Your Story - The Music of Bill Evans
by Ken Dryden
There seem to be a flurry of pianoless CD tributes to the late pianist Bill Evans in the mid-1990s, by far the most successful is this release by the extraordinary guitarist Howard Alden. He waited until he started playing a seven string guitar to fully explore Evans' rich and often difficult melodies, as he was then able to keep them in their original keys while being able to round out the original harmonies by playing the low notes himself on the extra string. Of course, it doesn't hurt him to have the talented bassist Michael Moore (who worked for a time in Evans' trio) and drummer Al Harewood on hand. Another thing that make this CD stand out from similar efforts is Alden's willingness to concentrate on the less familiar works by the pianist. The constantly shifting "Tune for a Lyric" and "Discplacement" are challenges that he seems to meet effortlessly, while the Latin setting of "Time Remembered" adds the ethereal flute of Frank Wess, and the foot patting bluesy "Loose Blues," with Wess on tenor sax, will compare favorably to Evans' original recording with Zoot Sims. Alden also includes several works written near the end of the pianist's career. "Laurie" is a lush blend of Alden's soft guitar and Wess' romantic tenor, while "Maxine" begins with the leader's unaccompanied solo before switching to a waltz-like setting featuring some of Moore's typically brilliant playing. There isn't a track on this CD by Howard Alden that is less than excellent. Highly recommended.
By Leonardo Barroso
There seem to be a flurry of pianoless CD tributes to the late pianist Bill Evans in the mid-1990s, by far the most successful is this release by the extraordinary guitarist Howard Alden. He waited until he started playing a seven string guitar to fully explore Evans' rich and often difficult melodies, as he was then able to keep them in their original keys while being able to round out the original harmonies by playing the low notes himself on the extra string. Of course, it doesn't hurt him to have the talented bassist Michael Moore (who worked for a time in Evans' trio) and drummer Al Harewood on hand. Another thing that make this CD stand out from similar efforts is Alden's willingness to concentrate on the less familiar works by the pianist. The constantly shifting "Tune for a Lyric" and "Discplacement" are challenges that he seems to meet effortlessly, while the Latin setting of "Time Remembered" adds the ethereal flute of Frank Wess, and the foot patting bluesy "Loose Blues," with Wess on tenor sax, will compare favorably to Evans' original recording with Zoot Sims. Alden also includes several works written near the end of the pianist's career. "Laurie" is a lush blend of Alden's soft guitar and Wess' romantic tenor, while "Maxine" begins with the leader's unaccompanied solo before switching to a waltz-like setting featuring some of Moore's typically brilliant playing. There isn't a track on this CD by Howard Alden that is less than excellent. Highly recommended.
Chris Wabich
Jade Vision - The Music of Bill Evans
By Leonardo Barroso
Chris Wabich is the drummer on Karen Gallinger's "Remembering Bill Evans". He is the true Bill Evans Fan, with Larry Koonse-guitar and Darek Oles-bass, made a new tribute CD for Bill, with a remembrance of the great Scott LaFaro. All tracks are by Bill except the last one "Jade Vision". This a very good trio, with great vibe. One of Bill's finest tribute albuns.
Stephen D. Anderson
Remebering the Rain - The Music of Bill Evans
by Ken Dryden
Stephen D. Anderson is not the first guitarist to do a keyboardless tribute to the late pianist and composer Bill Evans, but his unaccompanied solo interpretations of pieces either written or performed by Evans are impressive. Anderson, who was inspired in part by the late Lenny Breau's arrangements of Evans' compositions, gets to the essence of each piece, turning out one lyrical setting after another. Not only does he explore the pianist's most widely known works, but also less familiar pieces like "Only Child" and "Remembering the Rain." Highlights include the magical performance of the bittersweet ballad "Time Remembered," and the equally moving take of the mournful "Turn out the Stars" (which incorporates three overdubbed takes in counterpoint) the deliberate, spacious approach to "Blue in Green," along with "Haunted Heart" — a standard recorded on several occasions by Evans. This commendable CD should be of great interest to fans of both jazz guitar and Bill Evans.
Dave Askren Trio
Re: Bill Evans
By Michael P. Gladstone
Track Listing: Re Person I Knew, Spring is Here, Everything I Love, My Foolish Heart, Midnight Mood, Who Cares?, Time Remembered, Freddie Freeloader, It Might As Well Be Spring, When Sunny Gets Blue, If You Could See Me Now. Personnel: Dave Askren, guitar; Mike Flick, bass; Steve Sykes, drums.
Los Angeles-based guitarist Dave Askren has undertaken a formidable project in adapting the music and style of Bill Evans for a guitar-bass-drums trio. In his liner notes Askren goes to a great deal of trouble to rationalize the validity and difficulties of this undertaking, insofar as Evans' influences for many of the selections and the difficulties of transposing his piano voicings on the guitar. It makes for an interesting story but, to these untrained ears, the question remains as to whether it all works or not. Unequivocally, these eleven tracks do bear the stamp of the late pianist.
In selecting these compositions, Askren has provided a good mix of Evans originals, standards and jazz standards that he frequently played, and one that he never recorded but could easily have ("When Sunny Gets Blue"). The mood is generally the introspective ballad performance that Evans was so noted for. A few tunes, like the Cole Porter "Everything I Love" and Gershwin's "Who Cares?", are taken at mid-tempo; while Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader" is the closest to an up-tempo jam.
Askren seems best able to share the Evans persona in the impressionistic adaptation of the Evans classic "Re Person I Knew," the Rogers & Hart "Spring is Here" and especially on the Young & Washington standard "My Foolish Heart." As would have been the case in the Bill Evans Trio, drummer Steve Sykes and bassist Mike Flick share in this project with thoughtful solo work and supportive playing.
Lorne Lofsky
Bill, Please
by Scott Yanow
Lorne Lofsky is a cool-toned guitarist in the tradition of Jimmy Raney and fellow Canadian Ed Bickert. Since Lofsky's sound is not all that exciting, it is fortunate that he is not only an expert bop-based improviser but very good at picking out a repertoire that fits his style. For his trio set with bassist Mike Downes and drummer Jerry Fuller, Lofsky performs four songs by Bill Evans plus numbers by Wayne Shorter, John Lewis, Lennie Tristano ("317 East 32nd"), and Ravel, along with a few standards. To give variety to the date, four pieces are taken totally by Lofsky, who overdubs a second (and sometimes third) guitar with taste. "Subtle creativity" is a phrase that sums up this session as a whole, for it takes several playings to fully appreciate the tight musical communication between the trio members along with Lofsky's inventive ideas.
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