Customer Reviews

Explorations

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is difficult to overstate the quality of Bill Evans playing. I have been listening seriously to jazz for over 30 years and I do not believe there is a more consistent artist than Bill Evans. The quality of his work is astonishing, session after session, especially the recordings he did for Riverside. Explorations is deep, swinging and melodic, as are so many of his dates. This session is of particularly high quality, and the version of Nardis is just wonderful. This guy has the ability to play unique versions of every tune he approaches -- his ability to project the inner essence of a song is unmatched. Every cut on this session is great, as the trio is in fine form.

...the average number of stars should be *five*.

There, that's better.

I'm a huge Bill Evans aficionado, and love his work from every period of his career. The earlyish period of '58-'61, in which this one falls, was undeniably the pinnacle, though, and this LP is, to me, hands-down the definitive Bill Evans studio album. This same band's work on the Village Vanguard recordings (captured on _Sunday at the Village Vanguard_ and _Waltz for Debby_) actually surpasses _Explorations_, I think, but as a regular studio LP, this one should be duly recognized as one of those absolutely perfect jazz albums, in company with such as Miles Davis' _Kind of Blue_, John Coltrane's _Giant Steps_, and Wayne Shorter's _Speak No Evil_.

The sound quality is crystalline, the playing flawless yet soulful, and on top of all that, it's the classic trio with LaFaro and Motian. The track selection just couldn't be improved upon: there's the melodic drive of tunes that sound like they were written for Bill Evans like "Israel" and "Nardis," ravishing ballads like "Haunted Heart" and "Elsa," and more playful tunes like "Beautiful Love" and "The Boy Next Door." You get the whole spectrum of Evans' magic here. Hopefully you already know of the transcendant musical genius of Bill Evans' piano artistry, and if you're looking for where to start or what's essential, let me just say this: this is *it*.

Some prefer Evans' Portrait in Jazz or Sunday at the Village, but for me, this is the greatest recording by Evans and his all time best trio: Paul Motian on drums and the too soon gone Scott LaFaro on bass. The peaks here for me are the opening number, Israel, which seems to start almost in mid-tune, and Nardis, which is credited to Miles Davis, but became a Bill Evans theme throughout his career.

If you have a CD Walkman, this is a great CD to listen to while you walk or run.

Bill Evans had a full career and made many great albums. Scott Lafaro died tragically young not long after this was recorded. Fans of the bass playing may want to look for a neat little CD, The Arrival of Victor Feldman, one of the precious few LaFaro recordings.

This is probably my favorite Bill Evans record. Scott Lafaro's playing compliments Bill's wonderfully, as the two interact throughout the entire disc. Paul Motian's drumming is subtle and superb, a perfect fit for the tunes and the other two guys. This album was recorded in '61, 4 months prior to the Vanguard recordings. There isn't a bad tune or a "skippable" tune on the disc. Even while some of the tunes are up tempo (at least for Bill), the album remains soft and subtle. You could study this album for a year, put it on while having guests for dinner, or fall asleep to it. Rarely does such an album have so many wonderful qualities to it.

there is probably never going to be another piano trio like this one. scott lafaro on bass, bill evans on piano, and paul motain on drums is the perfect combination. this album beautifully captures what Evans called their "simultaneous" improvisation sound. but, unlike many improvising act, no one steps on the other. scott lafaro was a true virtuoso and his death at the age of 26 was a terrible happening for jazz and the music world in general. if you like this i also recommend the other three albums with this classic bill evans trio: Waltz for Debbie, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Portait in Jazz. you will not regret buying any of them.

I agree that this is the finest work by one of the finest in Jazz. Bill Evans and his team play at their highest level of focus and lyricism. Listen to Bill's solo on the opening number: the lines are so simple, yet telling us a very beautiful, possibly painful, story. He develops this story with such mastery, he makes it seem as though it was the only possible way. For those who have dug this album as deeply as I, each solo has become it's own composition. This album is very spiritual and amazing. LISTEN!

This was the first Bill Evans "first trio" recording with Evans-LaFaro-Motian I ever listened to and I was instantly attached to it. You can't say enough about Evans' piano playing here. It's immaculate. This was made about eighteen months into the trio's existence, and by now they had developed a nice rapport.

Evans' versatility is apparant on this recording. He can be slow (Haunted Heart) , upbeat (Israel, Sweet and Lovely), or even at moments outwardly funky (How Deep is the Ocean?). My personal favorite is probably Elsa. Even the composer of that song, Earl Zindars, agrees that Evans played it best and after he heard it he wrote all his future compositions with Evans's playing in mind. 2nd favorite is How Deep is the Ocean.

If you have a subwoofer, turn it up and listen to the marvelous bass playing of Scott LaFaro. What is amazing is that around the time of this recording, Evans and LaFaro were rumored to be at odds, but their playing is still harmonious as can be. LaFaro's regular bass had been sent for repair, so for this recording he uses a different one that had a mediocre high register, but a MARVELOUS low register. So the bass is deep and booming.

I also urge you to buy the live recordings "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" and "Waltz for Debby" from this trio, arguably the 2 greatest trio recordings ever.

Explorations is one of the top best works of music ever made in the world and certainly in the USA. I had been out of the jazz loop for a while so I let my guard down and I bought this copy for less than 10 bucks without thinking that, just because out there, there is a CD version of an LP form the past, doesn't mean that it is going to be a good one. This RIVERSIDE copy is just about the worst CD remastering ever made. IT hurts. The bass is so muddy and glitchy that it will make you gag. It hums and rattles without the consolation of actual frequency. THis work of music is supposed to sound like silky heaven.
Avoid this particular pressing: RIVERSIDE. Digital remastering 1987 by David LUke.

Of the early Evans albums (through Waltz for Debbie), this is by far the most quiet and introspective. While the definitive Evans trio was playful and upbeat on Portrait, they went to the other extreme here. Frankly, I love upbeat music, but I find that Evans' subdued works stand up better to repeated listening. It was here that Evans really mastered the power of empty spaces that he used so well at the Village Vanguard. This is the mark of a matured musician, one who is not afraid to leave some notes unplayed. As a happy side effect, this music also sits well in the background when other things are going on, but stopping there would be a real waste. Let it draw you in and you will be rewarded.

believe me, if you are a jazz fan, you want all the recordings of bill evans that feature scott lafaro on bass. the chemistry between evans & lafaro was really something special in the world of jazz. they played off each other & complimented one another in an improvisational setting that was their own musical world. and we get to listen in. lucky us. "explorations" is a piano trio jazz classic. nothing less.