ornette Coleman and many more tell the musician’s
story and reflect on his amazing legacy. His early life is well-chronicled,
as is his work with Coleman, Victor Feldman, Stan Getz and others,
including, of course his defining work with the Bill Evans Trio.
There are many photos (none with Bill, oddly) and a disography.
Several chapters explain (with musical examples) Scottie's revolutionary
technique and musical contribution ot the music's history. A
well-written, hearfelt and rather thorough
biography. Recommended!
New
CD: The Complete Bill Evans -Tony Scott
  :
"All known performances with Bill performing with Tony together
here on one CD" says cduniverse.com.
Let's' face it, the "Lone Hill" label (from Spain) hasn't had
the best track record in accurately labeling its recordings
and even names of tracks. Researching through the Evans discography,
all tracks from the following titles that should have been on
the set, ifit can be called "complete." Such a collection would
have to include all material from : The Touch of Tony Scott
(RCA Victor LPM 1353) July 1956, The Complete Tony Scott
(RCA Victor LPM 1452) Dec. 1956, Free Blown Jazz (Carlton STLP
12 113) Nov. 1957, My Kind of Jazz /(Perfect PL 12010),
The Modern Art of Jazz / (Seeco CLP 425) Nov. 1957, Golden
Moments /(Muse MR 5230) Aug.1959, Sung Heroes / (Sunnyside
SSC1015 D) Oct 1959 with Bill, Scott Lafaro and Paul Motian.
However,
of course, they do not.
Thanks
to our longtime friends Eric Min-Tung in France and Dr. Rob
Rijneke in The Netherlands, here is the lowdown on all the tracks
in the set. Although there are some rarities hard to find, the
CD title itself is definitely deceptive by using the word "complete".
But with Lonehill (In Spain, where copyright and public domain
laws and regulations are very different than those of the USA,,
we can't say we're surprised. Buyer
beware.
*
Walkin'
* I Can't Get Started
* Free And Easy Blues
* My Melancholy Baby
* Stella By Starlight
* I'll Remember April
* A Night In Tunisia
* Garrison's Raiders
* Misery
*Requiem For 'Hot Lips' Page
*Blues For An African Friend
*Five
* There Will Never Be Another You
* If I'm Lucky (I'll Be The One)
*A Shoulder To Cry On
* Deep Purple
* Aeolian Drinkin' Song
*Round Midnight
* Vanilla Frosting On A Beef Pie
* For Stefan Wolpe
* Israel
* Like Someone In Love
TONY SCOTT -clarinet
BILL EVANS- piano
on all tracks, plus
CD1: Jimmy Garrison (b), Pete La Roca (d).
The Showplace, New York, August 1 & 9, 1959.
CD 2, 1-3: Scott LaFaro (b), Paul Motian (d).
New York, October 28-29, 1959.
CD 2, 4-7: Henry Grimes (b on 4-6),
Milt Hinton (b on 7), Paul Motian (d).
New York, ca. November 16, 1957.
CD 2, 8-11: Les Grinage (b), Lennie McBrowne (d).
New York, July 6, 1956.
*Bonus tracks:
CD2, 12-13: Same as CD2, 1-3, except bass and
drums omitted. These are Bill Evans-Tony Scott duets.
CD2, 14: Same as CD1, except Tony Scott omitted;
It
is assumed that LoneHill (or any other company putting out such
products, have settled for royalties with the Evans estate and
others involved. Thus, we do not endorse nor recommend
products that have not done so, and we provide any patriculars
as a public service strictly for informational purposes only.
DVD
- Trio and Umbria and Hamburg Quartet
 NEW
DVD: BILL EVANS TRIO 1978: UMBRIA/1972: (QUARTET with
HERB GELLER in HAMBURG)
This release from a European company known as Disconforme
(?) presents two performances by Bill Evans for the first
time ever on DVD. First, live at the Umbria Jazz festival,
Umbria, Italy, July 19, 1978, and a rehearsal filmed for
German TV with reedman Herb Geller in Hamburg, 1972. Some
of this footage has been floating around on YouTube for
a while (as noted here a few months back) but the 1978
trio with Philly Joe is rare. It's an import, and I held
off a few weeks after hearing it was out, since I saw
no American outlet offering it at the time.
Now it appears on amazon.com,
but only being sold by resellers (Price: about $18.00)
and at cduniverse.com for a little less.
Umbria Jazz Festival: (with Marc Johnson, bass
and Philly Joe Jones, drums; Lee Konitz appears on alto
sax)DVD TRACKS:
01.
The Peacocks 6:10
02. Theme From Mash 4:38
03. Midnight Mood 5:20
04. Nardis/Announcement by Bill Evans 8:00
05.
Solar [incomplete] 4:18
Studio
Rehearsal, Funkhaus, Hamburg, Germany, February 12, 1972.
(with Herb Geller, piccolo flute/alto flute/sax, Eddie
Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums.)
06.
Waltz for Dissention [Geller-piccolo flute] 4:27
07. Stockenhagen [Geller-alto flute] 5:41
08. What Is This Thing Called Love? [Geller-alto
sax] 4:47
09. Sao Paulo [Geller-alto flute] 1:42
10. Northern Trail [Geller-alto flute] 8:50
|
The
Complete Tony Bennett - Bill Evans recordings CD
 A
sublime 2-CD collection that spotlights the iconic song stylist
dueting with the legendary jazz pianist from their two albums recorded
in 1975 & 1976. Disc 1 combines the originally issued recordings,
The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album and Together Again
(originally on Bennett's own now-defunct IMPROV
label) with two bonus tracks. Disc 2 features alternate takes from
both sessions. Originally produced by Evans manager Helen Keane,
the remastered compilations is produced by Nick Phillips with new
liner notes by Will Friedwald. For lots more information on the
tracks and more. See
Concord Record's page on the CD here.Read
a brand new and rather "personal" review by
Will Layman at popmatters.com
CD
(import): The Bill Evans Trio 'Live' in Paris, 1974
Released
on the infamous Gambit (Spain) label, this performance was recorded
live in Paris, August 1974 with Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell, It was
originally released on LP back in the 1980s as Bill Evans Trio
Live in Europe, Vol. 1 (EPM Musique FDC 5712) and Vol. 2 (EPM
Musique FDC 5713)
Only 10 of the
total 21 tracks are here on the CD, and are as follows: 1. Up With
The Lark (6:29), 2. 34 Skidoo (7:23), 3. Quiet Now (4:48), 4. Twelve
Tone Tune (3:46),
5. Midnight Mood
(6:22), 6. Sugar Plum (4:10), 7. If You Could See Me Now (6:07), 8.
The Two Lonely People (5:48), 9. Waltz For Debby (4:59), 10. Goodbye
(3:31) Total Time: 53:27
(Ordering info
at
cduniverse.com here)
(Our thanks to
our friend Dr. Rob Rijneke from the Netherlands for updated info)
See
the exclusive interview with LAURIE VERCHOMIN (Bill's
girlfriend, who spent his last eighteen months with him) by Marc Myers
on his blog,
. Lots of personal revelations, and several surprises. It ran in five
parts, MON -FRI (AUG. 21). withmore
detailed or new information, filling in some gaps about Evans' final
months. Do not miss this one. And if you haven't seen it yet, here
is Laurie's own exclusive-to-our-site article, "September
15, 1980" from
her forthcoming book.
Bill
Evans - Concert DVD: the "Jazz Icons" series
See
our DVD review by special guest contributor
MIKE ("Secret Sessions") HARRIS
NAXOS
and Reelin' in the Years Productions has released this excellent
DVD as part of its highly acclaimed "Jazz
Icons" series. (the six other releases in the series include
Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Nina Simone,
Lionel Hampton and Rahsaan Roland Kirk -- all are sold separately,
of course.)
- There
are five filmed Evans trio performances (including a tune with jazz
legend Lee Konitz sitting in) from between 1964 and 1975. Two of
these (the longer ones!) have rarely been seen, as far I know --
and we finally get to see drummer Eliot
Zigmund with the trio. The whole package is beautifully done,
and jazz fans will be quite pleased with the attention to detail
and the obvious care that went into this effort. The set includes
a beautiful 23-page booklet with rare photos and essays, including
a new interview with Chuck Israels as well as Maxine Evans. (see
the "Jazz Icons"dedicated site for the Bill
Evans DVD here, for extensive details,
and preview - it's quite a treat!)
Below
is a list of the performances and the what, where and who.
Order
it now, you don't want to be without this one!
PERFORMANCES
ON THE DVD:
 1.
My Foolish Heart
2. Israel
Sweden September 29, 1964 -with Chuck Israels (bass) ,
Larry Bunker (drums) 3.
Detour Ahead
4. My Melancholy Baby (featuring Lee Konitz -alto sax)
France 1965 - with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass),
Alan Dawson (drums) 5. Emily
6. Alfie
7. Someday My Prince Will Come
Denmark 1970 - Eddie Gomez (bass), Marty Morrell (drums)
-
8.
If You Could See Me Now
9. 'Round Midnight
10. Someday My Prince Will Come
11. Sleepin' Bee
12. You're Gonna Hear From Me
13. Re: Person I Knew
Sweden, February 20, 1970 -with Eddie Gomez (bass)
, Marty Morrell (drums) |
14.
Sareen Jurer
15. Blue Serge
16. Up With The Lark
17. But Beautiful
18. Twelve Tone Tune Two
Denmark 1975 (in studio) -with Eddie Gomez (bass)
, Eliot Zigmund (drums)
|
(Images
courtesy of Reelin in the Years Productions, LLC and Naxos. All
rights reserved.)
THE
OSLO CONCERTS: This DVD was released in January by
Koch International. First is a 31 -minute, October 1966
concert with Eddie Gomez on bass and Alex Riel on drums
(same one as the Japanese DVD release "Autumn
Leaves: Live -66" )
Next is the August 1980 Molde Jazz Festival appearance
with Johnson and LaBarbera (plus the post-concert interview,
the full version which we published here).
Both performances have not been available in the USA until
now.
The Molde concert is an absolute must if you haven't
seen it -- this version of "Your Story" alone
(clip above) is worth the modest price, not to mention
the deep and exploratory, tour-de-force of "Nardis".
The audience looks mesmerized.
You'll be too!
Ejazzlines has a great price: $18.99 (USA)
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THE MARTY MORELL INTERVIEWS - In part
two, Bill Evans drummer (from 1966-74) Marty Morell reveals
more in this interview with webmaster Jan Stevens about his years working
with Bill, the hassle when Stan Getz' sat in on tour with the trio in
Europe, the "Living Time" album fiasco, why he left
the trio, the Evans legacy, the music, his current projects and his
CD, and much, much more. Fascinating stuff!
(If you missed it, here's part
one.)
Last
but hopefully not least ... ONE OF OUR VERY FIRST ITEMS AFTER WE CHANGED
OUR DOMAIN NAME-- the NYC Bill Evans Tribute Concert in
2000
A masterful review by our friend, jazz
enthusiast and Evans fan extraordinaire Bruce Branigan. The 2000 concert
featured pianists Marian McPartland, Bill Charlap, Dick Hyman, Fred
Hirsch, Jack Reilly and
your humble webmaster, Jan Stevens..
ATTENTION
MUSICIANS! DON'T FORGET THESE FINE MUSIC BOOKS OF BILL EVANS SOLOS
AND TRANSCRIPTIONS. They are published by TRO, Inc. and available
through Hal Leonard Publishing and other music outlets!
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