Miles Davis - Blue in Green

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 62:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 143,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:37) 1. Blue In Green
( 9:25) 2. So What
( 9:49) 3. Freddie Freeloader
( 2:49) 4. Générique
( 5:44) 5. Milestones
( 4:43) 6. Stella By Light
( 3:01) 7. 'Round Midnight
(11:35) 8. All Blues
( 9:26) 9. Flamenco Sketches

“Blue in Green” is arguably the most beautiful piece of music on Kind of Blue. The ensemble playing reaches new levels of subtlety and transcendence, and the work benefits greatly from the introduction of pianist Bill Evans, one of Miles Davis’ greatest collaborators. Indeed, his piano part is magnificent, and his solo is a masterpiece of his unrivalled lyricism.

The tempo of the tune is audaciously slow, and it’s easy for the listener to think that it will fall apart at any moment. It doesn’t, however, due to the genius of the ensemble. “Blue in Green” is also a greatly important piece; it shows that the values of “cool jazz” can have huge artistic value it’s not just laid-back music for the sake of it, it’s music of extraordinary depth of feeling. By Thomas Ward Miles Blue in Green by Miles Davis - Track Info | AllMusic

Personnel: Miles Davis – trumpet; John Coltrane – tenor saxophone; Bill Evans – piano; Paul Chambers – double bass; Jimmy Cobb – drums

Blue in Green

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Bill Evans - Coffee and Cigarettes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:17
Size: 180,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. Some Other Time
(3:40) 2. Lucky to Be Me
(7:36) 3. Night and Day
(4:54) 4. What Is There to Say
(7:36) 5. Detour Ahead
(6:42) 6. Peace Piece
(4:41) 7. I Wish I Knew
(3:28) 8. Haunted Heart
(5:55) 9. Sweet and Lovely
(4:58) 10. My Foolish Heart
(7:12) 11. My Romance
(3:34) 12. Tenderly
(7:00) 13. Waltz for Debby
(5:54) 14. Young and Foolish

" I remember finding that somehow I had reached a new level of expression in my playing. It had come almost automatically, and I was very anxious about it, afraid I might lose it", Evans said.

One of the new pieces was Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time". Evans started to play an introduction using an ostinato figure. However the pianist spontaneously started to improvise over that harmonic frame, creating the recording that would be named "Peace Piece“.

According to Evans: "What happened was that I started to play the introduction, and it started to get so much of its own feeling and identity that I just figured, well, I'll keep going."

"Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall. I had to change the way the band sounded again for Bill's style by playing different tunes, softer ones at first.“~ Miles Davis

Personnel: Bill Evans - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Philly Joe Jones - drums; Paul Motian- drums

Coffee and Cigarettes

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Lee Konitz - You and Lee

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:37
Size: 77,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs to You)
(4:22)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:14)  3. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:03)  4. I Didn't Know About You
(4:10)  5. You're Clear Out of This World
(3:42)  6. The More I See You
(4:10)  7. You Are Too Beautiful
(4:02)  8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

One of the lesser-known Lee Konitz albums, this LP (which has not been reissued yet on CD) features the altoist joined by six brass and a rhythm section for eight Jimmy Giuffre arrangements. The shouting brass contrasts well with Konitz's cool-toned solos and together they perform eight underplayed standards. Guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans (who are on four songs apiece) are major assets behind Konitz on this pleasing set. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel:   Lee Konitz – alto saxophone; Marky Markowitz – trumpet; Ernie Royal – trumpet;  Phil Sunkel – trumpet;  Eddie Bert – trombone; Billy Byers – trombone; Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone;  Bill Evans – piano;  Jim Hall – guitar;  Sonny Dallas – bass;  Roy Haynes – drums

You and Lee

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Bill Evans & Robben Ford - Common Ground

Styles: Jazz Fusion
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. Ever Ready Sunday
(5:42) 2. Crabshaw Don't Care
(6:26) 3. Sentimental Mode
(8:11) 4. Hearts of Havana
(4:15) 5. Common Ground
(6:11) 6. Passaic
(7:27) 7. Stanley
(6:42) 8. Dennis the Menace
(6:46) 9. The Little Boxer

MPS is proud to announce the release of the newest project by Robben Ford and Bill Evans, called Common Ground on September 30th, 2022. The multiple times Grammy nominees Ford and Evans have shared the stage in Europe, North America and even Japan and already released a collaborative album called The Sun Room together in 2019 (earMUSIC). With the jazz rock album Common Ground they continue their creative relationship as Evans explains.

“Every now and then, like-minded musicians are able to get together in the studio or on the same stage and create interesting music together. It’s the blending of each other’s influences and styles, and the will to create something new and fresh that can turn this ‘creative meeting’ into something special. I believe myself and Robben share that same ideology. We both love all kinds of music whether it’s classic blues, soul, rock and roll, you name it. This openness to combine different kinds of music and create something musical and special is what brought me and Robben together in the first place. Robben composed some of the most inspiring music I’ve played in a long time. Our writing styles blend seamlessly.”

The first single and title track that was digitally released today features the vocals of popular German singer Max Mutzke, who finds the kindest words for this collaboration. “When I was a little boy, I went to Bill Evans concerts with my father. I listened to his music over and over. Bill has always been a musical inspiration for me. Now he is my friend and that is an incredible joy for me. What a great person. At his request, I am singing a song on his and Robben’s album. It's a dream come true.”

Recorded in Nashville, the jazz rock album features a first-class rhythm section with bassist Darryl Jones (recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993 and former sideman of Miles Davis and Sting) and drummer Keith Carlock (currently a touring member of Steely Dan). It was produced by Bill Evans and Clifford Carter, who also took over the piano and organ on the title track.

Robben Ford about the recording: “It’s always a great and sought-after pleasure to work with some of the best musicians in contemporary music, and making this record was for me one of those occasions. We have, each of us, worked with one another in different configurations in the past, so, there is a comfort level in that. But more importantly, everyone involved is a dedicated musician who’s first thought is to make the best music possible in any situation. Such a joy for me, personally, to play with these gents! Bill and I have worked quite a lot together over the past several years. But, the opportunity given to us by Edel to finally document the music has happily resulted in two recordings that we are very proud of the first being “Sun Room" released on earMUSIC and now Common Ground on MPS.

I feel the music presented here is “fresh" in both composition and performance with all of the musicians being versatile, true improvisers and having a strong sense of groove, as well. These are the qualities that make you want to play! I’m so happy to have been a part of what lead to this record.”

About Robben Ford: Robben Ford is an American rock, blues and jazz guitarist. Ex-member of fusion pioneers Yellowjackets, he is admired for his solo works but also known for his collaborations with giants of music like Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and many others. He comes from a generation of Californian musicians who contributed to eliminate boundaries between different genres, often writing and performing timeless music that will stand the test of time.

About Bill Evans: Bill Evans is an American saxophonist, pianist and producer who has recorded 26 solo albums to date. He has played, toured and recorded with artists such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and John McLaughlin to name a few before spending the last 30 years touring with his own groups worldwide and receiving wide recognition as a true renaissance man.
By MPShttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/robben-ford-and-bill-evans-new-album-common-ground-out-on-september-30th-on-mps/

Personnel: Saxophone, Keyboards [Keys] – Bill Evans; Guitar, Mellotron [Mellowtron] – Robben Ford; Bass – Darryl Jones; Drums – Keith Carlock

Common Ground

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Bill Evans - Behind The Dikes: The 1969 Netherlands Recordings Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Behind The Dikes: The 1969 Netherlands Recordings Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:41
Size: 137,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:15) 1. Announcement By Michiel Ruyter
(3:25) 2. You're Gonna Hear From Me
(4:51) 3. Emily
(5:38) 4. Stella By Starlight
(5:03) 5. Turn Out the Stars
(6:11) 6. Waltz For Debby
(6:31) 7. 'Round Midnight
(3:32) 8. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(4:57) 9. Alfie
(6:10) 10. Beautiful Love
(6:27) 11. My Funny Valentine
(4:36) 12. Love Theme From Spartacus

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Album: Behind The Dikes: The 1969 Netherlands Recordings Disc 2
Time: 57:48
Size: 133,1 MB

(4:41) 1. One For Helen
(5:35) 2. Quiet Now
(6:04) 3. Someday My Prince Will Come
(0:46) 4. Announcement By Aad Bos
(5:12) 5. Very Early
(4:57) 6. A Sleepin' Bee
(5:06) 7. Turn Out the Stars
(4:21) 8. Autumn Leaves
(5:34) 9. Quiet Now
(6:04) 10. Nardis
(4:39) 11. Granadas
(4:43) 12. Pavane

Zev Feldman, co-president of Resonance Records, seems to have made it his life's mission to present every unreleased note that pianist Bill Evans ever recorded. Live At Art D'Lugoff's Top Of The Gate (2012), Some Other Time (2016), Another Time: The Hilversum Concert (2017), Evans In England (2019) and Live At Ronnie Scott's (2020) represent the Bill Evans discography on the Resonance Records label, all produced by Feldman. And now 2021 finds Feldman teaming with the Elemental Music label, to release yet another long lost live recording by an Evans trio, Behind the Dikes The 1969 Netherlands Recordings.

This is music that has long been available, in an underground sort of way, on bootleg recordings of sub-standard sound quality something that is problematic in most music, unforgivable in regards to Bill Evans. That has changed with this official release. The sound is crisp and clean, showcasing the pristine and distinctive Evans touch, and the always remarkable interplay with this particular trio, with Evans joined by bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell.

Evans' best trio, with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian that produced the groundbreaking Sunday At the Village Vanguard (1961) and Waltz For Debby (1962), both on Riverside Records was short-lived, due to La Faro's death in a car accident. The pianist's second best trio though some would certainly argue this (and they'd be wrong) is the Evans/Gomez/Morell group, the pianist's longest running trio, together seven years.

The two disc's worth of music come from a pair of performances in 1969 in the Netherlands. The group was in top form, trotting out a triple handful of tunes that were familiar mainstays in the the Evans repertoire "Emily," "Stella By Starlight," "Waltz For Debby," "Autumn Leaves" and more. These are presented by three musicians deep in a comfort zone, navigating bright up-tempo tunes and slipping into introspective reveries and breathtakingly beautiful balladry. The two takes on pianist Denny Zeitlin's "Quiet Now" are as lovely as anything this trio ever recorded, and their rendition of "Someday My Prince Will Come" is as bright and propulsive as can be in a celebratory up-tempo groove, with Morell's joyous shuffling and Gomez' assertive headlong heartbeat.

Listing a top ten of recordings from the trios of Bill Evans is near impossible. There is much superior trio work, and ten is too few slots. So start with the early, previously-mentioned Sunday At the Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby, and then it is wide open. But Behind the Dikes would certainly be a contender.

And before we wrap up, two "bonus tracks" should be mentioned: Disc 2 ends with a "Granadas" and "Pavane," adaptations originally arranged by Claus Ogerman for Bill Evans Trio With Symphony Orchestra (Verve, 1966). Here, Evans is backed by the 50 piece Metropole Orkest on these majestically cerebral performances of music from the classical world.
By Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/behind-the-dikes-the-1969-netherlands-recordings-bill-evans-elemental-music

Personnel: Bill Evans: piano; Eddie Gomez: bass; Marty Morell: drums.

Behind The Dikes: The 1969 Netherlands Recordings Disc 1, Disc 2

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Bill Evans - Morning Glory: The 1973 Concert at the Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 92:03
Size: 212,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:04) 1. Re: Person I Knew
( 6:53) 2. Emily
( 7:59) 3. Who Can I Turn To?
( 7:38) 4. The Two Lonely People
( 5:11) 5. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
( 9:05) 6. My Romance
( 4:33) 7. Morning Glory
( 6:50) 8. Up With the Lark
( 6:20) 9. T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune)
( 6:16) 10. Esta tarde vi llover
(13:35) 11. Beautiful Love
( 7:58) 12. Waltz for Debby
( 4:35) 13. My Foolish Heart

1973 was a time of political volatility and unrest. Argentina's former President Juan Peron was returning to the country after many years in exile. The controversy brought emotions to the surface and created a dangerous environment. Just what three jazz cats didn't need to hear as they made their way to Buenos Aires for a concert. There is an unwritten code of understanding, however, that musicians and athletes are to walk freely. They are artists after all, often considered above the common bourgeois.

Pianist Bill Evans along with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell landed in Buenos Aires with some trepidation, no doubt. They were protected from harm's way and escorted to the Teatro Gran Rex to perform. Oddly the concert was at ten o'clock in the morning due to the extraordinary circumstances in which the country was engulfed.

The trio opened with "Re: Person I Knew." The Evans original was first recorded on his album Moon Beams (Riverside, 1962) and later became the name of a live album, Re: Person I Knew (Fantasy, 1981). Here it served as a chance for each of them to play, get their collective footing, and relax into a comfort zone. As it turned out, any hostility going on was not brought into the concert hall. The crowd was most appreciative and perhaps eager for a temporary escape. "Emily," a tune written for the motion picture The Americanization of Emily (British MGM, 1962) followed wistfully, charming and delighting a most receptive audience. Imagination might see Emily sliding across the floor before Gomez raised the bar with a meaty bass solo. Evans cued into the kicked-up tempo as the trio was now highly engaged in the moment. The classic "Who Can I Turn To?" was reimagined as rousing applause turned to silence to take in Evan's sentimental and soft opening refrain. Gomez and Morell started to pull and punctuate the tune into a more spirited groove, in which both Evans and the crown invested.

It was time for Evans to securely grab the reins. "The Two Lonely People" has become a jazz standard, recorded many times, first appearing on The Bill Evans Album (Columbia, 1971). Here Evans stretches his ample jazz skills, moving in many directions with sumptuous note selections. Gomez and Morell comping well, with Gomez turning a bowed comp into a short duet with Evans. The most handsome rendition is closed by Evans with alternately strong and gentle lines. The enthusiastic crowd got louder as every song ended, but also were completely silent as the music was played. There was a beautiful silence as Evans touched the opening chords to "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life," from the studio album From Left To Right (MGM, 1971). The progressions washed in like a warm summer breeze as the trio embraced the groove and straddled its natural beat. A stunning turn on the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart tune "My Romance" rolled into over nine minutes of bliss. A song that Evans had made his own over the years, recording it on both studio and live albums, was first recorded by Evans on his debut album, New Jazz Conceptions (Riverside, 1957). This time Evans left a lot of space for Gomez and Morell by walking off stage for several minutes. Morell in particular taking advantage of the opportunity for some extensive and feverish drumming.

Evans clearly had a well thought game plan as he chose songs from many of his records and sequenced them for maximum flow. The title track of this live recording, "Mornin'Glory," was introduced as lyrical poetry with the trio shining together in every moment. They continued as one, save for a melodic solo from Gomez, on "Up With The Lark." They moved gently, yet swiftly into the song that soon became a favorite of Evans for live performances. It was debuted earlier in the year in Tokyo and released the following year as The Tokyo Concert (Fantasy, 1974). The complexities of "T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune)" then stopped at every floor of the musical elevator. The dynamic Evans' composition was, and always is, an experiment in time and creativity. The trio dug into the tune from The Bill Evans Album with abandon. A beautiful and well received surprise for the South American crowd was a sincere take on "Esta tarde Vi Llover (This Afternoon I Heard The Rain)." The tune was played with such heart by Evans, with the strength of Gomez, and Morrell's brushwork significant, as they had been throughout the sparkling show. With many in tears, the crowd rose to loud applause as the trio left the stage. It continued until Evans began "Beautiful Love," from the album Explorations (Riverside, 1961). The thirteen minute encore was driven in a multitude of directions, but they all led to the heart and soul of an audience seeking refuge from the storm.

Now with an even deeper appreciation the crowd was boisterous to a frenzy. Even more so when Evans, Gomez, and Morell once again took the stage. "Waltz For Debby," perhaps his most well-known composition, was played with enthusiasm. Evans raced across the keys elevated by the jamming and popping grooves supplied by Gomez and Morell. Evans then went back to 1957 from his first record, New Jazz Conceptions, to wrap it up with gusto for this most deserving audience. Another deafening explosion of applause followed, the trio came back on stage. Perhaps just for a bow this time. But their disbelief became reality when once again Evans sat down on his bench. The trio left the crowd with the endearing "My Foolish Heart." From the record Waltz For Debby (Riverside, 1962), which not surprisingly also featured a second take of "Waltz For Debby," this third, and yes final, encore is significant in that the trio bared their hearts and souls to an audience that had done the same for them.

To be clear, the robust energy and sound from the crowd was always in between songs. You could hear a pin drop while the masters are at work. Evans was indeed in all his glory that historic morning. Gomez would seem to make a solid connection with all the drummers (and there have been many) that he has shared a rhythm section with. Here he was often set free to solo or further engage in the melody. Morell wisely followed the path and rose to the occasion when his number was called. Particularly effective was his brushwork. There are several Bill Evans live albums to enjoy. This two CD effort, whether in spite of or because of the circumstances, has a feel to it that is on to its own. A moment in time that could never be duplicated. That said, Evans returned to Buenos Aires six years later with a different trio. That concert is to be released simultaneously with Morning Glory under the name Inner Spirit (Resonance Records, 2022).By Jim Worsley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/morning-glory-bill-evans-resonance-records

Personnel: Bill Evans: piano; Eddie Gomez: bass; Marty Morell: drums.

Morning Glory: The 1973 Concert at the Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires

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Miles Davis - Miles! Miles! Miles! (Live in Japan)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:56
Size: 161,1 MB
Art: Front

(20:18) 1. Back Seat Betty
( 2:01) 2. Ursula
(15:44) 3. My Man's Gone Now
(12:19) 4. Aida
(12:59) 5. Fat Time
(11:33) 6. Jean-Pierre

Issued in Japan in 1992, a year after Miles' death, this is the complete Tokyo concert from which "Jean-Pierre" was selected for Columbia's We Want Miles album. Ultimately, it adds corroborative detail to the most publicized comeback in jazz history without revealing any startling new facets. The repertoire is a bit different than on the Columbia release; the selections run together in two continuous medleys. "Back Seat Betty," a two-minute "Ursula," "My Man's Gone Now" and "Aida" ("Fast Track") form the first set, and "Fat Time" and "Jean-Pierre" are heard in the second.

The then-frail trumpeter is obviously still groping his way back to form, sounding particularly tentative on "Back Seat Betty," but his vulnerability adds pathos to the reworking of "My Man's Gone Now." His young jazz-funk-rock band, though, is strong and tightly-rehearsed, having settled in after the first few months of Miles' comeback concerts. Guitarist Mike Stern sets the pace for all future Davis guitarists with his rapid-fire metallic crunching, Bill Evans contributes pertinent, if somewhat generic statements on soprano and tenor; drummer Al Foster is adept in funk and straight-ahead styles; and bassist Marcus Miller and percussionist Mino Cinelu fill out the sound. Why this expensive import was issued on two discs when its 75-minute length would easily fit on one is a conundrum that only Sony's accountants can explain.
~Richard S.Ginellhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/miles%21-miles%21-miles%21-live-in-japan-81-mw0000421169

Personnel: Miles Davis – trumpet; Marcus Miller – bass; Bill Evans – soprano saxophone; Mike Stern – guitar; Al Foster – drums; Mino Cinelu – percussion

Miles! Miles! Miles! (Live in Japan)

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Bill Evans Trio - Live In Buenos Aires Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Live In Buenos Aires Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:23
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:34) 1. Stella by Starlight
(8:18) 2. Laurie
(4:58) 3. Theme From MxAxSxH
(5:57) 4. Turn Out the Stars
(6:42) 5. I Do It for Your Love
(7:10) 6. My Romance
(4:42) 7. Letter to Evan

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Album: Live In Buenos Aires Disc 2
Time: 49:53
Size: 114,5 MB

( 7:35) 1. I Loves You Porgy
( 7:23) 2. Up with the Lark
( 4:11) 3. Minha
( 6:48) 4. Someday My Prince will Come
( 6:31) 5. If You Could See Me Now
(17:22) 6. Nardis

This two-CD set features the final edition of the Bill Evans Trio with Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums in a complete concert that originally appeared as a two-LP set on the Yellow Note label. In spite of occasional surface noise resulting from using the earlier records as this set's source material, the music catches the trio during one of its many peaks from their last year of touring together. A rather reserved rendition of "Stella By Starlight" kicks things off, which is a bit of surprise because Evans seemed to prefer his moody "Re: Person I Knew" as an opener during this period.

An excellent version of "Turn Out the Stars," one of Evans' most beloved compositions, is also a first-set highlight. As the second CD gets underway the groove noise proves somewhat distracting during the otherwise quiet beauty of "I Loves You Porgy." A romp through "Someday My Prince Will Come" is followed by the almost obligatory closer "Nardis," in its typically abstract form, with long solos by each of the musicians. Well worth acquiring.Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-buenos-aires-1979-mw0000678039

Personnel: Bill Evans - piano; Marc Johnson - bass; Joe LaBarbera - drums

Live In Buenos Aires Disc 1, Disc 2

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Bill Evans Trio - Live At Casale Monferrato Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Live At Casale Monferrato Disc 1

Styles: Piano Jazz 

Year: 2015

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:23

Size: 97,8 MB

Art: Front

(4:52)  1. Re: Person I Knew

(6:46)  2. Midnight Mood

(4:56)  3. Polka Dots and Moonbeams

(3:58)  4. Theme From MASH

(6:09)  5. A Sleepin' Bee

(5:51)  6. I Do It for Your Love

(9:48)  7. My Romance

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Album: Live At Casale Monferrato Disc 2

Time: 50:33
Size: 116,6 MB

( 3:13)  1. Noelle's Theme
( 6:43)  2. I Loves You Porgy
( 6:37)  3. Up with The Lark
( 5:26)  4. Turn out The Stars
( 5:10)  5. Five
( 4:22)  6. Spring Is Here
(15:21)  7. Nardis
( 3:37)  8. But Beautiful

Casale Monferrato is a town and commune in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy, which is part of the province of Alessandria. It is situated about 60 km east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrato hills. Beyond the river lies the vast plain of the Po valley. The pianist played there with his last trio, which included the aforementioned Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera, who were both very young musicians. According to LaBarbera, the pressure of playing with the celebrated Bill Evans fell mostly on the trio’s bassist, who always had the shadow of the late Scott LaFaro looming over him: “My opinion was that the only stigma placed on a member of Bill’s trio was on the bass player, because of Scott’s legacy. Bill had great drummers over the years, but they never shaped what the trio was doing the way Scott did.

I wanted to be Scott LaFaro, though, I wanted to have that thing going with Bill in every possible way, to have some of that thing for me. I found out later that Bill had no preconceived ideas of what you should do. His bass preferences, for instance, were as diverse as Scott and Percy Heath. He definitely was not looking for people to emulate his earlier groups.” This release presents a beautiful never before released complete live performance by the last incarnation of the Bill Evans Trio. Taped in Italy just a few months before the pianist’s untimely death, its highlights include beautiful solo piano versions of Michel Legrand’s “Noelle’s Theme” and George Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy”.https://jazzmessengersblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/all-tracks-previously-uni/

Personnel: Bill Evans -  piano;  Marc Johnson - Bass;  Joe LaBarbera - Drums

Live At Casale Monferrato Disc 1, Disc 2

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Bill Evans - Quintessence

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:23
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

( 6:08) 1. Sweet Dulcinea Blue
( 8:17) 2. Martina
( 3:45) 3. Second Time Around
( 7:34) 4. A Child Is Born
(10:07) 5. Bass Face
( 7:29) 6. Nobody Else But Me

Bill Evans was such a looming force as a trio pianist that people tend to overlook his achievements in a quintet context. A few sessions made the point throughout his career, though, like this 1976 date that was one of Evans’s personal favorites. With longtime friend Philly Joe Jones plus new-to-Evans associates Harold Land, Kenny Burrell, and Ray Brown, the ensemble is stellar to say the least; and the players strike a comfortably creative groove on a program that includes originals by trumpeters Thad Jones and Kenny Wheeler, plus Burrell’s blowing tune "Bass Face." And how fascinating to hear Ray Brown, the man who defined bass playing in the pre-Evans-trio style, finally making music with the pianist. https://concord.com/concord-albums/quintessence/

Personnel: Piano – Bill Evans; Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Philly Joe Jones; Guitar – Kenny Burrell; Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land

Quintessence

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Bill Evans & Jim Hall - Undercurrent

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 122,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:24) 1. My Funny Valentine
(4:40) 2. I Hear a Rhapsody
(4:34) 3. Dream Gypsy
(5:23) 4. Romain
(5:24) 5. Skating in Central Park
(5:09) 6. Darn That Dream
(5:41) 7. Stairway to the Stars
(4:17) 8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(6:57) 9. My Funny Valentine (Alternate Take)
(5:24) 10. Romain (Alternate Take)

This is the first of two superb albums recorded by Bill Evans, and guitarist Jim Hall, and it was recorded over two sessions in April and May 1962. Arrangements simply for piano and guitar are rare in Jazz, and it is even more seldom that the results are truly inspiring and as musically worthwhile as in this case. It is usual for intuitive musical relationships to develop over a number of years, but here we find two musicians who clearly shared an immediate understanding. Both men are on absolute top form here Bill Evans was on fire throughout the early and mid sixties, nd after the tragic death of his previous musical partner, virtuoso bass player Scott Le Faro (at the age of 23), he was searching for new directions.

Jim Hall is a guitarist of tremendous skill and powerful technique, with a highly developed rhythmic and harmonic sense that shines through on this album. What is so special about the performances here is an almost telepathic anticipation of where the music is heading both musicians contribute equally, and there is a constant exchange of ideas, each reacting to the other with apparent ease, whatever the mood. This is a brilliant jazz album, of great depth and tremendous atmosphere, and both players express some exceptional ideas. Highly recommended.~Dominic L Brown https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3466-undercurrent

Personnel: Piano – Bill Evans; Guitar – Jim Hall

Undercurrent

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Bill Evans - Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Album: Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:16
Size: 175,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:02) 1. Five
(4:13) 2. Woody'N You (Take 2)
(5:53) 3. Young And Foolish
(5:59) 4. Autumn Leaves
(3:35) 5. How Deep Is The Ocean
(5:54) 6. Sweet And Lovely
(5:24) 7. Blue In Green
(4:58) 8. How My Heart Sings
(5:47) 9. Re: Person I Knew
(4:57) 10. My Foolish Heart (Live At The Village Vanguard / 1961)
(6:57) 11. Waltz For Debby (Live At The Village Vanguard / 1961)
(6:10) 12. Gloria's Step (Live At The Village Vanguard / 1961)
(6:25) 13. My Man's Gone Now (Live At The Village Vanguard / 1961)
(5:54) 14. Swedish Pastry (Live At Shelly's Manne-Hole / 1963)

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Album: Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 2
Time: 73:33
Size: 168,7 MB

(4:50) 1. Israel
(6:05) 2. The Peacocks
(5:54) 3. I Believe In You (feat.Shelly Manne)
(4:26) 4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
(3:30) 5. I Will Say Goodbye
(5:51) 6. Turn Out The Stars (Live At The Village Vanguard, 1967)
(3:37) 7. Walkin' Up (Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival, 1968)
(5:44) 8. Very Early (Live At Camp Fortune / 1974)
(3:48) 9. Minha (All Mine) (Live At The Wisconsin Union Theater / 1976)
(9:17) 10. My Romance (Live At L'Espace Cardin, Paris / 1979)
(7:33) 11. Days Of Wine And Roses (Live At The Village Vanguard / 1980)
(5:31) 12. The Touch Of Your Lips (Live At The Keystone Korner / 1980)
(7:20) 13. Someday My Prince Will Come (Live At The Keystone Korner / 1980)

Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 1, Disc 2

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Album: Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 3
Time: 67:34
Size: 155,0 MB

( 6:43) 1. Peace Piece
(10:40) 2. Danny Boy
( 7:12) 3. Make Someone Happy
( 5:07) 4. A Time For Love
( 1:37) 5. Waltz For Debby
( 2:20) 6. The Bad And The Beautiful
( 5:39) 7. N.Y.C.'s No Lark
( 4:56) 8. Emily
( 4:30) 9. Remembering The Rain
( 7:04) 10. I Loves You Porgy (Live At L'Espace Cardin / 1979)
( 4:52) 11. Letter To Evan (Live At L'Espace Cardin / 1979)
( 6:48) 12. Nardis (Live At The Keystone Korner / 1980)

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Album: Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 4
Time: 77:13
Size: 177,1 MB

(5:23) 1. My Funny Valentine
(5:37) 2. A Face Without A Name
(3:57) 3. The Touch Of Your Lips (Vocal Version)
(3:48) 4. I Love You
(6:37) 5. Up With The Lark (Live At L'Espace Cardin / 1979)
(6:29) 6. Funkallero (Live In Antwerp / 1974)
(5:57) 7. Who Cares?
(6:21) 8. Body And Soul
(7:04) 9. You And The Night And The Music
(6:03) 10. Time Remembered
(6:07) 11. Night And Day
(7:34) 12. A Child Is Born
(6:09) 13. Peri's Scope

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Album: Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 5
Time: 60:36
Size: 139,0 MB

( 6:54) 1. Sareen Jurer (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 7:04) 2. Sugar Plum (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 7:43) 3. The Two Lonely People (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:10) 4. T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune) (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:19) 5. Quiet Now (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 6:20) 6. Up With The Lark (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:53) 7. How Deep Is The Ocean (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:26) 8. Blue Serge (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
(10:44) 9. Nardis (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)

Only occasionally do classy looking limited-edition box sets prove to be a triumph of style and substance. Too often they are undermined by cheapskate packaging, over elaborate design, poorly written and researched booklets, inadequate session details or, most egregiously, bizarre (in a bad way) track selections. So it is a more than pleasant surprise when something comes along which succeeds, and succeeds magnificently, on all those fronts. Such an item is Concord Records' Craft imprint's Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans: A Career Retrospective (1956—1980).

The 5-CD set comes in a seriously heavyweight, hard bound, velour wrapped, 12" x 10" portfolio style book with a foil-stamped cover. Inside are the discs and a stitched-in 48-page book. There are some great photographs, but the main event is an essay by the Chicago-based writer and Bill Evans connoisseur Neil Tesser. That is followed by complete session details. The whole shebang was produced Nick Phillips (check the YouTube clip below). The music itself has been newly remastered by Paul Blakemore, and immaculately so: the audio quality is off-the-scale superb.

The first four discs total playing time just under five hours cherry pick some of the greatest work Evans released on Riverside, Milestone, Verve, Warner Bros., Fantasy, Elektra/Musician, The Jazz Alliance, United Artists and Nova Discs. Discs One and Two (Trialogues Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) cover his trio recordings from 1956 to 1980. Disc Three (Monologues) surveys his solo recordings from 1958 to 1980. Disc Four (Dialogues & Confluences) takes in some of his co-headlining and sideperson work from 1962 to 1979. It is here that the only significant omission occurs: there is nothing from Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue (Columbia, 1959). Licensing difficulties, presumably.

Disc Five is the icing on the cake. It contains a recently discovered, previously unreleased, live recording of an hour-long performance Evans gave at the long since defunct Oil Can Harry's, Vancouver in June 1975, with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Eliot Zigmund. The recording appears to have been broadcast once on local radio and then put away in the station's tape archive. The performance contains no previously unrecorded material but most of it was in 1975 quite recently arrived in the set list. Evans had first recorded the opener, Earl Zindars' "Sareen Jurer," in 1974; his own "Sugar Plum," "The Two Lonely People" and "T.T.T." in 1971; and Jerome Kern's "Up With The Lark" in 1972. The other four tunes were familiar Evans fare: Denny Zeitlin's "Quiet Now," Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is The Ocean," Mercer Ellington's "Blue Serge" and, at almost eleven minutes the longest track, Miles Davis' "Nardis," the closer. The group is in terrific form and the sound quality is excellent (take a bow audio restorers Jamie Howarth, John Chester and the aforementioned Paul Blakemore). The performance is also being released on two 180-gram vinyl LPs as On A Friday Evening.Listening to the complete box set, one is reminded that Evans reached his peak of perfection, in a trio format anyway, between 1959 and 1961 with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. But that peak was so lofty that even Evans' lower slopes are heavenly and this well compiled collection contains no lower slopes, only peaks and upper slopes.~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/everybody-still-digs-bill-evans-a-career-retrospective-1956-1980-bill-evans-craft-recordings

Personnel: Bill Evans: piano; Teddy Kotick: bass; Paul Chambers: bass, acoustic; Sam Jones: bass; Scott LaFaro: bass; Chuck Israels: bass, acoustic; Eddie Gomez: bass; Gary Peacock: bass, acoustic; Marc Johnson: bass; Paul Motian: drums; Philly Joe Jones: drums; Larry Bunker: drums; Shelly Manne: drums; Jack DeJohnette: drums; Marty Morell: drums; Joe La Barbera: drums.

Additional Instrumentation: Jim Hall: guitar; Eliot Zigmund: drums; Tony Bennett: vocal; Marian McPartland; piano; Stan Getz: tenor saxophone; Cannonball Adderley: alto saxophone; Percy Heath: bass; Connie Kay: drums; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Zoot Sims: tenor saxophone; Ron Carter: bass; Lee Konitz: alto saxophone; Warne Marsh: tenor saxophone; Harold Land: tenor saxophone; Kenny Burrell: guitar; Ray Brown: bass; Tom Harrell: trumpet; Larry Schneider: tenor saxophone.

Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans Disc 3,4,5

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The Bill Evans Guitar Project - Echoes of Bill

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:10
Size: 58,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:11) 1. Bill's Hit Tune
(4:57) 2. Children's Play Song
(3:48) 3. Twelve Tone Tune
(6:06) 4. Re: Person I Knew
(5:07) 5. Show Type Tune

On July 2, 2000 John Hebert, Bruce Hall, Rez Abbasi and I got together to play some Bill Evans tunes in Bruce Hall's Brooklyn home studio. Bruce was recording into a now-obsolete digital recording platform (mini disc) at the time, there was a lot of mic bleed, small room, mini-disc....it wasn't Avatar. Despite this the end product sounds remarkably good. Bruce did some beautiful playing and some beautiful engineering here. As far as any of us can remember we just got together to record in this two guitar configuration that one time although we had all played together on many different gigs and recording projects...in a lot of ways New York was and is a small town. We were pretty much reading through some Evans tunes, coming up with quick arrangements, recording and moving on to the next tune. It's got a really nice vibe and for all you guitar players, Rez is absolutely burning.

We met at Bruce's house, read through some tunes, hung out afterward, did a lot of bullshitting and for the next 20 years didn't give the recording much thought, if any. Then...about a year ago Bruce remixed the tunes we recorded and sent us all a copy. It was an emotional experience for me to hear this so many years later and I think for the others as well. All the great memories I have of playing with these stellar musicians, all the miles between then and now, the gratitude that I felt and still feel to these musicians that I admire and respect for including me and for the commitment, heart, soul and talent they put into any and all music that they make.I think you can hear all that in this recording. We got it mastered through Gene Paul at GandJ Audio Gene and Joel Kerr did a freaking great job on that.Huge thanks to Bruce Hall for his hosting, playing and engineering.https://thebillevansguitarproject.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-bill

Personnel: Rez Abbasi - Guitar ; Bruce Hall - Drums; John Hébert - Bass; Bruce Saunders - Guitar

Echoes of Bill

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Bill Evans - On A Friday Evening

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:36
Size: 139,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:54) 1. Sareen Jurer (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 7:04) 2. Sugar Plum (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 7:43) 3. The Two Lonely People (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:10) 4. T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune) (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:18) 5. Quiet Now (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 6:20) 6. Up With The Lark (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:53) 7. How Deep Is The Ocean (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
( 5:26) 8. Blue Serge (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)
(10:44) 9. Nardis (Live At Oil Can Harry's / 1975)

Captured in 1975, On a Friday Evening is an engaging and deeply intimate album that finds pianist Bill Evans and his trio in performance at Oil Can Harry's in Vancouver, British Columbia. Recorded by radio host Gary Barclay, the album was initially broadcast on Barclay's CHQM jazz show before languishing unheard for the next 40 years. Fully restored, this 2021 archival release finds Evans backed by one of his best latter-career rhythm sections featuring bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Eliot Zigmund. Radio broadcasts of live concerts were not unheard of in the '60s and '70s, and On a Friday Evening works as a nice companion album to the similar 2017 radio restoration On a Monday Evening, which featured the same lineup and some of the same tunes.

That said, On a Friday Evening is an even better sounding restoration and truly represents the intricate group dynamics and virtuosity they'd developed on tour together. While Gomez had been with Evans since 1968, the trio's warm and enveloping style becomes even more impressive when you realize that drummer Zigmund was barely into his first year with the pianist when they hit the stage at Oil Can Harry's in June of 1975. Together, they play with a lithe focus that balances Evans' close-eyed intensity with moments of lively, contrapuntal group interplay. Particularly enrapturing is their take on "Sugar Plum," which Evans kicks off by himself, anchoring his twirling right-hand lines with steady left-hand chords before Gomez takes his own lyrical solo. We also get equally inspired renditions of such Evans' favorites as "Sareen Jurer," "Quiet Now," and "How Deep Is the Ocean."~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-a-friday-evening-mw0003518440

Personnel: Bill Evans - Piano; Eddie G¢mez - bass; Eliot Zigmund - drums

On A Friday Evening

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Bill Evans - Live at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968/2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 99:41
Size: 230,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. A Sleeping Bee
(3:01) 2. You're Gonna Hear From Me
(4:53) 3. Yesterdays
(4:45) 4. Turn Out the Stars
(5:53) 5. My Man's Gone Now
(4:46) 6. Emily (Version 1)
(4:59) 7. Spring is Here
(5:58) 8. Embraceable You
(4:25) 9. For Heaven's Sake
(6:26) 10. Someday My Prince Will Come
(5:49) 11. Quiet Now
(6:52) 12. Round Midnight
(3:57) 13. Stella By Starlight
(5:24) 14. Alfie
(3:21) 15. You're Gonna Hear From Me (Version 2)
(5:00) 16. Very Early
(4:13) 17. Emily (Version 2)
(4:57) 18. Waltz for Debby
(4:34) 19. Autumn Leaves
(5:20) 20. Nardis

Bill Evans’ Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby are undoubtedly two of the finest-crafted live recordings in jazz; the musicianship is legendary, the recording pristine. Yet listening to Live at Ronnie Scott’s, a “new” live album that captures Evans with his mythic 1968 trio bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette can make those two earlier albums sound a little sterile by comparison.

The 20 tracks heard on Ronnie Scott’s are culled from a multitude of nights over a four-week engagement that the Evans-Gomez-DeJohnette trio had at the London club in 1968, recorded by DeJohnette with a four-track tape machine and a mic set up between the bass and piano. The audio, even after production work by DeJohnette and Zev Feldman, still hisses and audience chatter can be prominent, yet those qualities make this live album feel more alive. Without the formal trappings of an “official” recording, the group can just play; can defy expectation or necessity to let the music take them where it will. On numbers like “Yesterdays,” the drums roar with a raw, almost punkish ferocity, reflecting the trio’s heightening intensity as they entwine in a collectively improvised rapture. Gomez’s fingers dance across the bass strings almost subconsciously, spryly braiding the melody of “Embraceable You” into a balloon animal of a solo that maintains the original’s lightness but holds a captivating new form.

But it’s on “‘Round Midnight” where this trio reaches its zenith. The role of rhythm section was already fluid in Evans’ groups, but here any distinction of timekeeper versus soloist melts away by the song’s two-minute mark. Time is implied, kept by the constant internal pulse of the group as the three musicians thread their own melodies together. A minute later, it’s hard to tell which of them leads as each voice, in constant motion, rises to meet the latest prompt from its fellows.~ Jackson Sinnenberg https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/bill-evans-live-at-ronnie-scotts-resonance/

Personnel: Piano – Bill Evans; Bass – Eddie Gomez; Drums – Jack DeJohnette.

Live at Ronnie Scott's

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Lee Konitz - At the Half Note Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: At the Half Note Disc 1
Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959/2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:52
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(9:16) 1. Palo Alto
(9:17) 2. How About You?
(6:56) 3. My Melancholy Baby
(7:55) 4. Scrapple from the Apple
(7:41) 5. You Stepped out of a Dream
(7:44) 6. 317 E 32nd

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Album: At the Half Note Disc 2
Time: 47:39
Size: 109,5 MB

(8:46) 1. April
(8:11) 2. It’S You or No One
(5:43) 3. Just Friends
(8:33) 4. Baby, Baby All the Time
(8:41) 5. Lennie-Bird
(7:41) 6. Subconscious-Lee

The music on this two-CD set has a strange history. Pianist Lennie Tristano had a rare reunion with altoist Lee Konitz and tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh (his two greatest "students") during an extended stay at the Half Note in 1959. Tristano took Tuesday nights off to teach and Bill Evans was his substitute, but the pianist had a couple of those performances recorded for posterity. While listening to his tapes years later, he was so impressed with Marsh's playing that he sent edited versions (comprised entirely of the tenor man's solos) to Marsh, and somehow they ended up being released in that form by the Revelation label. In 1994, the unedited music was finally issued by Verve; the consistently exciting playing by Konitz, Marsh, and Evans (with backup by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Paul Motian) makes one wonder what took so long. They perform a dozen extended standards (or "originals" based on the chord changes of familiar tunes) with creativity and inspiration. In fact, of all the Konitz-Marsh recordings, this set ranks near the top. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-half-note-mw0000626075

Personnel: Lee Konitz – alto saxophone; Warne Marsh – tenor saxophone; Bill Evans – piano; Jimmy Garrison – bass; Paul Motian – drums

At the Half Note

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Bill Evans - The Alternative Man

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:51
Size: 113,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. The Alternative Man
(4:37)  2. The Path Of Least Resistance
(5:40)  3. Let The Juice Loose
(4:31)  4. Gardiners Garden
(3:24)  5. Survival Of The Fittest
(6:21)  6. Jojo
(5:41)  7. The Cry In Her Eyes
(5:24)  8. Miles Away
(7:23)  9. Flight Of The Falcon

The fact that Bill Evans' years as a Miles Davis sideman had so positive an effect on him is evident on The Alternative Man  an unpredictable fusion date that, although overproduced at times, is full of spirited blowing and adventurous composing. Ranging from the reggae-influenced "The Path of Resistance" to the addictive "Let the Juice Loose!" to the angular "Jojo," Evans' material is consistently impressive. A Michael Brecker disciple but definitely his own man, Evans tends to be robust and aggressive on tenor and more reflective on soprano. Guest John McLaughlin (electric guitar) is characteristically persuasive on the poetic "Flight of the Falcon."~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-alternative-man-mw0000191774

Tracks 5 & 9: Bill Evans - tenor & soprano saxes; Clifford Carter - keyboards; Michell Forman - piano; John McLaughlin - guitar; Mark Egan - bass; Danny Gottlieb - drums; Manolo Badrena - percussion, space tines

Other players include: Hiram Bullock - guitar; Marcus Miller - bass; Al Foster - drums

The Alternative Man

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Tadd Dameron - The Magic Touch

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:37
Size: 85,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:59)  1. On A Misty Night
(4:11)  2. Fontainebleau
(4:54)  3. Just Plain Talking
(3:18)  4. If You Could See Me Now
(2:51)  5. Our Delight
(3:01)  6. Dial B For Beauty
(4:56)  7. Look, Stop And Listen
(3:31)  8. Bevan's Birthday
(3:42)  9. You're A Joy
(3:12) 10. Swift As The Wind

Tadd Dameron is known to proclaim that he became an arranger rather than stay an exclusive instrumentalist because it was the only way he could get his music played. In retrospect, considering his best-known works are widely revered, few of them are frequently played by other bands, and only the finest musicians are able to properly interpret them. Dameron's charts had an ebb and flow that superseded the basic approach of Count Basie, yet were never as quite complicated as Duke Ellington. Coming up in the bop movement, Dameron's music had to have been by definition holding broader artistic harmonics, while allowing for the individuality of his bandmembers. The Magic Touch includes a handful of Dameron's most beloved compositions, as well as those that were more obscure, and have still never been covered. When you look at the sheer talent level of the players on this recording Clark Terry, Charlie Shavers, Joe Wilder, Jimmy Cleveland, Britt Woodman, Julius Watkins, Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson, Johnny Griffin, Bill Evans, Ron Carter, George Duvivier, et al.one has to be in awe of them, and that only Dameron was able to convene such a band of extraordinary jazz performers in their prime. To effectively rein them all in was the trick, keeping solos at a bare minimum, and blending their personalized sounds together so harmoniously. "If You Could See Me Now" is the most famous, the immortal ballad of regret featuring the Sarah Vaughan styled vocal of Barbara Winfield. She also appears on the restrained and serene "You're a Joy." Dameron was known for his wonderfully piquant flute arrangements, with Dodgion, Richardson, and Leo Wright doing the honors, sounding chirpy during "If You Could See Me Now," in wonderfully supple Japanese style trills during "Dial B for Beauty," in staccato bop trim for "Swift as the Wind," or in heightened dramatic, evocative romantic nuances on the classic "Fontainebleau." The other classic standards include the definitive, spirited, cohesive rock 'em sock 'em horn punctuations and the great drumming of Philly Joe Jones for "On a Misty Night," and the direct, simple, hard swinging bop of "Our Delight" charts in most every big band's repertoire. The blues infused "Just Plain Talkin'" take the flutes and alto saxophonist Dodgion to a higher atmospheric level, "Look, Stop & Listen" is a quirky bop managed in choppy horn layers, while "Bevan's Birthday" is a Latin to easy swing and back inversion, triggered by the flutes to go back to the spicy beats. This CD version features several shorter alternate takes, thus increasing the value of the original sessions, not with longer solos, but different improvisational nuances. As close to a definitive recording as Dameron issued, and considering his very small discography, The Magic Touch is a recording that all modern jazz lovers need to own and take further lessons from. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-magic-touch-of-tadd-dameron-mw0000378367

Personnel: Tadd Dameron - Piano, Arranger, Conductor; Clark Terry - Trumpet; Ernie Royal - Trumpet; Charlie Shavers - Trumpet; Joe Wilder - Trumpet; Jimmy Cleveland - Trombone; Britt Woodman - Trombone; Julius Watkins - French Horn; Jerry Dodgion - Alto Sax, Flute; Leo Wright - Alto Sax, Flute; Jerome Richardson - Tenor Sax, Flute; Johnny Griffin - Tenor Sax; Tate Houston - Baritone Sax; Bill Evans - Piano; Ron Carter - Bass; George Duvivier - Bass; Philly Joe Jones - Drums; Barbara Winfield - Vocals

The Magic Touch

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Miles Davis - Star People

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(11:03)  1. Come Get It
(10:07)  2. It Gets Better
( 8:33)  3. Speak
(18:46)  4. Star People
( 5:51)  5. U 'n' l
( 4:30)  6. Star on Cicely

On this 1983 release, Miles Davis rediscovers the blues. He really stretches out on "Star People," making dramatic use of silence and placing each note carefully. "Come Get It" is also memorable although "U 'n' I" (which had the potential to catch on) is only heard in a truncated version. In general Davis is in fine form on this set and, although saxophonist Bill Evans is barely heard from (many of his solos were edited out), the contrasting guitars of Mike Stern and John Scofield hold one's interest. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/star-people-mw0000023240

Personnel: Miles Davis – trumpet, keyboards; John Scofield – electric guitar; Mike Stern – electric guitar; Bill Evans – tenor & soprano saxophone; Marcus Miller – electric bass; Tom Barney – electric bass; Al Foster - drums; Gil Evans – arranger (uncredited)

Star People

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Bill Evans & Lee Konitz - Play The Arrangements Of Jimmy Giuffre

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:29
Size: 172,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. Palo Alto
(5:02)  2. When Your Lover Has Gone
(9:50)  3. Cork'n' Bib
(4:29)  4. Somp'm Outa' Nothin'
(3:36)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:55)  6. Uncharted
(3:59)  7. Moonlight In Vermont
(5:08)  8. The Song Is You
(1:58)  9. Darn That Dream
(4:48) 10. Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs To You)
(4:19) 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:00) 12. I Didn't Know About You
(3:57) 13. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(4:11) 14. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:08) 15. You're Clear Out Of This World
(3:39) 16. The More I See You
(4:12) 17. You Are Too Beautiful

Merged from two brilliant 1959 studio sessions, this disc is, just as the title and artist credits suggest, a showcase for three immense talents. Those expecting to hear the snap-crackle of Roy Haynes' snare or Bob Brookmeyer's punctuated counterpoints after reading the all-star lineup may be surprised to hear them relegated to the background, but any disappointment will end there. The brilliant playing of Konitz and Evans, paired with Jimmy Giuffre's sensitive arrangements, is enough to satisfy any true jazz lover. Assembled for the album Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre, the first band, a quintet of saxophones backed by the rhythmic underpinnings of Evans, bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Ronnie Free, immediately shows its musicality on the angular, quasi-atonal "Palo Alto. After a rundown of the pointillistic Giuffre arrangement, Konitz jumps in and alternately toys with and floats over the buoyantly swinging rhythm section and airy horn backgrounds. Konitz and Evans solo at length on "Somp'm Outa' Nothin', which can only be described as a blues that has a hard time getting off the "one" chord. The arrangement is quintessential Guiffre, with its dense tone clusters and recurring rhythmic pedal; Evans takes incredible liberties with the harmonic structure and shows an early affinity for Monk. Following a chamber-jazz reworking of "Darn That Dream, in which Giuffre masterfully exploits the subtle harmonic movements using a quintet of saxophones, the album is rounded out with a number of tracks from the '59 album You And Lee. Recorded five months after the initial Konitz/Giuffre studio session, this date finds a trio of trumpets and trombones replacing the saxophone section and adding a distinct edge to the music. Konitz is clearly the leader here; his probing, inventive solos are featured throughout the lineup of reworked standards, and the comping work is split by Evans' piano and the earthy guitar of Jim Hall. The tunes, especially "You Don't Know What Love Is, show Konitz at his best. He dazzles the listener with his sensitivity and invention and revels in the shimmering, transparent beauty evoked by Giuffre's arrangements. ~ Matthew Miller https://www.allaboutjazz.com/play-the-arrangements-of-jimmy-giuffre-bill-evans-lone-hill-jazz-review-by-matthew-miller.php?width=1920

Personnel: Band 1: Lee Konitz, Hal McKusick: alto saxophone; Ted Brown, Warne Marsh: tenor saxophone; Jimmy Giuffre: baritone saxophone/arrangements; Bill Evans: piano; Buddy Clark: bass; Ronnie Free: drums.

Band 2: Marky Markowitz, Ernie Royal, Phil Sunkel: trumpet; Eddie Bert, Billy Byers; trombone; Bob Brookmeyer: valve trombone; Lee Konitz: alto saxophone; Bill Evans; piano; Sonny Dallas: bass; Roy Haynes: drums; Jimmy Giuffre: arranger, conductor.

Play The Arrangements Of Jimmy Giuffre

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