In partnership with Bill Evans’ estate, Resonance Records has once again brought out from the mines a gold cache of vintage previously unreleased material of Bill Evans’ music. This time around, he’s with his long-time team of bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell, recorded in concert at Ronnie Scott’s back in December, 1969. Besides the wonderful music, you get interviews with Morell and Gomez and photos from the era, adding to the delight.
But the real joy is in the wonderful music that comes to your ears. The sound quality is good if a tinge bright, but that’s like complaining about finding more photos of Rita Hayworth. Evans is in buoyant form, with a bopping take of “ Our Love Is Here To Stay” with his fingers undulating with wanderlust on “The Two Lonely People.” He produces quite a bit of material from his classic Village Vanguard ’61 recordings, and his growth is palpable on a rich “My Foolish Heart” and sublime “Waltz For Debby.” His days with Miles Davis are referenced in a rich and moody take of “’Round Midnight” and for extra pleasure, he gives a wonderful surprise with a reading of “So What” that has Gomez in a kind of blue mood. Other pleasant surprises are a crooning “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” and a starlit “Sugar Plum.” This two disc set is like a musical version of the play Our Town; a seemingly insignificant night that is captured, which in retrospect we now realized the classic importance of it.