It would be very presumptuous for any musical artist to title an album “everybody digs,” followed by their name. In the case of Bill Evans, it’s nearly a fact, especially if you are a fan of the best jazz pianists of all time.
This 1959 album was his second as a leader and perhaps his best, prior to the four albums he would release as a member of the Bill Evans Trio between 1959 and 1961 with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro. All five of the albums mentioned above were released on Riverside. His debut as leader was also on Riverside, with his third album on Milestone, and then a quartet release on United Artists with Bob Brookmeyer, Percy Heath, and Connie Kay. Other than another album on United Artists, one on Atlantic and one on Verve, he would have three more Riverside releases through 1963.
Between his solo debut in 1956 and this album, in 1958 alone he worked as a sideman on albums for George Russell, Don Elliot, Joe Puma, Jimmy Knepper, Sahib Shihab, Idrees Sulieman, Eddie Costa, Hellen Merrill, Hal McKusick, Michel Legrand, Cannonball Adderley, Art Farmer, Chet Baker, and Charles Mingus, along with three for Tony Scott. He also recorded with Miles Davis, was in his band, and would appear on the legendary Kind Of Blue the following year.
There are three solo piano pieces here and Evans is joined on the other tracks by Sam Jones on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Evans wrote a short musical epilogue that clocks in at under a minute and that closes each side, as well as the classic and sprawling “Peace Piece,” with the rest of the songs here covers. The other absolute classic here is also a long, sprawling track: a cover of Cole Poter’s “Night and Day” that Evans moves through with ingenious modulations. The drumming by Jones in spots adds a jaunty kick that elevates this beautiful song to something heart-stopping.
This RSD 2024 “First” is a limited mono edition and will no doubt sell out quickly, with only 4,500 albums pressed of this run. As always with these Craft Recordings releases, the record was cut from the original analog master tapes by Matthew Lutthans at Cohearent Audio and the vinyl was pressed at RTI on 180-gram vinyl.
This is a treasured release in the young career of Evans as a leader and a must-have for serious jazz fans, audiophiles, and lovers of mono.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B+
