Overview
Pianist Bill Evans’s live recordings at the Village Vanguard, featuring his groundbreaking trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, are rightly considered the apex of his monumental, if relatively short, career. By bringing together two of the greatest jazz albums of all time -- Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby -- we are now, in turn, given one box set for the ages. The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 actually goes beyond the original albums by sequencing the tracks in chronological order, reinstating audience responses, and adding a previously unreleased take of “Gloria’s Step.” Now, on three CDs, we can savor the all the poetry and telepathic interplay that made these recordings so influential and durably listenable, in a new, possibly even more satisfying, manner. The purity of Evans’s touch, the fullness of LaFaro’s tone, and Motian’s responsive sensitivity are more present than ever. This unit rewrote the book when it came to modern piano trios; their inventiveness and lyrical approach remain unsurpassed. No matter if you already own the original Vanguard albums, or are a curious Evans neophyte -- this is an essential set.
