Records like this make you wonder if producer Zev Feldman was in a Raymond Chandler novel, as he’s one of the great detectives in finding rare and important vintage jazz recordings. This latest discovery complements last year’s 2 disc set Some Other Time that brought to light “lost” sessions from 1968 that had Bill Evans with the seemingly one-off team of bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Well, lo and behold, Feldman brings us a joyful concert of the trio, recorded at Netherlands Radio Union back in June 22, 1968. It’s a fascinating album, as it barely repeats the material from this band’s other concert album from the same year, and has a much more intimate feel.
Not only that, but it would be fascinating to have interviewed Evans as to his opinion of DeJohnette’s style. The drummer is much more assertive and left of center than his drummers like Paul Motian, Larry Bunker and Joe La Barbera, almost running up Evans’ back on pieces like “ You’re Gonna Hear From Me” while going quite free on “Nardis” before closing out the set with a Muscle Beach finish on “Five.” The reflective pianist seems to thrive on the extroversion, flexing his digital muscles during “Very Early” and “Turn Out The Stars.” Gomez sounds inspired as well, veering in and around like an MG during “Nardis” and strumming out the theme and variations during his aria on “Embraceable You.” A musical template of Tim Harford’s book Messy, this album shows that a drummer that could possibly bring disorder actually stimulates the comfortable mates with a new broom sweeping clean mentality. Another choice for Historical Album of the Year from Resonance.