Customer Reviews

Homecoming

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have quite a few Bill Evans CDs. I feel that he is the greatest jazz pianist(sorry, Thelonious and Mccoy). This effort is a great example of his later recordings. Enjoy the classic discs such as "Waltz For Debby" and "Sunday At The Village Vanguard". Then fast forward to this one. You won't be sorry.

As other reviewers have suggested, the music is remarkable, the audio far less so. So much of the music of Bill's final trio has come to light that some listeners may be forgiven for being selective. Bill would rework many of the same songs over and over, the quality of music and performance so consistently high that collectors who are not "completists" may wish to pay more attention to audio quality and make this date a lower priority.

This performance is of special interest because it finds Bill returning to his alma mater where, he announces, he spent two of the happiest years of his life. Two of his former professors are even in the audience in the same hall where he performed his graduation recital, an all-classical program. Bill sounds more "outgoing" and perhaps more exhuberant in his playing as well as in his spoken remarks to the gathered audience. A highlight for me is Bill's performance of "But Beautiful" by Jimmy Van Heusen (a composer Evans and Sinatra held in equally high regard).

The audio sounds like something a member of the audience may have recorded using a high-quality portable machine. All three instruments are "distant," giving the listener a strangely "you are there" experience. (Some may actually enjoy this perspective compared to the usual one of being "on stage" with the musicians.)

Bill's final trio was arguably as strong as his storied '61 trio with LaFaro and Motian--a more expressionist, more emotive version of the earlier trio, less Debussy and more late Ravel-Rachmaninoff. Perhaps some of its "dark and disquieting" quality is qualified and lightened by the ceremonious occasion. Collectors new to Evans may wish to look first at "The Paris Concert," Edition One (offering an unusually strong solo performance of "I Loves You Porgy"), or Highlights from "Turn Out the Stars," for recordings of far greater professional quality, placing the listener right in the center of the action instead of in a seat at some distance from the stage and source of the music. The final number on the program, "Someday My Prince Will Come," finds Bill demonstrating the astonishing virtuosity that arguably only he was capable of at the time (Oscar Peterson certainly could have negotiated the same runs at the same speed, but who else could do so while playing so "deep" into the keys?). Surprisingly, the audience is somewhat restrained (in awe?), applauding more loudly for the ensuing solo by Marc Johnson.

The disc concludes with a "pre-concert" interview of Bill, who in addition to sounding mentally sharp is unmistakably feeling generous, grateful to the school and its teachers, and rightfully proud--though as was so often the case in his later interviews he comments on the lack of support for jazz, at least for the music of artists as uncompromising as himself. There are some fine moments on the disc, but in sum it's a recording that paradoxically gives us a personal "portrait of the artist" while being undeniably remote in its representation of the artist's labors.

Contrary to what some have written the sound quality on this release, while not up to modern studio standards, is perfectly acceptable. More important, the performances by Evans and his young trio mates are simply wonderful. This band, including Joe Labarbara on drums and a youthful Marc Johnson on bass, was to be Evans' last group and the level of interplay and creativity they reached is compared to the first great Evans trio with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro. The exuberance and pleasure with which Evans performs 'Up with the Lark' and 'Midnight Mood', to cite but two examples, is indication of the comfort and trust shared with the two younger musicians. Not necessarily a place to begin if new to Evans (complete Turn Out the Stars & complete Riverside recordings are essential) but required for the completist. Highly recommended.

This album is an excellent example of Bill Evans' monumental talents, recorded during the period that produced some of the best piano trio recordings ever made! An absolute MASTER at phrasing, voicings and melodic improvisation, Bill Evans certainly deserves to be included among the VERY BEST who ever played jazz piano. And this recording, while done on the spur-of-the-moment, still captures the feeling of that standing-room-only crowd being treated to the trio just playing their butts off !! When Bill gave his okay just before they started, they threw a tape on and used the in-house stereo mikes, which makes it sound like many of the tapes from my own college days in the 70's, where the "presence" is not too good, but the sound is still all there.

The music selected includes Evans originals ("Re:Person I Knew," "Laurie," "Turn Out The Stars") as well as standards ("But Beautiful," "I Loves You, Porgy," "Someday My Prince Will Come"---couldn't leave out a reference to Miles) and even Paul Simon's "I Do It For You." There is also a six-minute interview with Bill by Rod Starns, which gives a view of Bill Evans' rise from college student to jazz star from his own perspective.

The performance is flawless, classic Bill Evans. With Joe LaBarbara on drums and Marc Johnson on bass the trio simply COOKS!! Recorded on November 6, 1979, it was never previously released....maybe because the quality of the tape wasn't equal to the greatness of the musicians....or maybe just because nobody asked BILL if they COULD release it. Whatever the reason, jazz fans and Evans devotees can now enjoy a newly-discovered confirmation of one of the truly HUGE talents of jazz....(I gave it FOUR stars, but only because some may squawk about the tape quality....the MUSIC is maybe SEVEN or EIGHT STARS!). Don't pass this one up, because if you don't hear it until AFTER you're able to still GET it you'll KICK YOURSELF !!

"Homecoming" was a special moment for the trio since it was a return to the school from which Bill graduated. It seemed as Marc Johnson and Joe La Barbara wanted to help make this a special night for Evans. The musical interplay was excellent and seemed a continuous generation of musical enrichment. Bill's remarks during the concert also made this a rare event, as he not only introduced the selections, but talked about his days as a student.

This performance at Bill Evans' old college (Southeastern Lousianna University) is simply fantastic. Evan's trio at this point featured Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. It was one of Evan's favorite trios and inspired him to play fresh interpretations of songs he had been playing for years (as well as newer tunes and orginals).
If you have the "Turn Out the Stars", "The Last Waltz", or "Consecration" box sets, you might wonder if yet another recording of this trio is necessary. The answer is an unqualified yes. Those sets are all wonderful and have many highlights, but this is a special and different performance. The playing is particularly positive and energetic. Bill is obviously touched by the opportunity to play at his old school, and he is more talkative than he had been in the past.
The recording quality, while not of the quality of the box sets mentioned above, is adequate (certainly much better than the quality of the "Secret Sessions" box set.
A truly touching concert. Highest of recommendations!

why don't you list the sidemen??? Does Eddie Gomez play bass, or is this an earlier trio of his? This matters to many people. I don't buy any jazz without knowing the complete personnel listing.

I've just heard this for the first time. The playing by Bill is stunning. This comes close to besting the Paris Concerts. Hearing a bootleg of a master like Evans, Trane, Miles etc., I am completely open to tolerating bad or low q sound. Like Trane's A Love Supreme live , or Rachmaninoff playing live on 78s, who cares about whether it's hi fi! He showers his alma mater with pearls and now we ALL get to enjoy the special spirit he shared in that auditorium that night. I feel an extra energy displayed during his solos in lieu of his surroundings. His energy, usually high during the last years, doesn't sound as hectic as the ultra last stuff, where his lack of sleep among other things contributed to some interpretive timing rushing (I will be honest though, I LOVE the dopamine fueled last shows). But at this show, he's found the middle ground between the early Village Vanguard days and the latter Keystone Korner days. He is at once grounded and Icarus at the same time. And what can you say of the statements and passages of Marc Johnson and Joe Labarbera vis a vis this precariously balanced and transcendent Bill Evans in his last year? Bravo! As for the sound, tweak around with it. Sound edit, Itunes, Peak, etc. all have powerful equalization capabilities. Create your own mix and accept the challenge of turning a silks ear into a cows purse, or something like that...This recording deserves it and so do you...

The final years of Bill's life with his last trio saw him breaking new grounds of creativity and conception. Here, his newly formed trio are just having relaxed fun: the sombre introspection of some of his subsequent performances is largely missing. OK, the audio quality isn't perfect, but it's worth pointing out that the pristine, professionally mixed and produced albums are actually an artificial experience, although our ears have become accustomed to expecting it.
It's an arguable point as to whether Bill would have wanted this album released. He certainly was very self-critical, but this was always with regard to his performance rather than the audio quality. What Rudy van Gelder did to his piano sound is testament to that! Some recordings certainly should NOT have been released - those tracks where he is rehersing with Eddy Gomez on electric bass spring to mind! But his legacy is such that either way this was somewhat of a unique concert and that alone justifies its release in my view. In the 19th century, great pianist/composers like Liszt and Chopin would sometimes get together for totally improvised 'jam sessions.' I would venture to say that these would be PRIZED recordings, even if made on a hand-held cassette dictaphone!

It is unfortunate that Milestone/Fantasy has chosen to release this album. The sound quality of this live recording is poor, including a constant hissing noise in the background. It sounds like it was recorded from a seat in the auditorium somewhere. Perhaps it should have been donated as a recording to a jazz archive or to Evan's alma mater as a historical artifact, but should not have been released as a commercial product. A much better live recording from a similar period was the Buenos Aires Concert Album. If the Paris One and Two concert albums are ever released on CD, and are produced to audiophile standards, perhaps those would be worth considering, but Homecoming is the low end of the spectrum.

Thank you.

Steve Katz