Bill Evans: The Complete Interplay Sessions

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Percy Heath (b)
Freddie Hubbard (t)
Benny Golson (ts)
Bill Evans
Jimmy Knepper (tb)
Jim Hall (g)
Zoot Sims (ts)
Phil Woods (as)
Oscar Pettiford (b)
Dannie Richmond (d)
Ron Carter (b)
Teddy Kotick (b)
Gene Quill (as)
Sahib Shihab (as)
Art Taylor (d)
Freddie Hubbard
Philly Joe Jones (d)

Label:

Essential Jazz Classics

August/2014

Media Format:

2 CDs

Catalogue Number:

EJC55640

RecordDate:

16 Jul-22 August 1962/September-November 1957

Preceded by the loss of Scott LaFaro, and Evans's subsequent depression and formation of the lower-key trio with Chuck Israels, the arrival of the original Interplay session (now in its 50-years-later public-domain reincarnation) was/is a breath of fresh air. Using Hubbard and Hall as front-line, Evans plays his title blues and five standards, with a freedom that makes for an ‘organised jam’ feel that's not typical of the pianist but brings out the best from all concerned, the version of ‘You And The Night And The Music’ being exemplary. The date with Sims replacing Hubbard, only a month later, remained largely unreleased until the early-1980s double-LP reproduced here, and is comparatively tentative although it contains the first versions of ‘Time Remembered’ and ‘My Bells’, which became Evans evergreens. The two 1957 bonus sessions, led by Knepper and Shihab, are from albums where Evans only played on some tracks and then rather subordinately, but fit well with the preceding material.

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