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This album is Bill Evans at his best. With "Come Rain or Come Shine" (which is my FAVORITE rendition of this song), 2 great versions of "Autumn Leaves" & "Blue in Green", 6 clasic versions of other standards and the introduction of "Peri's Scope" to the jazz world, Bill Evans , Paul Motian & Scott LaFaro created the perfect "desert island" recording that is a must for any serious Jazz pianist or collector! 5 plus stars!!!!!
Worthy of a spot on any shortlist of greatest jazz albums, "Portrait in Jazz" demonstrates Bill Evans’s singular combination of technical skill and emotional depth. He explores these familiar songs, building innovative melodic and rhythmic variations over the chords, while allowing his sidemen (bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian) free reign to wander in and out of those spontaneous diversions -- and back to familiar territory. At its heart, this is a conventional jazz album that never loses sight of its style; here, Evans’s contribution to that style is a passion that is both elevating and heartbreaking.
Evans was having trouble finding good bassist, but Scott LaFaro's arrival precipitated the advent of one of the finest piano trios jazz has ever documented. The bassist's melodic sensitivity and insinuating sound flowed between Evans and Paul Motian (drums) like water. Also recommended of this same trio are 'Explorations' and 'Sunday at the Village Vanguard'. Short after recording of the last session, Scott was killed in a car accident. So this records are In Memory of Scott LaFaro.
Bill Frisell, the singular and much admired/emulated jazz guitarist, is a case study in uncategorizability. As he's often said, in one form or another: First I was tagged as the ECM guy, then the downtown guy, then the Americana guy. In reality, those were all always the same guy. As early as the 1982 recordings for his debut on ECM, In Line - solos, overdubbed solos and duets with bassist Arild Andersen - there was this odd… more »
The pianist heard on the newly released 2001 solo recital Fred Hersch Plays Jobim may be the best-known Fred Hersch: a consummate player of lyrical ballads, enriching their melodies and chords in subtle ways. He's a master of singing right-hand lines and impressionist harmonies that recede into the distance. Antonio Carlos Jobim composed classics like "Desafinado," "Corcovado" and "Insensatez" which helped make bossa nova a '60s fad, when he teamed up with saxophonist Stan Getz.… more »
