Paul Motian - Bill Evans (JMT, 1990)

 

Paul Motian, drums
Bill Frisell, guitar
Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone
Marc Johnson, bass

Recorded May 1990

Sorcerer Sound, NYC
Engineer: Joe Ferla

Pianist Bill Evans was Paul Motian's first employer, and the drummer participated in Evans' legendary trio that played the Village Vanguard in 1961. The two albums from that engagement are among the most cherished jazz recordings ever made. Bill Evans, Motian's tribute album, includes regular trio members Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano, and Marc Johnson, who also played with Evans. The plan was simple: record nine of Evans' compositions without piano. The result is a heartfelt interpretation of the artistry of Bill Evans, the composer, and the prominent influence on the last 65 years of jazz piano.

The first two songs on Bill Evans, "Show Type Tune" and "Turn Out the Stars," offer no radical interpretations but rather a straightforward reading of the songs. The third track, "Re: Person I Knew," is one of Evans' most mesmerizing compositions. It begins with what seems like a prelude, but one that never gets to a main theme. The ambiguity fits the quirky predisposition of the band.

"Time Remembered," one of Evans' most familiar and oft-covered ballads, proceeds in an elastic largo tempo. Johnson holds everything together by managing the slow yet shifting pulse. His solo is full of emotion, evocative of his own remembrance of playing with Evans. It helps that the recording captures every nuance of Johnson's dark, woody bass. 

I am fortunate to have bought a German vinyl reissue of Bill Evans, released in 2015 with different cover art. This "Music Edition" is all analogue (AAA) and sounds spectacular. I owned a CD copy earlier, which was also good sonically, but the vinyl delivers the artistic and emotional impact better. I have not compared the reissued vinyl with the original vinyl. 

My previous posts for two albums by Paul Motian's trio are at:

Post: Edit On Broadway, Vol. 1

Post: Edit Monk in Motian