Music : The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 |
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Rating: - * simply stated, a timeless weekend captured in an intimate setting ... First of all, I was blown away by the recording. The ambience of the audience only adds to the feeling that you are right there, front row, listening, watching three guys ripping it. This is truly one of the best live recordings I have heard, jazz or otherwise. The reperoire between the musicians seems almost telepathic, but the audience doesnt really appreciate the specialness of what they are hearing. They had no idea that less than a month later Scott Lefaro would be tragically killed in an auto accident. This was a great purchase, but be forewarned, the track sequence can be a problem , it comes in the form of 3 MP3 album downloads. The correct sequence is shown on the album sample page on Amazon. You may have to edit some track #s to get it in the correct chronological order. Once you have that sorted, the entire collection can be burned onto two Audio Cds. Do yourself a favor, get this one... Rating:  - * Good but not Great ... This is a very good sample of the Bill Evans trio at its best. Its interesting, enjoyable and mellow but it is not innovative. This set will impress fans of Dave Brubeck and mellow jazz but it will disappoint listners expecting "Kind of Blue" and John Coltrane style innovation. If you like the mellow Bill Evans style I recommend his "Nirvana" set with Herbie Mann. I personally feel "Nirvana" is a more innovative recording of this style. Rating: - * Don't assume you've heard it until now ... Even though I had the two original Riverside LP's and two later CD's purporting to contain remastered essentials from the session, Amazon's price for the latest three-disc collection was too attractive to pass up. After listening to the three discs in sequence, I now question if I even heard what was on the previous recordings. This is at once stunning and immeasurably satisfying music, LaFaro and Evans "in the moment" as never before, their empathy, individual genius, and shared quest of discovery brought to vivid realization for the listener. Not until his final trio with bassist Marc Johnson would the pianist again approach such a level of artistry, but there would be no possibility of a return to the moment of incipient splendor. This may be the greatest value on Amazon, but there's no way to put a price on the music herein. Even if you've limited or stopped purchasing the endangered CD (now apparently going the way of the LP), this one had better be the exception. Forget the download. Both you and Bill deserve better. WARNING (read the directions): Shortly into the first track, "Gloria's Step," there's an audio drop-out that sounds like some flawed CDs that I've purchased. I requested a replacement from Amazon before reading the enclosed booklet. The one-second gap of silence is a technical glitch or power failure with the Ampex tape recorder, captured just as it transpired (or momentarily expired) on that Sunday afternoon, June 25, 1961. Warning #2: Listen to "All of You," Take 1 (which moreover was rejected!). Comparing it to Jarrett's version will only convince you that jazz piano has regressed over the past 30 years. Same with Mehldau, or just about any new pianist, however "original." Bill was sui generis. He can become old, at times stale, during the vast "middle period." But on these sets (and anything pre-1961) as well as his last 18 months (1979-80), his music can be more inexhaustibly satisfying than 2000 of my best CDs. In fact, no other artist's music is required (though I guess I would miss Diz, Stitt, and Hank Mobley). Rating: - * No Bill like this Bill ... I can give you a book full of reasons why, if you are into jazz, or into piano, or into music in general, you need to buy this set of recordings. Suffice to say, Bill Evans was the peak, the bee's knees, the top of the pole in his time, and this captures some of his brightest and best moments, all in one collection. Delightful tunes, both standards and not so, and alternate takes that shed light on the music making process and the insight that Bill brought to his music. You will read or hear about other jazz pianists who are billed as "the next Bill Evans", or who are "as good as Bill Evans", but whatever, number one: don't believe it, and number two: buy and listen to this set to see what "they" are talking about. This is a wonderful piece of jazz history, and you can have it in your home as fast as the UPS truck can get there. If you prefer studio versions to live, you can get Waltz for Debby or Portrait in Jazz, but be warned that they'll probably make you want to buy this set anyway. Rating: - * Yep, it's THAT good... ... Occasionally I read a review on Amazon and then order the item - and wonder what planet the people who gave it high marks are living on. Not so for this gem. This is the REAL DEAL. Others have been far more eloquent than I could ever hope to be in explaining WHY it's so good. Let me simply say this: I've got a half a gazillion jazz recordings and this rates right up there with the very best of them. It's just really good music, really well recorded. And, at this price, it's a truly great deal as well. You won't be disappointed. |
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