Six years separated a pair of spectacular Bill Evans Trio concerts held in Buenos Aires, Argentina—one in 1973 and the other in 1979. The music at both events was performed at an exceptionally high level and both live events drew strikingly loud responses from hugely enthusiastic audiences. In fact, the reaction at the 1973 event was probably the most exuberant of any Evans live recording. The music produced at the two concerts remains a study in vivid contrasts, since Evans's sidemen in 1979 were different from the ones who accompanied him in 1973. But in those six years between performances, Argentina's political climate had grown darker as did Evans's mood and music. [Photo of Bill Evans above by Hans Harzheim]
Last week, both Bill Evans Trio concerts were issued as two individual albums by Resonance as Morning Glory and Inner Spirit. For years, the concerts were available only on a lousy-sounding European bootleg. Now they sound like a dream thanks to Resonance's George Klabin and Fran Gala. For my liner notes to both sets, I had the good fortune to interview drummer Marty Morell (the 1973 trio) and drummer Joe LaBarbera (the 1979 trio), and both artists provided tremendous insights into their respective visits and concerts as well as Evans's mood and perspective.
Unfortunately, on Inner Spirit, when I began writing there early on, there was mix-up with the tracks and titles, and I wound up writing notes about two songs that weren't on the release. The notes for the U.S. version contain this error. Fortunately, members of the Japanese team caught the oddity there and we had time to fix the notes for the Japanese release. So, if you bought the American version of Inner Spirit and want the correct liner notes, send me an email and I'll send you a PDF of the Japanese version (in English) for free.
When Bill Evans (p), Eddie Gomez (b) and Marty Morell (d) arrived in June 1973, Buenos Aires was riding high. Three days before the trio's plane touched down, more than 2 million Argentinians lined the highway from the airport to Buenos Aires to cheer the return of Juan Perón, who had been re-elected earlier in the year. [Photo above of Eddie Gomez, Bill Evans and Marty Morell]
You can hear the optimism in the powerful applause at the completion of each piece played by the trio. Fed by the audience's enthusiasm, the Bill Evans Trio delivered one perfect rendition after the next. The fluidity and pacing on Morning Glory are pure bliss. At this point in time, Evans was straddling two major periods in his career—his newfound fame coming off the 1960s and the start of his declining health in the mid- and late 1970s. A fascinating moment in time for the sound of Evans's music. [Photo above, from left, of Joe LaBarbera, Marc Johnson and Bill Evans courtesy of YouTube]
In September 1979, when Evans returned to Buenos Aires, this time with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera, his keyboard attack was more pensive, intricate and bell-like, letting notes ring. His song introductions also became fascinating puzzles, masking the songs he was about to launch into.
The recordings on both sets are among Evans's finest live dates, not only because of their contrasting styles but also because of the audience's reaction and how the thunderous applause and approval pushed all of the musicians to the heights of their improvisational skills. The musicians operate like three waterspouts that circulate in place and then come together to form one big one before breaking apart again into three individual spinners. Enormous energy as the musical winds pick up and songs whip the audience into a frenzy. The trio was on top of its game, twice, in Buenos Aires.
Bill Evans died in September 1980.
Hats off to the production of two astonishing packages with information-rich booklets by Zev Feldman.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Bill Evans Trio's Morning Glory and Inner Spirit (Resonance) here and here. Remember, if you buy Inner Spirit, email me for the liner notes (in English) from the Japanese release.
JazzWax clips: Here's The Two Lonely People from Morning Glory...
And here's Up With the Lark from Inner Spirit...
