Customer Reviews

Undercurrent

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Listeners might be forgiven for expecting a lot from a pairing of Bill Evans and Jim Hall. Not to worry. The album more than repays the investment (unlike the disappointing meeting between Bill and Stan Getz). One of the highlights is the up-tempo treatment of "My Funny Valentine" which, given its harmonies, makes complete musical sense. Moreover, the "alternate take" of the tune provides, if anything, a fresh and welcome perspective on Bill, who eschews the implied left-hand rhythm of the first version in favor of a masterfully-constructed, contagiously-swinging walking bass line (no comparable moment in Evans' vast discography comes to mind).

Thank goodness Blue Note thought to reissue the session (thankfully, too, capturing the sound of the piano was not left to Van Gelder). As for the vastly superior audio mixing of this edition to the original, I refer you to the previous reviewer's testimony. I will say that the album cover is one of the most evocative I've ever seen--sort of a variation on Millais' "Ophelia" as seen from below.

This is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful, poignant, and emotionally stirring jazz albums ever recorded. These two men were obviously led by the same muse, especially during these sessions. The ability that each one possesses for probing deeply into emotional and psychic realms is very much in evidence here. Listening to this recording is like eavesdropping on a very deep and private conversation between two creative geniuses.

One may ask, "Why so many ballads?" The answer would simply be, "Because they can." If you're a jazz musician, this album will teach you how to play ballads. If you're not a musician, it will teach you to feel life a little deeper.

Join these two masters as they lead you on a journey into your own soul, uncovering the fragile and mysterious beauty that is life.

Jason Bucklin

This is almost a perfect example of the kind of Jazz that Hall and Evans were masters at. I remember reading about Hall in a Who's Who of Jazz music as a guitar player who was oxymoronically labeled as 'too subtle' at times. Evans was already acknowledged at the time as an innovator of the Jazz conversation with the legendary trio...This date is brilliant, but never blinding. Check 'My Funny Valentine' for what telepathy means, as also the first take of Romain, where the melodic line seems to switch very naturally between the instruments. Also, the harmonic turns that both Hall and Evans give each take are worth listening every time around.

This will remain among my top jazz records of all time.

While there is some precedent in early blues records for the piano/guitar format(Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr come to mind), Bill Evans and Jim Hall are THE innovators for this instrumentation in jazz - their achievements on "Undercurrent" and "Intermodulation" established the standard by which subsequent piano/guitar sessions, including those of Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson ("a Salle Pleyel"); Joe Pass and Jimmy Rowles ("Checkmate"); Bill Frisell and Fred Hersch ("Songs We Know"); John Abercrombie and Andy LaVerne ("Timeless", "A Nice Idea", "Nosmo King"); and, in some tangential way, Cecil Taylor and Derek Bailey (On FMP's 1988 11 CD Cecil Taylor in Berlin release), are judged.

In their duet recordings, Evans and Hall first grappled successfully with some very tough issues that arise in piano/guitar duets - in this context, it can be very difficult to keep the instruments from stepping on each other's lines, but Evans and Hall each manage to carve out independent roles for themselves that each contribute to a very cohesive whole. To my ear, Evans is at the top of his game during these sessions, while Hall was only beginning to develop into the master that he is today (This is not to denigrate Hall's acheivement, but to point out that a great player then became substantially more accomplished over the next 40 years). From that perspective, these are Evans' sessions - his voicings, solos and accompaniments in these sessions outshine Hall's, and I can almost feel Evans accommodating some of Hall's less successful strategies. Still, the sum of their contributions is a beautiful, subtle mosaic of wonderful, meditative versions of standards.

It is instructive to compare the Evans/Hall sessions to some of the others mentioned above. Joe Pass and Jimmy Rowles come closest to duplicating the chemistry of the Evans/Hall sessions, except that Pass dominates "Checkmate" in the way that Evans dominates "Undercurrent". Pass and Peterson are almost too accomplished as soloists to cooperate on duets - their duets, which come after each plays a number of solo pieces, sound more like simultaneous solos that cooperative undertakings (although I can hear them smiling while they're playing). Frisell and Hersch create - what? sound tapestries? - that are not quite as experimental as the songs that Frisell was making with other bands at the time, but not quite as interesting, either - almost as if they were hampered by sticking to standards rather than playing in the genres they are most familiar with.

The most interesting comparison is to the Abercrombie/LaVerne recordings "Timeless" and "A Nice Idea". These sessions include a substantial number of the tunes that Evans and Hall recorded, but they are executed by musicians who are much later in their careers than Evans and especially Hall were at the time of the "Undercurrent" and "Intermodulation" sessions. Abercrombie applies a very modern harmonic system to the tunes, using scales and substitutions that were simply not used in the early 60's. While Hall used a standard Gibson hollowbody guitar that produced at easily recognizable tone, Abercrombie uses custom built guitars and sophisticated electronics to create a very distinctive, although much more synthetic, tone. On many of the Evans/Hall songs, Hall uses full chord strumming to accompany Evans - Abercrombie walks bass lines while simultaneously playing fills and chords to create a more textured context for LaVerne's solos. LaVerne, on the other hand, plays in a style that is very reminiscent of Evans throughout these discs - that's hardly a criticism, except that where Evans, Hall and Abercrombie are reaching new heights in the form, LaVerne is maintaining a very high quality status quo.

How to rate these albums? "Undercurrent" and "Intermodulation" get five stars for getting there first and remaining beautiful after all these years. "Checkmate", "a Salle Pleyel" and "Songs We Know" are wonderful, but do not acheive the level of innovation of the Evans/Hall sessions. And Abercrombie and LaVerne have, to my ear, pushed the envelope of mainstream piano/guitar duets even further, and get five stars for doing so.

As to Cecil Taylor and Derek Bailey - well, that's not really a standards disc, is it?

Indeed the title applies here; this record should be heard with low lighting, good company, and drink in hand...One of the most inspired pairing in jazz is preserved in this jewel of a recording that sounds as if it was recorded yesterday, A must for jazz lovers, but it can attract music lovers of any genre and age. My particular favorite is a John Lewis (of M.J.Q. fame) composition, included in the soundtrack of a movie - Odds Against Tomorrow - which happens to be a waltz! "Skating in Central Park". A gem!

The partnership of Evans and Hall as an unaccompanied duo was an inspired one which produced two albums - this first one and the follow-up, Intermodulation. The two artists had much in common. For example, both were concerned to produce music that had beauty, and even refinement, of sound with no lack of musical substance. Both liked to play quietly, with an emphasis on subtlety and understatement, although they could also 'swing' infectiously at almost any tempo. Both also had years of experience as sidemen or accompanists in other people's groups and this made them particularly sensitive listeners, able to respond to and interact creatively with other soloists.

You can hear that kind of sensitivity and subtle interplay throughout this album, most obviously on the slower pieces but also on the fastest track, the original take of 'My Funny Valentine'. Listen especially to the way in which Hall's guitar fills in behind Evans's statement of the theme and then provides a driving rhythm under the pianist's improvisation. My favourite track is Hall's 'Romain', a moody, rather sombre theme which inspires the most intense and emotive playing on the album. It has some particularly haunting interplay between the players and displays the 'singing' qualities they could draw out of their instruments, especially at the magical point where Hall's solo leads into Evans's. It's good to have the bonus of an alternate take of this number on the CD edition, especially as it is slightly different: a bit slower, darker in mood and almost as good as the originally released version.

Undercurrent was always a rather special album; but in my opinion it is much superior on CD, first because of its enhanced sound quality and the quiet background which this intimate, concentrated music needs, secondly because the bonus tracks on the CD provide the 'added value' of quality as well as quantity. The programme originally consisted, rather oddly, of five slow tempo tracks with one fast one. The addition of the mid-tempo swinger, 'Getting Sentimental Over You' and an alternate take of 'My Funny Valentine' creates a better balanced album, although an extra slow ballad from the session, 'Stairway to the Stars', is well worth having too. It's an album which you can play, if you like, as a piece of chilled out background music which won't disturb the cat; but there's a lot going on under its polished surface to make it music which has to be listened to, and to be returned to again and again.

Listening to Evans and Hall on this album quickly leads to the realization these two gurus were made to play together. Evans appears, upon first listening, to have much of the upper hand in terms of impact; however, when listening closely, Hall's art shines in Evan's pauses and interstitium. In fact, Hall's subtlety and sense of pace not only serves as the underpinning, but also supplies much of the wonder on each track of Undercurrent. Truly seamless and sublime.

This has a special place in my heart. This was the first full recording session Evans did after taking some time off after the death of Scott LaFaro in a tragic car accident. What I love about it is that none of this exquisite music is forced whatsoever. There's a great deal of silence and space around the notes... and the music simply flows naturally from the heart and soul of both players. What better way was there for Evans to get back in action than with someone as sensitive as Jim Hall? While Lafaro was no longer around, it's hard not to think of his absence when I listen to this treasure of a performance...almost like the whisperings of a prayer.

Beeyootiful music.

Evans is stellar as most always, and Hall steps up to the plate and plays as well as he ever did on record.

The version of Valentine that opens the disc swings hard, with some surprisingly funky comping from Jim during Bill's wonderfully over the top solo. Hall tries to ease him back into the head afterwards, but Evans just keeps on cruising, quietly pushing the beat while the guitar pulls back on it. The resultant sound is unusual and a cool end to a wild ride.

The rest of the (sadly) short album is five ballads, with nary a boring moment to be found. This is perfect bathtub music (just ask the gal on the cover), and will send your mind to some lovely places.

I have not yet heard the reissue with the extra tracks, and am looking forward to it. I have the Japanese remaster, and it sounds just fine, very clear and warm (got it from the used list here on amazon, and imagine my surprise when I got a 25 dollar import for four dollars, in perfect unplayed shape. It pays to look around...).

Undercurrent makes a perfect companion to Evans and Hall's other recording, Intermodulation; they both fit on one cd and create a lush ambience.

This record is, in my humble opinion, one of the most intriguing but overlooked albums in jazz history. The cd begins with a never-before released version of My Funny Valentine, which is a real gem, and makes me wonder why it was not favored over the version included on the original album. Evans and Hall shared a marvelous sense of throughfulness and lyricism in their playing which is captured on every track. This cd will bring you countless hours of relaxation, enjoyment, and reflection after a long stressful day at work, or on a cold winter's eve. If you are looking to add to your jazz collection or just looking for some beautiful and introspective music, do not pass over this cd!