The Bill Evans Trio in 1970 was comprised of Bill on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums. While touring in Europe and Scandinavia that June, the trio performed in Kongsberg, Norway, at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, on June 26. The classically trained and introverted Evans was immediately at home there, where sun-deprived audiences were deeply introverted and melancholy in the winter and guardedly joyous in the warmer months when saturated in daylight.
Previously unreleased, the concert will be available next week on Bill Evans in Norway: The Kongsberg Concert (Elemental). The album will appear first on two 180-gram LPs for Record Store Day on November 29—Black Friday. A single CD and digital download will follow on December 6.
I wrote the album's main liner notes, but since I love the album, I'm reviewing the recording here. In essence, I'm sharing with you the reasons why I took on the project.
The discovery of the audio tapes and bringing the recording to market is the work of producer Zev Feldman, in cooperation with the Bill Evans estate and Elemental Music. Zev continues to work tirelessly to ferret out superb unissued recordings, work out deals for their release and surface them in the marketplace so that you can hear them.
It's not easy. In addition to finding material that deserves release, Zev must have conversations with estates and handle negotiations, packaging, bringing on talent to write notes and package the art. In addition to being a trusted broker, Zev has enormous vision and charm, essential qualities for his line of work.
The sound of the new Bill Evans release is amazing—studio quality. The audio was transferred from the original radio tape reels and mastered for vinyl by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab and pressed at Memphis Pressing. The elaborate booklet includes rare photographs taken at the actual concert by Arthur Sand along with interviews with Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell, plus pianists Aaron Parks, Craig Taborn, a quote from pianist Eliane Elias, and much more.
What sets this concert apart from others during this period is the trio's relaxed, well-paced renditions. Also remarkable was Bill's unhurried, fluid playing found mostly on his 1960s recordings. The result is luxurious elegance and gentle poetry. Nothing is rushed or bombastic. All of the songs flow without a ripple.
The tracks:
- Come Rain or Come Shine
- What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life
- 34 Skidoo
- Turn Out the Stars
- Autumn Leaves
- Quiet Now
- So What
- Gloria's Step
- Emily
- Midnight Mood
- Who Can I Turn To
- Some Other Time
- Nardis
As you'll hear, there's a plucky spirit in the trio's swing and a newfound depth in the ballads. Come Rain or Come Shine strolls; Michel Legrand's What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life floats; 34 Skidoo is measured; Turn Out the Stars has space; Autumn Leaves is peppery but not the typical breakneck rendition used on the standard; Quiet Now is delicate but lively; Miles Davis's So What harkens back to the 1959 album on which Bill played.
I played the trio's recording of Quiet Now for the ballad's composer, Denny Zeitlin, who considers it his favorite:
While I've never pulled together all of Bill’s ‘Quiet Now’ versions to compare them, this one is my favorite, too. The essence is the level of relaxation; even as he develops his solo into faster and more complex figures, the music doesn't sound rushed or cluttered. In this version, he sounds totally confident—a man who knows the terrain and has myriad choices and plenty of time for them. I also very much like the arch shape of the arrangement.
Gloria's Step is inquisitive; Emily is jewelry-box pretty; Midnight Mood is rollicking; Who Can I Turn To is the album high point and beyond fabulous, especially the back end, which includes a sly tag of Jumpin' With Symphony Sid and an outro that cascades like a waterfall; Some Other Time is hushed; and Nardis opens stealthfully and avoids the typical rancor and bombast.
As Bill said in an interview a day after the concert:
This is an excellent audience, and it's weird to think that a little place like Kongsberg can hire musicians from all over the world just because they like jazz here. I admire the enthusiasm of the organizers, who do all of this without earning a penny for it…. These days here in Kongsberg have really meant something to me. It's a beautiful place, and I've been able to relax.
Also beautiful are Marty and Eddie. Both play with the same ease and elan as Bill, matching his serene conversational approach. And hats off to Jordi Soley and Carlos Agustin Calembert at Elemental for issuing it. A major contribution to the Evans canon.
JazzWax tracks: If you want the vinyl, reach out to your local record store and ask if they will be getting it in. To find record stores near you, go here.
On December 6, you'll find the album on CD and at streaming platforms. To buy, go here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Who Can I Turn To...
And here's Midnight Mood...
