Loose Blues

This long-lost session, not released initially until 1982, features pianist Bill Evans, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Philly Joe Jones interpreting seven of the pianist’s recent originals. Due to some difficulties during the recording process (none of the sidemen were familiar with the often complex numbers), the results were originally shelved and lost for a couple of decades. This CD reissue shows that the music was actually much better than originally thought. While “Time Remembered,” “Funkallero,” and “My Bells” would become Evans standards, it is quite interesting to hear such forgotten obscurities as “Loose Bloose” (heard in two versions), “There Came You,” “Fun Ride,” and “Fudgesickle Built for Four”; a couple of the songs could stand to be revived. It is a pity that Evans and Sims (a logical combination) never did record together again. – Scott Yanow