From the archives
Geoffrey Smith on pianist Bill Evans’s 1969 gig at Ronnie Scott’s – released on disc for the first time
I have a feeling that, despite a long career lasting until his death in 1980, Bill Evans is still most often identified with the recordings of his first trio, culminating in their classic live sessions at New York’s Village Vanguard in June, 1961. Evans’s delicate, shimmering impressionism brought a whole new sonority to jazz piano and found its perfect foil in the quicksilver counterpoint of bassist Scott Lafaro, underpinned by drummer Paul Motian’s subtle beat.
Sadly, the definitive sound of that trio came to an abrupt and shocking end with Scott Lafaro’s demise in an automobile accident. Though initially devastated, Bill Evans carried on with his career, and in later editions of the trio format explored the new possibilities offered by new partners. Indeed, his most enduring trio line-up lasted from 1968-74, with Eddie Gomez and Marty Morrell on bass and drums, and their distinctive style is captured on a previously undiscovered session at Ronnie Scott’s in 1969, now released on a Resonance double CD as Evans in England (Resonance HCD 2037).
Evans fans accustomed to the pianist’s poetic introspection may be surprised at the free-wheeling character of this threesome. Drummer Marty Morrell is keen to open up rhythmically, switching from brushes to sticks to keep energy levels high, while bassist Eddie Gomez shows why he was a long-time Evans favourite, with tremendous technical facility equalled by spot-on intonation, which wasn’t always the case with the sainted Lafaro, as well as regularly creating that rare thing, a genuinely listenable bass solo. It’s a rather remarkable experience, finding yourself totally engaged by a Gomez foray, as he piles up the choruses like a horn man or any other soloist, and also a tribute to the sound quality of these discs.
For his part, Bill Evans sounds delighted to be digging in with his colleagues, stretching out on high-voltage versions of standards like ‘Stella by Starlight’ and Miles Davis’s ‘So What’. His own ‘Waltz for Debby’, swings sweetly in both three and four to the bar while ‘Polka Dots and Moonbeams’ conveys the richly textured mix of melody and harmony that was an Evans trademark. The complete pianist and artist, he never stopped developing, as this CD potently demonstrates.