Bill Evans: Trio '64 (Acoustic Sounds 180g) Vinyl LP

"The excellent Trio 64 marked Bill Evans' first trio album after a move to Verve from his previous home at Riverside Records. While the work Evans' did with his first trio featuring Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian (particularly the Village Vanguard recordings) remains by far his most popular and lauded work, even after LaFaro's tragic death in 1961 he continued to improve upon and refine his particular brand of soulful and introspective playing. Trio 64 marked a reunion with Motian and Evans' only recorded work with the talented bassist Gary Peacock. The album matches up with Evans' finest trio sessions, with his shimmering piano lines dancing between Peacock's sharp bass lines and Motian's usual sublime work on the drums. The song selection shows how Evans was able to take even the most rote pop songs of the day and transform them into unabashed works of modern jazz. Is there another pianist of the era who would attempt a take on 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' (the album was recorded December 18th, so why not throw in a Christmas tune) or 'Little Lulu' (the theme from a 1940s cartoon of the same name) and so successfully have them come off as if they were jazz standards all along? Even more impressive is that this was the first time that Evans had played with Peacock, and yet there is no sense of hesitation in either musician's interaction with each other, it sounds like they've been playing together for years." - Acoustic Sounds

• influential jazz pianist's first album for Verve Records, originally released in 1964
• 180g black vinyl pressing
• Acoustic Sounds edition remastered from original analog tapes
• housed in tip-on gatefold sleeve w/ liner notes
• limited edition
• featuring Bill Evans (p), Gary Peacock (b), Paul Motian (d)
• original release year: 1964
• music label: Verve Records 2021