Today we celebrate the birth of Bill Evans. A fitting album of his to enjoy, and one of my personal favorites, is one that marks somewhat of a rebirth for Evans on the jazz scene, “The Tokyo Concert“. This prodigious album was recorded January 20, 1973 at Yubin Chokin Hall in Tokyo. Bill Evans’ second great trio is in tow with Eddie Gomez on double bass and Marty Morell on drums. Critically acclaimed, this concert was described by Evans’ producer, Helen Keane, as a perfect one.
Bill Evans Trio with Herb Geller at the NDR Jazz Workshop, 1972. The NDR Jazz Workshop was a concert series established 1958 by public German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
The rebirth comes in the form of Evans’ personal appearance and material. He was described by Kiyoshi Koyama, a noted Japanese jazz critic, as wearing a tailored black tuxedo with a bright pink dress shirt. Evans was known to only wear dark colors, never drawing attention to himself. His change in outward appearance seems to coordinate with his new association with the Fantasy label, a relationship that would prove fruitful.
For a better understanding of the man behind the music, I recommend reading “Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings,” a biography by Peter Pettinger on Yale University Press.
Aside from his appearance he brought new material to the stage that night—”Mornin’ Glory,” “Up with the Lark,” Yesterday I Heard the Rain,” “When Autumn Comes,” “T.T.T.T.,” and “Hullo Bolinas” were all new additions. Along with Evans’ staples like “Gloria’s Step” and “My Romance” this album is really well rounded with typically introspective ballads, swinging burners and extended solos.
Bill Evans Trio, 1974 (From left: Eddie Gomez, Bill Evans, Marty Morell)
Packed with lilting, joyous songs like Bobbie Gentry’s “Mornin’ Glory” and Jerome Kern’s “Up With the Lark” it’s hard not to sit through repeat listenings. The trio operates in unison and lives up to their storied past throughout this outing. A very unique composition to note is “T.T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune Two)” which describes the work in that it consists of 12 measures utilizing the 12-tone scale. It was quite a feat to get through this demanding track in one take—especially for Eddie Gomez’s role on double bass.
So, if you’re a Bill Evans novice, a longtime fan of his first trio or just haven’t had the pleasure of listening to this gem—do so, it would be a great tribute to a jazz giant and gentleman.
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After suffering the impacts of the pandemic, namely unemployment and quarantine, I, like many others, have afforded myself some time. And time is definitely something one can use more of when collecting jazz. So, with this extra time at home I’ve been able to take stock of my personal collection. To be fair, it’s not one of those vast collections where you need a separate listening room or zip code to appreciate. It’s relatively modest but stocked with artists and labels that I believe merit repeated listening.
Like many other collectors, my entrée into Hard Bop was Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers on Blue Note Records. My first jazz album purchase was “At the Cafe Bohemia – Volume One”. I have to confess, not knowing much about the genre at the time and being a designer, I chose it simply for its typographic cover—a decision I never regretted. Thank you, John Hermansader.
As for the actual recordings, I’m one of those collectors who, for the most part, sticks to certain labels for the bulk of his collection. ECM and Blue Note Records are great examples of this approach. Rule of thumb, if you find one or two artists you really enjoy on one label there’s a good chance you’ll find more—appreciation through chance discovery. Although with certain artists, Bill Evans for example, labels matter less. If you follow an artist throughout his or her career you’ll find that oftentimes they skip around—usually pursuing the best contract or more creative freedom.
A true visionary in every sense of the word, Miles Davis trailblazed the far reaches of jazz. His second great quintet, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, represents the quintessential modern jazz group in my book—conceptual, explorative and intelligent.
As with Bill Evans, you’ll find a fanbase that rallies around a particular period in the recording career of an artist. Take the distinguished career of Miles Davis, there are diehard fans of Miles’ first great quintet and their associated record label, Prestige. Others may gravitate toward Miles’ second great quintet on Columbia Records or his later electric outings on the same label. John Coltrane is another artist who produced many divided camps. He had a successful early solo career on Prestige and Blue Note, then moved to Atlantic with his first great quartet in the early-60s, and then Impulse! Records in the mid-60s which found him exploring more avant-garde avenues with personnel that would prove to be in flux.
The often imitated Bill Evans has made his way back into my collection for over twenty years. One can easily hear echoes of Evans in the works of many contemporary artists. His years on the Riverside label with his first trio are still one of my favorite periods of his—romantic, subtle and introspective. If you’re not already familiar with Evans, try spinning a couple of his critically-acclaimed albums, “Portrait in Jazz” (1960) and “Sunday at the Village Vanguard” (1961).
If you’re a completist, like myself, you’ll collect from every recording period of a favorite artist—oftentimes picking and choosing particular albums based on year recorded, personnel or audio fidelity. Bill Evans, one of my perennial favorites, definitely falls into the multi-period, multi-label category. His first trio on the Riverside label, featuring Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums, defined the gold standard for jazz trios. A deft and cohesive unit famous for anticipating each others’ actions. After the untimely death of bassist, Scott LaFaro (one of my personal jazz heroes), Bill Evans began to move around with solo and trio stints on Verve, Blue Note, Fantasy and Warner. There are hardcore first trio fans who only swear by the early Riverside recordings as a measure of Bill Evans’ improvisational genius. As for myself, I can appreciate all his outings, be it solo, trio or third stream. If you find an artist who really hits a chord you’ll follow him or her anywhere.
If you’re a completist, like myself, you’ll collect from every recording period of a favorite artist—oftentimes picking and choosing particular albums based on year recorded, personnel or audio fidelity.
Keith Jarrett, a virtuoso pianist with an uncanny ability to improvise lengthy solo concerts, gained his global following on the ECM label. Although he led groundbreaking groups, including his long-lived trio, he became best known for his solo output. His massive “Sun Bear Concerts” 1978 box set, showcasing over six-and-a-half hours of very personal music, is an achievement hard to be matched by any performing artist, past or present.
By following an artist from one label to another one can also experience the creative growth an artist achieves. Some Coltrane fans lament his move to Impulse! Records as it would eventually showcase his interest in spiritualism and the avant-garde which, regrettably, shed some of his followers who were only interested in his modal music. Another artist who would truly come into his own because of his association with a particular label is Keith Jarrett. His early career as sideman to jazz masters Art Blakey, Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis on various labels would eventually jettison him to a famed solo career starting at Atlantic Records in the late-60s. But it wasn’t till his move to ECM in 1971, for an astonishing 49-year partnership, where he would flourish and rise to international fame with unprecedented live solo recordings such as Solo Concerts: Bremen and Lausanne(1973), The Köln Concert(1975), The Sun Bear Concerts(1976/78), and Concerts: Bregenz/München (1982).
So, be it artist-centric or label-centric, starting and maintaining a jazz collection will always prove fruitful, especially if the listener devotes time to enjoy the fruits.
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