Customer Reviews

Alone Again

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

 

 

...and no, I don't throw the term 'genius' around lightly. Bill Evans is definitely in that category. During his lifetime, Evans gifted to his listening public some of the most lyrical, melodic, and at the same time exploratory and innovative piano playing ever recorded. Every aspect of his recorded output -- his various group recordings, his two duo recordings with Tony Bennett, and his two solo outings -- reveals the depths of his virtuosity, of the feeling and understanding he had for the music he played.

The tunes here are all well-known -- under Evans' touch, they are all gently sung by his instrument, then lovingly expanded upon, layer upon layer, revealing the harmonic and rhythmic components that add up to the whole we usually experience. The pure joy to which Bill Evans gave himself through his music shines out of these pieces -- we can hear the joy and wonder in his soul as he takes these tunes into his hands to show us (and himself) the beauty they contain. Throughout all of this, his love of the melody is always present -- the spiraling flights he takes from this foundation always return to it in the end, for the melody is the core of the song.

This is one of those recordings that I find myself returning to again and again as the years go by (it was recorded in 1975), always astounded at its timeless quality, always finding some new twist or phrase that I had never heard before.

The notes on the cd cover mention that Evans was reluctant to record alone -- convincing him to do this album was probably the most difficult thing about the project for producer Helen Keane. Bill Evans' heart, soul and hands did the rest.

While fascinating to Evans fans and jazz piano devotees, this album would probably not be the best place to start when building your Bill Evans collection. That said, it is quite an intriguing outing, and one of only two solo albums Evans officially released in his career. Here we find him getting deeply engaged in cascading layers of harmony and rhythm as he fully explores the potential of each tune here. The most vigorous workout is given to, of all songs, "People"... about 15 minutes of variation and modulation, building in complexity and then subsiding to tender balladry. "Tour-de-force" may be the best way to describe it, it also happens to be remarkably beautiful in a very original way.

For me, this recording ranks as one of the greatest in the solo piano idiom. Each song is essentially "in a vacuum", meaning that there are no lapses of continuity. The recording quality is typical of Fantasy label's piano sound of the time-heavy emphasis on the upper frequency range, but not shrill. As has been mentioned already, "People" is a tour-de-force rendering and is a must listen for all jazz piano enthusiasts. It should also be mentioned that Evans modulates the key in each arrangement, which adds depth and interest.

Having listened to "Alone", the two Tony Bennett duets, and the live Montreux CD a lot before buying "Alone Again", I got what I expected, plus a few suprises. Two words distinquish "Alone Again"'s version of "The Touch of Your Lips" from other Evans renditions of this song - "quirky" and "erratic". The quirky parts include unusually dissonant (unusual for Evans; certainly not for Thelonius Monk) voicings that pop out from time to time. These new spices in the old recipe make Evans' approach to this song new again.

The erratic characterization is more debatable. A significant hesitation in the song seems out of place, as if Evans had to collect his thoughts. A couple of runs lack the seamless quality that I expected, but they could just as easily be described as more of the aforesaid quirkiness added to this rendition. The sense I get of this song is Evans enjoying his freedom to show off without restraint where there are no other musicians to upstage.

The other particularly remarkable song is "People". The level of technique, musicianship and engergy thrown into this song are nothing short of astonishing. This song gets a truly epic workout from Evans. From the swirling, growling virtuoso left hand parts to the urgent rubatos, this song runs through a vast array of moods - all of them treated with dignity and lack of caricature. I'm still digging into the Evans library myself, but I have to believe that this performance was a landmark in his career. It might be a little dense for the Evans neophyte, but for the "more is better" fan, it is definitely Evans turned up to "11".

Comparing "Alone Again" to "Alone", "Alone" seems to be more consistent quality, while "Alone Again" has piano acrobatics, greater musical peaks, and a few lulls that "Alone" does not. "Alone" shows some of the best sustained quality that Evans can produce, while "Alone Again" shows some of the best moments that he can create. Both deserve a listen.

Here Bill seems ecstatic and effervescent. All tracks are standard ballads and he keeps to the melodies. The session was digitally remastered and is as clear as a bell. This is definitely one of my top ten favorites of Bill Evans. And ditto for his wonderful collaboration session CD with Marian McPartland where he demonstrates his remarkable technique of "displacement". Five Stars for both. A winner. Enjoy.