Tuesday, August 04, 2009

All On A Golden Afternoon

Balthus
'Evans was having trouble finding good bassists, but La Faro's arrival precipitated the advent of one of the finest piano trios jazz has ever documented. The bassist's melodic sensitivity and insinuating sound flowed between Evans and Motian like water, and....the playing of the three men is so sympathetic that it set a universal standard for the piano-bass-drums set-up which has persisted to this day.

Evan's own playing is elevated by the immediacy of the occasion; all his contributions seem all of a piece, lines spreading through and across the melodies and harmonies of the tune, pointing the way to modality yet retaining the singing, rapturous qualities which the pianist heard in this material.

All of the Vanguard music is informed by an extra sense of discovery, as if the musicians were suddenly aware of what they were on to, and were celebrating their achievement.

They didn't have much time: LaFaro was killed in a car accident ten days later.'

Richard Cook & Brian Morton - The Penguin Guide To Jazz on CD, LP and Cassette (1992)
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'So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality...'

Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1865)

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Bill Evans - piano
Scott LaFaro - bass
Paul Motian - drums

Recorded live at The Village Vanguard, New York City, Sunday June 25th 1961.

Bill Evans Trio - 'Alice In Wonderland (Take 2)' (1961)

8 comments:

  1. Such a fan! Thank you sfor sharing 'Alice'. Hope you don't mind the question but do you happen to have a recording of THIS? It's a favorite of mine and I've been looking for ages...

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  2. I don't have (didn't even know)that version Gabbi, no - I have the Trio version (from this) and the Tony B. vocal version (from this)....

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  3. Thanks' Davy... sorry for asking, but I was hoping! : ) I love first version link but the 2nd version I didn't know at all... off to find on Last.fm now.

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  4. You couldve had a go on the total wonder of bill and tony round mine until last week when waltz for deb was hit on a big batch of take done whatsits but gee you're in for a treat. And davy dear is the rest of your jazz book as fine? I've always be terrified of that sort of publication

    x

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  5. Well, it helped me learn about stuff when I wanted to learn about stuff; but it was superior and sniffy about some people I like.

    I love it now of course, since it's 17 years old and gone all big, chunky-paperback yellow and well-thumbed - and I no longer take notice of sniffiness about people and things I like x

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  6. PS: And oh yes Gabbi, you of course need to get yourself around to Miss Ally's - there's always something lovely over there.

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  7. yet another gem I didn't know I was missing until you presented it. thank you x.

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