Bill Evans Trio - Trio 65 '1965 [2020]

Tracks list

The best way to understand what makes this a good Bill Evans album is to compare
it with its precursor studio album, “Trio ’64” and the change
of the lineup.
“Trio ’64” was the last studio album with long-time drummer
Paul Motian, who had played with Evans since 1959’s “Portrait in
Jazz”. His departure was replaced with Larry Bunker, who had already
played with Evans at the Trident Club in the 1964 “Bill Evans Trio
Live” album and with Monica Zetterlund in “Waltz for Debby”
the same year. As a result this album is the first studio album for the Bill
Evans Trio with drummer Larry Bunker, allowing for one to see the contrast
between his playing and Paul Motian’s.
Larry Bunker is something of a “feisty” drummer. Whereas Motian had
a more spacious and laid-back way of playing that contributed to the cool jazz
aspect of Bill Evans’ playing, Bunker pushes forward and makes energetic
grooves that encourage Evans to play quicker and more rhythmically interesting
licks. The change is most noticeable in the tune “If You Could See Me
Now”. Strangely enough, it is the tune on the album that gets the closest
to being a ballad. Other tunes, like “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs
Me)?”, begin sounding like a ballad but quickly change to medium swing
when Bunker comes in. In “If You Could See Me Now,” Bunker submits,
perhaps unwillingly, to the slower ballad style. But while doing so he fidgets
around with quick, little fills with his brushes like an impatient child with
ADHD. Eventually he succeeds in turning the tune into medium swing and even goes
double-time at one point. The overall effect is actually really cool and gives a
lot of personality to the music.
In the end I would say Larry Bunker’s drumming style well fits Bill
Evans’ piano style, progressing Bill Evans to newer places in his music
that would intrigue those used to hearing the Paul Motian days of the Bill Evans
Trio.


Tracks:

1 Israel 4:45
2 Elsa 4:17
3 Round Midnight 6:38
4 Our Love Is Here To Stay 3:59
5 How My Heart Sings 2:47
6 Who Can I Turn To? 4:50
7 Come Rain Or Come Shine 5:23
8 If You Could See Me Now 4:46

Personnel:

Bass – Chuck Israels
Drums – Larry Bunker
Piano – Bill Evans

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