A never-before-released Bill Evans 1970 concert will be a valuable addition to Record Store Day 2024.
Bill Evans In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert – Elemental Music 5990547 – 180-gram stereo double vinyl limited edition/first pressing Record Store Day [11-29-2024] 80:03 ****1/2:
(Bill Evans – piano; Eddie Gomez – double bass; Marty Morell – drums)
Just in time for Record Store Day, Elemental Music has released a 1970 concert album of Bill Evans and this trio at the 1970 Kongsberg Jazz Festival. Performed just six days after Montreux, this previously unreleased recording features a stunning display of piano virtuosity. Double bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell anchor and exchange with Evans seamlessly. Side A opens with the Harold Arlen popular standard, “Come Rain Or Come Shine”. Many covers of this tune maintain the slow-burning torch song aesthetics, but not Evans. The introduction begins with a freewheeling run that strays from the inherent composition. Then, a transition to medium swing permeates the arrangement. In an unexpected twist, Gomez contributes an extended solo, early in the number. Evans returns with breezy resonance as the trio stays in the pocket with give and take. The new (at least in 1970) Michel :Legrand movie title, “What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?” feels like a more traditional melodic interpretation. Evans’ hushed performance creates an ethereal melancholy. He always seems to be around the central motifs of Legrand, and expands them with jazzier chords. “34 Skidoo” is the initial featured original (from the 1977 album, The Second Trio). Evans kicks things off in medium time that picks up steam and swings with contained fury. “Turn Out The Stars” is complex and starts off at a subdued medium tempo. Morell’s delicate brush work is notable. The trio adopts a finger-snapping “cool jazz’ vibe with occasional slower haunting shades and flourishes.
On “Autumn Leaves”, Evans eschews the typical ballad structure for a bolder, faster tempo. After another long double bass solo, Evans re-enters with explosive chords. “Quiet Now” Is hypnotic with a ruminative, evocative flow that Evans manages to energize. A certain highlight is “So What”. The lead off to the iconic Miles Davis album Kind Of Blue, these familiar chord sequences are blistering. Evens explores the melodic nuances with tempo and punctuation. The trio is on fire here and Morell is hitting on all cylinders with a furious solo. Maintaining a brisk pace, “Gloria’s Step” (written by former trio member Scott LaFaro) is a high-voltage swinging affair. This is an elite group… all the members sparkle here. Johnny Mandel’s luscious movie theme “Emily” is the epitome of creative jazz balladry with Evans building a radiant framework. Eventually the arrangement eases into 3/4 time and Evans contributes another breezy, complex solo with lilting articulation. “Midnight Mood” is more forceful, but employs a different waltz-time cadence. Evans’ crisp notation and chords have a cool jazz feel and he adds a nice slow down near the end. A pair of Broadway tunes exemplify the Bill Evans jazz approach. “Who Can I Turn To” eschews the dramatic anguish and is delivered with sprightly runs. Leonard Bernstein’s “Some Other Time” feels like classic Evans. There is an introspective, resonance with deliberate pacing and nimble phrasing. The encore (“Nardis”) is a resounding improvisational piece with great interplay and another muscular solo by Morell.
Kudos to Zev Feldman and Elemental Records for unearthing this “hidden” gem. The sound mix (Matthew Lutthans), transferred from the original stereo tapes is vibrant with excellent separation. The 16-page full-sized booklet is incisive, notable for interviews with Evans and band mates Gomez and Morell. The gatefold packaging and protective record sleeves are superior. As with all of the Elemental Music Evans catalogue, it was done with the full cooperation of the artist’s estate.
Highly recommended!
—Robbie Gerson
Bill Evans In Norway: The Konsberg Concert
TrackList:
Side A: Come Rain Or Come Shine; What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?; 34 Skidoo; Turn Out The Stars
Side B: Autumn Leaves; Quiet Now; So What
Side C: Gloria’s Step; Emily; Midnight Mood
Side D: Who Can I Turn To?; Some Other Time; Nardis
