Treasures - Solo, Trio & Orchestral Records from Denmark (1965-69)

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The second disc contains later trio recordings, this time featuring bassist Eddie Gomez, eventually the pianist’s longest-tenured collaborator, along with drummers Alex Riel (on the ’66 set) and Marty Morell (from a ’69 session).

Danish drummer Alex Riel commands the chair for the next five trio runs, nearly a month later, and Evans and Pedersen haven't missed a beat, alloying "I Should Care," "Very Early," and "Waltz for Debby" with a pristine optimism and a joy for playing. Highlights of the collection include trio performances from 1965 featuring legendary Danish jazz bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; the only solo piano version of 'My Funny Valentine' by Evans known to exist; a 1966 orchestral suite performed with the Evans trio accompanied by the Danish Radio Big Bandconducted by trumpeter/arranger Palle Mikkelborg; and much more! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The first section finds Evans in two different trios he worked with for a short time, and running through tunes he played frequently—standards like “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and “Beautiful Love,” along with a couple of standards Evans wrote himself, “Very Early” and the immortal “Waltz for Debby,” which appears three times in this collection. An official Elemental Music release in collaboration with the Bill Evans Estate, Treasures is truly a ’holy grail’ discovery culled from the private collection of Danish jazz musician Ole Matthiessen and being released for the very first time as a limited-edition 180-gram 3-LP set.The pieces for orchestra were arranged by trumpeter and composer Palle Mikkelborg and recorded in 1969, and included Evans compositions along with this album’s title track, written explicitly for the performance. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today. Bill Evans is well established in the jazz firmament, and the treasures on this recording are a testament to his lofty placement. Bill Evans sets such as Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) seemingly fall from the heavens on a regular basis. Refreshing surprises include a perky and cheerful take on In a Sentimental Mood (which, like My Funny Valentine, is a tune that in the wrong hands tends towards the maudlin).

While the ’60s and ’70s were a time of rupture in jazz, with the rise of free improv and fusion, Evans mostly worked within relatively narrow parameters—acoustic post-bop played with trios, some solos, a few duos, an occasional date with a larger band. Overall, the dynamics of the Evans/NHØP/Dawson line-up are more extravert than what one might expect of a Bill Evans trio – for example, the opening Come Rain or Shine is muscular and up-tempo, and Someday My Prince Will Come is cheerful and bold, with Evans playing hard and NHØP delivering a springy yet fluid solo. Re: Person I Knew’ displays Evans’s left-hand playing spare partial chords that march up and down the scale as his right hand deftly picks out notes that shimmer, dance, and sound even more lively than his solemn left hand. I think of his solo material as something apart from his small-group work, unlike, say, Thelonious Monk, whose musical personality is more unified. type": "paragraph"}, {"id": "Ebt7JZHhcN", "data": {"text": "The beautifully designed triple gatefold LP set showcases previously unpublished photos by Jan Persson from Evans' Danish tours, as well as insightful liner notes by acclaimed author, journalist and Evans scholar, Marc Myers, plus interviews and statements from Danish drummer Alex Riel, music journalist, Danish producer and Evans discographer Peter Larsen, Palle Mikkelborg, Evans' long- time trio-mates - bassist Eddie Gomezand drummer Marty Morell, and pianists Ran Blakeand Matthew Shipp.It was the year in which Gomez started his long stint as Evans’s bassist, but it sounds almost as if Gomez is the leader, Evans often happy to make space for a bass solo straight after the head and Riel largely in the background – although quite prominent on a relatively short Nardis that closes the set. Handpicked Selection – Includes eight carefully chosen recordings that represent the pinnacle of Bill Evans’ musicianship. These recordings capture the trios at the height of Evans’s foray into leading a trio that listened and responded to each other rather than the supportive musicians leaning back and accompanying the piano. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. Too aptly named, Treasures is an archival release featuring recordings that pianist, composer, and musical icon Bill Evans made for Danish radio between 1965 and 1969.

The performances with two different trios, two orchestras, and Evans solo at the piano all display his masterful musicianship and perceptive ears. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The trio keeps up and decorates and never gets in the way, and the song ends as beautifully as it begins. The six unaccompanied piano pieces from November 1969 are a wonderful bonus and give an indication of where Evans’ head was at the time (in a good place, on this evidence) – and the version of ‘My Funny Valentine’ is just killer.

The emotion in his playing comes from that inner world exploration as his fingers match the tone of his piano keys to each emotion his quest uncovers. Pitchfork may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. And given that some jazz reissues are cobbled-together bootlegs with a scratchy, muffled sound quality to match, the big question is whether these recordings are (to use that most damning of clichés) ‘for completists only’. Tracks A1 to A3 recorded at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen, October 31, 1965.