Another discovery by jazz detective Zev Feldman comes to light in this two disc collection of Bill Evans material. Unlike other of the releases that usually captured a single concert or studio session, this one spans a handful of years (1965-69), and in a variety of incarnations and settings, ranging from solo to complete jazz trio and orchestra.–
Most jazz fans think of Evans only in terms of his initial trio recordings with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro and then jump to his last trio with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera, leap frogging over the score of years and sessions between. The mid sixties definitely saw Evans in a searching mode, but this is what makes artists grow, and the challenges Evans faced pushed him to seek out new ideas and outlets.
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For instance, his series of solo pieces here from 1965 in Copenhagen are deeply Debussy-esque in feel. The lily pad impressionism of “Time Remembered” and “Come Rain Or Come Shine” is viscerally enticing, while his ectomorphic left hand stretches out richly on “My Funny Valentine”. Bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson is the constant in 1965 gigs in Denmark, alternating with drummers Alan Dawson or Alex Riel for stately takes of “Beautiful Love” and “Who Can I Turn To?” that keep the solos fairly concise.
Longtime bassist Eddie Gomez takes over for everything else, with drummer Monty Morell for some stretching out trio work such as “Autumn Leaves” and “Nardis” that let the bassist stretch out, and a ringer of a read of Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” with Alex Riel sitting in at the drums.
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Speaking of ringers, there is an orchestral suite in seven parts with The Royal Danish Symphony and Danish Radio Big Band that included ex-pats Sahib Shihab/reeds and Idrees Sulieman/tp as well as local legend Jesper Thilo/woodwinds for elegiac takes of “Waltz For Debby”, “Time Remembered” and “My Bells” before both Evans and Gomez get a chance to deliver ebullient arias.
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Evans at this stage is not as experimentally agonizing as in his earliest trios, or apocalyptically searching as in the latter days. Still, he is an artist looking for new ideas and environs, and the land of both Hans Christian Anderson and Soren Kierkegaard.
There is an accompanying booklet with lots of insight and tribute from the likes of Gomez, Riel, and trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, who is well featured in the suite. The words, as well as the sounds, fill in a lot of gaps.
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