Bill Evans (4)

TONY SCOTT - SUNG HEROES (1959)

Featuring Bill Evans.

1. Misery
2. Portrait of Anne Frank
3. Remembrance of Art Tatum
4. Requiem for Hot Lips Page
5. Blues for An African Friend
6. For Stefan Wolpe
7. Israel
8. Memory of My Father
9. Lament to Manolete

Tony Scott (cl, p, g, bs)
Bill Evans (p)
Scott LaFaro (b)
Paul Motian (d)

1959, October 28, 29 - USA, NYC - Fine Studio
[tracks 1-8]

Tony scott (cl)
Juan Sastre (g)
1958 - USA, NYC
[track 9]

BILL EVANS - NEW JAZZ CONCEPTIONS (1956)

1. I Love You
2. Five
3. I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)
4. Conception
5. Easy Living
6. Displacement
7. Speak Low
8. Waltz for Debby
9. Our Delight
10. My Romance
11. No Cover, No Minimum
12. No Cover, No Minimum (take 1).

This groundbreaking recording was the first to feature then-unknown Bill Evans as a leader, and it also introduced a trio format of piano, bass, and drums, which would become Evans's standard format for playing and recording. NEW JAZZ CONCEPTIONS, recorded when Evans was just 26, merges his articulate, vigorous playing with the music of fellow Tony Scott Quartet musicians Teddy Kotick on bass and the extroverted Paul Motian on drums. The album's four original compositions include "Five," a witty, complicated song which makes clever use of the chords from "I Got Rhythm," and the disjointed, slightly off-kilter "Displacement," a study in a common Evans theme of playing against the meter and around the beat of a composition. The most remarkable material is the wonderfully eloquent piano solo, "Waltz for Debby," written for Evans's niece, which became perhaps the most renowned classic of his musical career.Q (6/00, p.132) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Plinks along pleasantly enough, without dispelling the feeling that it would go down better with some chicken in a basket..."

Bill Evans - Yesterday I Heard the Rain (1972)

01. Up with the Lark .
02. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? .
03. My Romance .
04. Emily .
05. Yesterday I Heard the Rain .
06. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) .
07. Some Other Time .
08. Autumn Leaves .
09. Someday My Prince Will Come .

Bill Evans is at the top of his game with this 1972 live set, evidently recorded for broadcast in Europe, though no details about the source, venue, or exact date are included. Joined by bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell, the pianist sticks exclusively to standards, a good mix of light-hearted, lyrical, and moody numbers, though surprisingly, none of his originals. Unlike later in the decade, Evans doesn't extend any of the performances very far, with the longest being "My Romance" that runs just over nine minutes. Gomez is featured extensively while Morell's light brushwork is the perfect accent behind Evans. The track that is not as common in the pianist's repertoire is Cole Porter's "Yesterday I Heard the Rain," where Evans is especially lyrical. Issued by the now-defunct Bandstand before being reissued elsewhere, this enjoyable CD will be somewhat hard to acquire. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi

BILL EVANS - BIG FUN (2003)

1. Big Fun
2. Road to Bilbao
3. Catch You When You Fall
4. Houdou Basin
5. For What It's Worth
6. Midnight Creeper
7. That's That!
8. Blues for Stanley
9. Real Heroes
10. Street Corner Man

Shining a light on the underappreciated jazz-funk idiom that was fiercely popular in the '50s and '60s, saxophonist Bill Evans profiles his amazing talent on ten great songs that comprise Big Fun. The songs also provide interesting vehicles for such creative musicians as Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Ricky Peterson on Hammond B-3 organ, Hiram Bullock on guitar, among others. Special guests Randy Brecker, Robben Ford, Les McCann, Mickey Raphael, and Willie Nelson have found ample material on which to shine -- especially "Catch You When You Fall," which features McCann providing his sly, earthy vocals, and "For What It's Worth," which features Nelson still carrying the message represented in Buffalo Springfield's huge hit and by the political activists of the '60s. Unfortunately the message espoused by "For What It's Worth" is still very relevant in this new millenium. Evans' saxophone work is sensational on "Real Heroes." He expertly captures the personality of the 9-11 American tragedy with a lyrically haunting perspective. His assessment of the importance of music within that emotionally charged time is the most evocative of the ten songs on this program. "Blues for Stanley" is also noteworthy. Evans' original intention was to record the song with the tenor saxophone legend Stanley Turrentine. However, Turrentine passed away before they could record it. Evans replaced the tenor saxophone part intended for Turrentine with Hiram Bullock's splendid guitar work and the resulting paean to the subject is outstanding. Music enthusiasts whose scope includes the jazz-funk idiom with lots of groove and infectious funk should consider Big Fun essential for their collections. ~ Paula Edelstein, All Music Guide