Bill Evans Trio — Sunday at the Village Vanguard (OJC reissue)
Qobuz reissue review (November 2023)
Forever paired in the jazz consciousness with its follow-up — 1962’s Waltz for Debby, which was recorded on the same day — Sunday at the Village Vanguard was the first album by the Bill Evans Trio to be released after the untimely death of bassist Scott LaFaro. While nobody likely ever accused Riverside head Orrin Keepnews of being overly sentimental, pushing this album out — along with a “Featuring Scott LaFaro” subtitle — just weeks later was reportedly a decision made by both Keepnews and Evans together, to highlight the way that this trio worked together in a live environment and how LaFaro was integral to that interplay.
To that end, the selection of material here is focused on the communication between Evans, LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian, and serves to illuminate how daring and innovative this approach was for the time. To be sure, the piano is still the dominant melodic force, but the structure and atmosphere is defined by the near-telepathic rhythm section. The three players never venture too far from one another, working closely together throughout each piece, and LaFaro’s ability to easily shift from supporting Motian to complementing Evans makes him the fulcrum on which much of this material derives its energy. The two LaFaro originals that bookend the album — “Gloria’s Step” as the opener, “Jade Visions” at the end — are excellent examples of this, but it’s when the group takes on songbook standards like Cole Porter’s “All Of You” or the Gershwins’ “My Man’s Gone Now,” that it’s clear how much this group has revolutionized — and democratized — the idea of a piano trio. All three players seem to be simultaneously in the spotlight and sharing it. An essential release that has been both restored to its original running order and remastered to deliver excellent fidelity.
