Bill Evans Trio 64 (Acoustic Sounds Series)

All-Analog 180g Vinyl LP!
Remastered & Pressed at Quality Record Pressings!
Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound From Original Analog Tapes!
Michael Fremer Rated 9/11 Music, 9/11 Sonics!
There's scarcely a more towering figure in modern jazz — save Miles and Coltrane — than the great Bill Evans. His relaxed and emotional style at the piano would prove influential to not only his peers but to generations of pianists who would follow him.
It also doesn't hurt, points out thejazzrecord.com, that he appeared on (and had great influence over the direction of) Kind Of Blue and that the two LPs from his trio's landmark stint at the Village Vanguard in 1961 (Waltz For Debby and Sunday At The Village Vanguard) are both stone-cold classics.
The excellent Trio 64 marked Evans' first trio album after a move to Verve from his previous home at Riverside Records. While the work Evans' did with his first trio featuring Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian (particularly the Village Vanguard recordings) remains by far his most popular and lauded work, even after LaFaro's tragic death in 1961 he continued to improve upon and refine his particular brand of soulful and introspective playing.
Trio 64 marked a reunion with Motian and Evans' only recorded work with the talented bassist Gary Peacock. The album matches up with Evans' finest trio sessions, with his shimmering piano lines dancing between Peacock's sharp bass lines and Motian's usual sublime work on the drums. Peacock was a perfect match for Evans, he was a kindred spirit when it came to not simply following the musical trends of the day, as evidenced by his time spent with the likes of Albert Ayler and Paul Bley a few years after the recording of Trio 64.
The song selection shows how Evans was able to take even the most rote pop songs of the day and transform them into unabashed works of modern jazz. Is there another pianist of the era who would attempt a take on "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (the album was recorded December 18th, so why not throw in a Christmas tune) or "Little Lulu" (the theme from a 1940s cartoon of the same name) and so successfully have them come off as if they were jazz standards all along? Even more impressive is that this was the first time that Evans had played with Peacock, and yet there is no sense of hesitation in either musician's interaction with each other, it sounds like they've been playing together for years.
"Joining Bill Evans (piano) on Trio '64 - his initial three-piece recording for Verve - is the compact rhythm section of Gary Peacock (bass) and Paul Motian (drums). The effort spotlights their communal and intuitive musical discourse, hinging on an uncanny ability of the musicians to simultaneously hear and respond. All the more interesting, Evans had not interacted in this setting before, having most recently worked with Chuck Israels (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums). The personable opener, 'Little Lulu,' features the aggregate melodically molding individual and distinct sonic characteristics. Evans' nimble and emphatic syncopation is not only ably supported, but framed by Peacock's expressive runs and Motian's acute sense of timing. 'A Sleeping Bee' is one of the collection's most endearing selections as the groove playfully scintillates surrounding some hauntingly poignant chord changes. Evans bandies back and forth with Peacock, the latter likewise providing a stellar solo. 'Always' captures a similar effervescence as the instrumentalists ebb and flow in synchronicity. Since the December 18 session was held the week before Christmas 1963, they fittingly tote out 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,' creating a minor masterpiece of post-bop from what could easily have started as a spontaneous seasonal suggestion. Noël Coward's 'I'll See You Again' bears a brisk waltz persona, enabling the unit to fluently weave its offerings without obstructing the otherwise affective tune. Concluding Trio '64 is Rodgers & Hart's standard 'Everything Happens to Me,' with an unhurried tempo lingering just long enough to embrace the familiar refrain. Evans sparkles, gliding around Peacock's full-bodied basslines and Motian's solid yet restrained beat." - Lindsay Planer, AllMusic
Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets.
The relatively short program approximately 15 minutes to a side allowed mastering engineer Ryan K. Smith to put all of what's on the tape into the grooves without going anywhere close to the label. The QRP pressing was dead silent and the Stoughton laminated Tip-on jacket is as pleasing to look at as it is satisfying to the touch. This reissue wins compared to an oft-played, finely produced Japanese Polydor reissue (23MJ 3033), though that one is also very good. This reissue is as good as any to explain in sound what AAA vinyl is all about, plus of course the performance will every play elevate your mood and get your toes tapping. How these guys brought that lighthearted a mood to a session recorded a month after the Kennedy assassination remains difficult to understand, but it was just what the jazz record buying public needed. - Michael Fremer, Analog Planet, Music 9/11, Sound 9/11

Features:

• Acoustic Sounds Series
• Mastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes
• Cut by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound
• Audiophile 180 Gram Vinyl LP
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings, QRP USA
• Deluxe Gatefold cover by Stoughton Printing

Musicians:

• Bill Evans, piano
• Gary Peacock, bass
• Paul Motian, drums

Selections:

Side A
1. Little Lulu
2. A Sleeping Bee
3. Always
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Side B
1. I'll See You Again
2. For Heaven's Sake
3. Dancing In The Dark
4. Everything Happens To Me