Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...
Before the 83rd anniversary of Bill Evans’ birth fades away, at least in this time zone, let’s listen together to “Gloria’s Step,” a masterpiece from his 1961 Sunday At The Village Vanguard album. The trio, of course, was Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian.
Evans died on September 15, 1980.
Ron Miles: Quiver (enja yellow bird)
Miles’s playing on “There Ain’t No Sweet Man Worth the Salt of My Tears” draws 21st century Denver and 1928 Chicago close. Some of his flurries of wildness on this album are as daring as the work of any modern trumpeter, but the Bix Beiderbecke lyricism in Miles’s soul extends into everything he plays. With just Bill Frisell’s guitar and Brian Blade’s drums, Miles may seem to be operating lean. No, there is richness in their harmonic inventiveness and rhythmic compatibility. The nine pieces are not officially a suite, but unity of conception runs through the performances. This is a satisfying album.
Heather Masse And Dick Hyman: Lock My Heart (Red House)
With The Wailin’ Jennys and the Wayfaring Strangers and appearances on radio’s Prairie Home Companion, Heather Masse has attracted a following among folk and bluegrass fans. This album of duets with master pianist Dick Hyman discloses the jazz foundation that has long been evident in her singing. Their treatments of Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing” and Buddy Johnson’s “Since I Fell For You” are ballad perfection. In their delightful “I’m Gonna Lock My Heart and Throw Away the Key,” she manages to combine Billie Holiday and Marilyn Monroe. Hyman’s accompaniments and solos are reminders that this 86-year-old wonder is one of the most interesting pianists alive.
Miles Davis Quintet Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 (Columbia/Legacy)
This three-CD, one-DVD set finds the trumpeter fomenting even more dramatic change than usual. The first volume in the so-called bootleg series of Davis concert recordings found his primarily acoustic 1967 quintet already tending toward electronic music and rock. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter remains from that band. Here, the transition intensifies. Electric pianist Chick Corea, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette accelerate the shift Davis initiated with In A Silent Way. The repertoire is redolent of Davis’s Bitches Brew period. We hear the headiness, excitement and—sometimes—the aimlessness of newfound freedom. The DVD’s superb sound and picture bring the band alive.
Bill Frisell, The Disfarmer Project (La Huit)
Belgian filmmaker Guillame Dero captures the eclectic guitarist Frisell, violinist Carrie Rodriguez, guitarist Greg Leisz and bassist Viktor Krauss in a live performance set to portraits by the 1950s Arkansas photographer Mike Disfarmer. Some of the music was on a 2009 CD mentioned in this Rifftides post. Hearing it in new versions with Disfarmer’s eccentric and vaguely disturbing photos looming over the band is an adventure. Watching interaction and reaction among the quartet increases the fascination. Frisell salts his original compositions with songs by Hank Williams, Arthur Crudup and Cliff Friend.
Paul de Barros, Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland (St. Martin’s Press)
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band, Santa Monica 1960 (Fresh Sound)
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Nice reminder, Doug. (My wedding anniversary also, coincidentally.) Anyone who appreciates the music that this trio created should read “Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro”, by Scott’s sister, Helene LaFaro-Fernandez. The reader will learn much from this marvelous book and understand why Scott became such an incredible bassist, and how he influenced Evans (a notion not always mentioned in writings about Evans). You did review this book when it came out, Doug; I will add that it has increased my appreciation of this trio’s work, which I previously would not have thought possible.
Incredibly, inexplicably beautiful, still —always something new that one can appreciate. Truly, the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks Doug.
Thanks Doug. I could listen to it 1000 times (and probably have). Timeless and pristine.
Be sure to visit The Bill Evans Web Pages, Mr. Stevens’ invaluable site.
Thanks for reminding us of the great man’s anniversary, Doug. — Mr. Stevens delighted all of us when he posted Bill’s probably only recorded vocal on … “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”.
This was so hilarious, because it showed us a quite unknown, musically mostly hidden side of the pianist:
Humor.
Here it is again:
Sigh. My kind of music.
Thanks for the memories, Doug. That poignant picture of a gaunt Bill Evans (used on the Village Vanguard album cover) hangs in my home office. Whenever I’m playing some of Bill’s beautiful music—especially stuff like “Gloria’s Step”—it always catches my eye and reminds me of his enormous talent, and the depth of jazz music’s loss.
The Bill Evans “compatible quotations” are almost at the level of “Gloria’s Step”. The seriousness of Bill’s pursuit of truth and beauty are so evident in his spoken thoughts, as in his music. Even in his verbal humor, as in the Santa Claus take: “Take two? You guys better get this, because I’m only gonna do this ONCE!” Thanks for this remembrance of Bill Evans.
Re the rarity of overt humor in Evans music:
I got a Japanese CD of Trio 64 with all the alternate takes of “Little Lulu”. Especially in the way he does the little composed ending, Bill seems consciously funnier with each successive take. Check it out.
On August 14, 1962, Bill was in the studio with Shelly Manne and Monty Budwig, to make Empathy. Check out the episode at the end of “With a Song in My Heart”. Peter Pettinger calls it a “freak-out”. To me it sounds like cosmic humor of a species related to Thelonious Monk serio-comedy.
I read somewhere that in that period, when Bill had friends over for dinner, he would sometimes do a comedy routine at the Chickering piano. He would gravely and slowly play the melody of a traditional tune, pausing to reharmonize each successive melody note in such a stark contrast to the previous harmonization that it became inexpressibly hilarious. To be a fly on the wall when he had the likes of Jim Hall and Paul Desmond over!
Gloria’s Step on the stairs, such joy. And Bill Evans only gets better with every passing year.
All of the “Little Lulu” takes are also in the 18-CD Complete Bill Evans On Verve box set issued in 1997, now out of print and selling for as much as $900 US, but available for less than $200 as an MP3 download. To see the list of tracks, go here. When it was issued, the packaging of the massive collection became an object of amusement, even ridicule, because the CDs are housed in a metal box that resembles a military ammunition case. It is a challenge to open and handle, and it is subject to rust. Reviewers warned prospective buyers to get tetanus shots. The contents, however, are no joke. In addition to Evans’ well-known established trios, the set includes stimulating encounters with Manne, Budwig, Peacock, Gary McFarland, Jim Hall, Stan Getz, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Jack DeJohnette and Claus Ogerman, among others.
Also re Bill Evans verbal and musical humor:
I am hoping one of your readers will be able to describe Bill Evans’ reaction to the recording engineer, at the very end of the absolutely timeless three sessions, that Sunday at the Village Vanguard, right after the second take of “Jade Visions”. I guess its Orrin Keepnews who says, Bill, we have 30 seconds of tape left…what Bill says and plays in reaction is unforgettable. And Victor- Borge- level funny. After he plays out the thirty seconds, Bill speaks in his comedy voice to the little privileged Village Vanguard audience ( which is already appropriately amused):”You’re laughing? You’re gonna be laughing when we ISSUE that!”
And the snippet of course was finally released decades later in the boxed set, after that Sunday has become so quietly monumental and eternal.
In the words of Gene Lees, its like a love letter to the world from some eternity’s prison of the heart.
That is not Orrin’s unmistakeable voice. It is most likely that of David Jones, the engineer.
I’m convinced that Verve boxed set with its atrocious packaging was the ultimate collision of horrible design meets horrible marketing. I haven’t listened to the whole set (dumb, I know), because every time I peel back that rusty lid I get nervous. Thank goodness they manufactured the CDs with care, and the booklet, while nearly impossible to read without a magnifying glass and infinite patience, contains some wonderful transcribed conversations with fellow Evans musicians. Great stuff….if you can find it, people, beware the rusty box. It was silver when I bought it, now its an oxidized hunk of junk. A great epic hunk, mind you, and I”m glad i have it…but one of the dumbest packages ever made during the Era of the CD.