The Bill Evans Trio - Moon Beams
This 1962 release was from the first sessions recorded after LaFaro passed rather tragically. Retaining Paul Motian (drums), Chuck Israels (bass) replaced him.
It's an interesting comparison with the LaFaro days (Debby/Vanguard/Explorations/Portrait), with Israels less out front, paired more with Motian great brushwork than with Evans.
None of which to say it's not a classic.
To give you an idea of what these albums are like, here's a video of Vinterhymne from December Song:
Jakob Bro - Balladeering
Part one of a trilogy written for Bro (guitar)/Frisell (guitar)/Konitz (sax)/Motian (drums), joined by Ben Street (bass). A beautiful, expressive work.
Motian died shortly after recording this, so he wouldn't continue for the other two (Time / December Song), but his style here is reflected by Jon Christensen's work on Gefion as well.
All three have been recently re-released on Loveland.
Bill Evans, Live at the Village Vanguard, 1967 on Riverside
This is actually a reissue of what originally came out in 1961 (also on Riverside) as Sunday at the Village Vanguard, credited to the Bill Evans Trio “featuring Scott La Faro.” La Faro died in a car accident less than two weeks after the gig was recorded. Evans on piano, La Faro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Produced by Orrin Keepnews.
Not sure why Riverside reissued this credited to just Bill Evans, but happy to find a pressing from the 60s in great shape. An absolute must have.
My copy via Crossroads Records in Portland OR.
#1960s #1961 #1967 #BillEvans #BillEvansTrio #CrossroadsRecords #jazz #PaulMotian #PortlandOR #Reissue #Riverside #ScottLaFaro #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds
Bill Evans, Polka Dots and Moonbeams, 1967 (aka Bill Evans Trio, Moon Beams, 1962) on Riverside
This 1967 reissue of the 1962 album Moon Beams (which was credited to the Bill Evans Trio) is credited to Bill Evans and retitled to Polka Dots and Moonbeams – also given a new cover. (The original cover featured Nico, years before her time with the Velvet Underground).
Personnel here include Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums. The original LP was produced by Orrin Keepnews, but this remastering was supervised by Bob Thiele. The original came out a year after Sunday at the Village Vanguard and only three years after Evans played on Kind of Blue.
My copy via Down in the Valley in Golden Valley MN – in really good shape.
#1960s #1962 #BillEvans #BillEvansTrio #BobThiele #ChuckIsraels #DownInTheValley #GoldenValleyMN #jazz #OrrinKeepnews #PaulMotian #Riverside #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds
Here are just a handful of excellent albums with Paul Motian as the leader:
Bill Evans
I Have the Room Above Her (w. Frisell and Lovano)
Paul Motian
Paul Motian on Broadway, Vol. 1
Play Monk and Powell
The Windmills of Your Mind
Trioism
Jazztodon artist of the week: Paul Motian! Motian became a professional musician in 1954, and briefly played with pianist Thelonious Monk. He became well known as the drummer in pianist Bill Evans's trio, initially alongside bassist Scott LaFaro and later with Chuck Israels. Subsequently, he played with pianists Paul Bley and Keith Jarrett. Other musicians with whom Motian performed and/or recorded in the early period of his career included Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Lee Konitz, Joe Castro, Arlo Guthrie (including at Woodstock), Carla Bley, Charlie Haden, and Don Cherry. Motian subsequently worked with musicians such as Marilyn Crispell, Bill Frisell, Leni Stern, Joe Lovano, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Alan Pasqua, Bill McHenry, Stéphan Oliva, Frank Kimbrough, Eric Watson and many more.
Later in his career, Motian became an important composer and group leader. From the early 1980s he led a trio featuring guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Bill Evans
Well, just back from the Department Christmas dinner, I find myself filled with the festive spirit (or more, accurately, wine) so I thought I’d share a seasonal piece of music. As regular readers of this blog (both of them) will know, I listen to quite a lot of jazz. In the course of doing that it has often struck me that there can hardly be a tune that’s ever been written – however unpromising – that some jazz musician somewhere hasn’t taken a fancy to and done their own version. Louis Armstrong turned any amount of base metal into gold during his long career, but here’s a record I could scarcely imagine before hearing it. It’s Santa Claus is coming Town recorded in 1964 by the great Bill Evans on piano in a trio with Gary Peacock on bass and Paul Motian on drums. As far as I know this is the only Christmas tune that Bill Evans ever recorded, but I think it’s great. Enjoy!
Again another historical Keith Jarrett recording? Some leftovers from the Deer Head Inn? But don’t be fooled: this is a terrific album! Such a great pleasure to hear him with the incredible Paul Motian on drums. Nobody rides his cymbals like he did.
#music #jazz #ecm #KeithJarrett #paulmotian
#deerheadinn #historicalrecording #theoldcountry #ifallinlovetooeasily
Listen to this tender beauty:
https://open.spotify.com/track/56wgIQk4fGeCAmA2kbDKC2?si=Abs6eNvQRgOTIum5JUgOhg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A65fwa287lPtCIJGUoFPpFK
Aktuell in der HörBar: Jarrett – The Old Country
das Triospiel außerordentlich in Balance, Mood und Interaktion und erzeugt diesen ästhetischen Reichtum, an dem man sich nicht satthören kann. Zugleich versagen sich hier meine Fähigkeiten, in Worte zu fassen, wie hier das Spiel der drei ineinandergreift; so selbstverständlich und doch voller Vielfältigkeit im A
https://hoerbar.nmz.de/2024/11/jarrett-the-old-country/
#Jazz #ECM #GaryPeacock #jazz #JazzTrio #KeithJarrett #PaulMotian
Bill Evans, Spring Leaves, 1976 on Milestone
2xLP release from 1976 which collects two previous Riverside releases: Portrait In Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961). This one includes two takes on “Autumn Leaves” – one which appeared in Mono (Riverside 315) and one in Stereo (Riverside 1152). This also includes “The Boy Next Door” which was left off of Explorations originally.
Milestone records was founded by Orrin Keepnews and Dick […]
#1960 #1960s #1961 #1976 #BillEvans #BillEvansTrio #Fantasy #Milestone #OrrinKeepnews #PaulMotian #Riverside #ScottLaFaro #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WorcesterMA #WorcesterRecordRiot
Bill Evans Trio - How my heart sings!
This came out of the first session post-Vanguard/Debbie, after the death of Scott LaFaro, and you can see in the (great) liner notes how much this affected Evans.
That said, this album of upbeat, swinging tunes belies that extratextual sadness to my ears, with Chuck Israels on Bass and Paul Motian on drums…except perhaps on Summertime, which seems perhaps a bit wistful in this rendition.
Keith Jarrett - "The Survivors' Suite" (1977)
#NowPlaying #KeithJarrett #CharlieHaden #DeweyRedman #PaulMotian #VinylRecords @vinylrecords
#DemandezLeProgramme :
1980 - Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Dewey Redman & Pat Metheny - Baker's Keyboard Lounge - Detroit (Michigan)
Last workday listen before the gym.
Beautiful, man.
Just finished reading 3 Shades of Blue, too.
#billevans
#sundayatthevillagevanguard
#paulmotian
#scottlafaro
Released at the tail-end of 2023, the LP version captures the duo live at the 1990 Jazz Marathon at De Oosterpoort festival in the city of Groningen, the Netherlands. https://dustedmagazine.tumblr.com/post/741691889639702528/derek-bailey-paul-motian- #derekbailey #paulmotian #jazz #music
