Customer Reviews

1960 Birdland Sessions

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For our biggest pleasure, here we are with a rare recording which stayed out of sight for a long time. Just a few people could pretend to have heard this magnificent recording by legendary Bill Evans. These sessions at Birdland in march and april 1960 were recorded directly from broadcast at the famous club. Bill Evans (piano), Scott La Faro(bass) and Paul Motian don't need to be introduced. Bill plays like a monster ! To me, he seems freer than on the village vanguard sessions! These sessions are too important to be ignored and the speaker does not interrupt the pianist, and the pieces are not shunted. We owe a big debt to Jordi Pujol (Fresh Sound Label) who signed the liner notes. The sound is okay. Standards are played : Three versions of Autumn Leaves, Our Delight (Tadd Dameron) played at furia speed, Beautiful Love with the wonderful toucher of Bill, Scott La Faro seems to take more risks than on The famous Village Vanguard Sessions the next year. You shall also find superb versions of Speak Low (rendered at a supersonic speed!!!), All of You, Come rain or come shine, Nardis, and Blue in Green (moving). This recording is for completists and all fans of Bill Evans. Magic ! A true moment's happiness. I hesitate though between 4 and 5 stars because of the speaker : it doesn't sound like a record but rather like a document.

The sound quality here really does get in the way--how sad to contemplate what would have happened if the trio was properly recorded on this date! That said, once you become accustomed to the background noise and general muddiness the performances really shine through. LaFaro's solos are longer and more intense here than on the Vanguard recordings, and the interplay between the three has never been more evident.

Having read the 3 prior reviews, numerous times, I delayed purchasing the album for a couple weeks. That was a mistake (but thankfully not a major one) - I strongly recommend this album. The sound is not nearly as dire as noted in the 2 of the other reviews - better than "ok" in my opinion: the artists work cuts through the chatter in the club easily. R Frederic describes the playing quite well (at least as well as words could possibly capture it) - here we find a more energized approach from the First Trio. LaFaro's explorations and Evans' response are more extroverted (and truly exceptional) - with Motian playing a more rhythmic role than in the Vanguard sessions (not in any way taking away from his masterful playing). This is Bill Evans at his best in 1960 - over a year before the Vanguard June `61 date. To cut through it all - These recordings are the second of only two live recordings of the First Trio at work: Why would there be any debate over the merit of spending ~$30 to own these?

Folks, as a former professional bassist, who idolized the pioneers, such as Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus, Scotty LaFaro, to name the first three who come to mind, this is a brilliant example of what true jazz mastery is - not only of the bass, but the piano and drums = in short, the integrated trio, with ALL members interconnecting!! I've run across(and played with a few)musicians who were all "chops"-techniques and the ability to run changes fluently and fluidly; however, the musicians i've listened to and played with who impressed me the most, were those who (despite potential technical issues or whatever) played with a GREAT FEEL(ING)!!!....because if a jazz musician can't/doesn't elicit strong feelings in the listener, what purpose is being served by technique and all the rest???!!
the three musicians on this disc are the epitome of what jazz is really about, and the background "noise" as some have described it, to me merely lends a crucial "ambiance" to the authenticness of the recording; much like keith jarrett's humming distracts lots of folks, to me it's an essential part of tuning in to his emotions, thus elevating mine!! again, that's what jazz is about at the core....not worrying about an announcer or audience rumblings...who gives a hoot about that...this music, this trio rises so far above all that, a true affecionado will embrace ALL of it!!! this music and trio is above and beyond......masterpieces....

This album requires repeated listening. After a few close listens with good headphones or good speakers, you will finally get a hand of these tunes and be rewarded by the amazing interplay of Bill Evans and Scott Lafaro. Paul Motian is more on the drums and less on the brushes here. Evans and Lafaro both are more extroverted than on the Village Vanguard recordings. Once you get used to the sound quality, these recordings are a treasure. Like a previos person said, it is an acquired taste, and it's more like a document than an album. But nevertheless amazing and worth getting if you truly are a fan.

Bill Evans didn't lead the first great piano trio. (Nat King Cole's piano, guitar, and bass trio first recorded in the 1940s.) But when most jazz aficionados think of piano trios, Evans springs immediately to mind. Between 1956 and 1980 Evans led several regular trios, all of which consisted of piano, acoustic bass, and drums. Although none of his groups was less than outstanding, the trio with the intuitive, impeccably tasteful drumming of Paul Motian and the magnificent lead bass of Scott LaFaro is probably the most loved Trio of all. Sadly, it was also the least recorded of Evans's groups.

Arguably the most influential bassist since Jimmy Blanton of Duke Ellington's mighty band, LaFaro pushed the boundaries of the instrument and elevated it from bottom/timekeeper into a legitimate solo instrument with all the improvisational freedom normally accorded traditional lead instruments. By the time of his tragic death ten days after the seminal June 25, 1961 Village Vanguard recordings, LaFaro had made himself into one of the greatest of all jazz musicians, irrespective of the instrument. The world of music would never hear anyone quite like him again.

Emceed by Symphony Sid Torin, these Birdland performances from March 12, March 19, and April 30, 1960 were first heard in radio broadcasts; consequently, the audio quality (mono) isn't up to the level of the contemporaneous (stereo) Riverside recordings by Orrin Keepnews. Nevertheless, all three instruments can be clearly heard in the cozy, sometimes noisy, ambiance of the club, and the quality of the musicians' playing is uniformly excellent, as might be expected. The music on this CD is a precious commodity, since it's one of the few existing recordings of this groundbreaking trio. After over a dozen satisfied listens, I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you love the Bill Evans Trio with LaFaro and Motian, you won't be disappointed.

The other reviewers of this CD are far too kind (probably because they would love another great LaFaro/Evans Album) but you can not rate this album highly because the talking among the audience is far too audible. At times I checked and adjusted my stereo, only to conclude that the noise that was distracting me was on the recording.