Customer Reviews

At The Montreux Jazz Festival

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

 

 

Unusual grouping of Jack Dejohnette with Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez (although Jack would work with Eddie on his "New Directions" material in the late 70's), but there's a ton of interplay and excellent soloing throughout. More lively than some of Bill's other albums, but he includes several nice ballads, as well as a few solo pieces. This is not the same sound as, say, The Vanguard Sessions with Scott LaFaro, but this album is really nice, with excellent sound quality and some wonderful group interaction. I think this album won a Grammy back in the day. One of my favorite Bill Evans albums, although I am partial to Jack DeJohnette's playing.

I am not such a fan of the Keith Jarrett trio with Jack D. (Keith's groaning and singing bums me out.) This record has Jack DeJohnette playing standards with a piano trio, and Evans and Gomez are two of the greatest. I admit that listening to this album now I feel like maybe Evans rushes the time a little bit...but that didn't bother me years ago when a bought this album and played it all the time. Still a must hear for the greatest drummer around.

Bill Evans once again produces the goods on this live 1968 recording. In his usual masterful style he covers some classic tracks by composers such as George Gershwin, Miles Davis and Bill Evans himself. Being a live performance, there is the usual tinkling of cutlery but it doesn't detract from a wonderful recording. Evans has a highly recognisable and much imitated piano style that is ideally suited for late night listening. On this album, he is ably backed by Eddie Gomez (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). Not surprisingly this album won the 1969 Emmy for best jazz instrumental album. Well worth a listen!

This, the shortest-lived of Evans' trios, was also one of the best, specifically because of the presence of Jack DeJohnette, one of the baddest drummers of the last 40 years. He is a far cry from the quiet, withdrawn drums of Paul Motian, and he lights a fire under this trio that Evans hadn't had for a few years. Eddie Gomez is quite a musician as well, though his bass sounds rather quiet, and he is often heard slapping the big lady to get more out of her. He is, to be absolutely clear, no Scott LaFaro, though he is a stronger player than Gary Peacock, Evans' previous bassist. Gomez has lightning fast chops, and we find him soloing during other guys' solos, in the tradition of LaFaro, but without the same subtlety. All these complaints sort of fall away, however, on the rendition of "Embraceable You", which is essentially an extended Gomez solo. Though he seems to lose himself a couple of times (or maybe it's just me he loses), he plays with such speed and such intensity that it becomes difficult to nitpick about issues of style. The other highlights include "A Sleepin' Bee" and Miles Davis' "Nardis." Evans' playing, as always, is out of this world.