Bill Evans Trio – Moon Beams (1962) [2002, Analogue Productions Stereo SACD]
SACD ISO (Stereo): 1,57 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 730 MB | Artwork | 3% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Analogue Productions # CAPJ 9428 SA | Country/Year: US 1962, 2002
Genre: Jazz | Style: Post Bop, Instrumental, Modal
Review by Thom Jurek
Moonbeams was the first recording Bill Evans made after the death of his musical right arm, bassist Scott LaFaro. Indeed, in LaFaro, Evans found a counterpart rather than a sideman, and the music they made together over four albums showed it. Bassist Chuck Israels from Cecil Taylor and Bud Powell’s bands took his place in the band with Evans and drummer Paul Motian and Evans recorded the only possible response to the loss of LaFaro — an album of ballads. The irony on this recording is that, despite material that was so natural for Evans to play, particularly with his trademark impressionistic sound collage style, is that other than as a sideman almost ten years before, he has never been more assertive than on Moonbeams. It is as if, with the death of LaFaro, Evans’ safety net was gone and he had to lead the trio alone. And he does first and foremost by abandoning the impressionism in favor of a more rhythmic and muscular approach to harmony. The set opens with an Evans original, “RE: Person I Knew,” a modal study that looks back to his days he spent with Miles Davis. There is perhaps the signature jazz rendition of “Stairway to the Stars,” with its loping yet halting melody line and solo that is heightened by Motian’s gorgeous brush accents in the bridge section. Other selections are so well paced and sequenced the record feels like a dream, with the lovely stuttering arpeggios that fall in “If You Could See Me Now,” and the cascading interplay between Evan’s chords and Israel’s punctuation in “It Might As Well Be Spring,” a tune Evans played for the rest of his life. The set concludes with a waltz in “Very Early,” that is played at that proper tempo with great taste and delicate elegance throughout, there is no temptation by the rhythm section to charge it up or to elongate the harmonic architecture by means of juggling intervals. Moonbeams was a startling return to the recording sphere and a major advancement in his development as a leader. allmusicguide
There is a storyline running through this and the other two Evans album – also reviewed here – that provides depth to the music. It’s of course about LaFaro, but there is more. When Bill Evans does ballads I always feel he is talking, and that takes listening to him to a different level. It’s not only a fine flowing, elegant piano piece – but let’s not forget the sensitive contributions of Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums. It has that something extra that is difficult to put into words. It invites you to really listen and it takes the ballad out of the realm of background music.
Analogue Productions has produced some of the best sounding piano on SA-CD, and this one is no exception. If you want to listen to Bill Evans’ story you owe it to yourself to buy all three discs (‘Saturday At The Village Vanguard’ and ‘Waltz For Debbie’ are the other two). sa-cd.net
Tracklist:
1. Re: Person I Knew
2. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
4. Stairway To The Stars
5. If You Could See Me Know
6. It Might As Well Be Spring
7. In Love In Vain
8. Very Early
SACD ISO
https://hexupload.net/ovzuyec18bi7/BillEvansTri0M00nBeams1962IS0.part1.rar
https://hexupload.net/5axy91fy1ww0/BillEvansTri0M00nBeams1962IS0.part2.rar
https://xubster.com/q2owbgn79equ/BillEvansTri0M00nBeams1962IS0.part1.rar.html
https://xubster.com/eqvl27i5rmif/BillEvansTri0M00nBeams1962IS0.part2.rar.html
Hi-Res FLAC
https://hexupload.net/zfoc08d057l4/BillEvansTri0M00nBeams1962FLAC.rar
https://xubster.com/g7x6s5teh605/BillEvansTri0M00nBeams1962FLAC.rar.html