Evans Remembered
by Leonardo Barroso
This CD was made with Enrico Pieranunzi's book on Bill Evans "The Pianist As An Artist". It has Enrico playing solo(tracks 1,6), duo(track 2) or sextet(track 3,4,5,7). Has four standards: Seascape, Song from M.A.S.H., Funkallero and Elsa. The other three are originals. Well Evans and Pieranunzi are one of my top jazz pianist, and a work with the two is a very good idea. Is not one of my favorite Enrico's recordings, but it's honest and full of fresh ideas to honor Bill. Must listen !
E.Pieranunzi-Piano, P.Leveratto-Bass, M.Di Leonardo-Drums, F.Bosso-Trombone, R.Giuliani-Sax, G.Mirabassi-Clarinet.
Recorded 11 & 12 October, 2000 in Rome,Italy
Sylvia Syms
...Then Along Came Bill
by Ken Dryden
Sylvia Syms sang everything from cabaret to pop and jazz during her long career, and this tribute to the pianist Bill Evans, recorded nearly a decade after his death and just a few years prior to her passing at the age of 79, is a fine effort. Accompanied by Evans' longtime bassist Eddie Gomez, Evans' final drummer Joe LaBarbera, pianist Mike Renzi, and several guests who recorded with the late pianist on occasion, Syms brings out the essence of each of the 14 songs, though only one is an Evans' composition. Syms, who often described herself as a saloon singer and counted Frank Sinatra among her admirers, has a slightly smoky voice with a touch of vibrato due to being in her late seventies, but she knows how to make the most of her pipes. Renzi wisely doesn't attempt to mimic Evans' style at the keyboard, while the guests include flugelhornist Art Farmer, harmonica player Toots Thielemans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and drummer Grady Tate (who spells LaBarbera on four tracks). Among the highlights are the soft bossa nova treatment of "The Touch of Your Lips," the playful rendition of "A Sleepin' Bee," and the touching finale of "Waltz for Debby."
Stefano Battaglia
Bill Evans Compositions Vol 1 & 2
by Thom Jurek - Volume One
On the first volume of three projected sets of Bill Evans compositions, pianist Stefano Battaglia registers an album of his major influence's works with great savvy and unpredictability. Rather than moving into "Waltz for Debbie" territory right away, Battaglia and his rhythm section — prestigious as it is with Aldo Romano and Paolino Della Porta — commence with some of Evans' most compelling and difficult works. The set begins with "Interplay"; originally a date with Jim Hall and Freddie Hubbard, the tune is a study in counterpoint, not only against the other instruments, but in terms of pitting the two sides of the piano's register against the middle. Battaglia handles the arpeggios nicely in sharp staccato manner and shifts down into an introspective meditation on the complex three-part harmonic melody. On "My Bells," the large Evans harmonics are explored delicately and thoroughly with three major key figures wrapping around each other in a shimmering collection of eighth notes and glissandi; Romano dances around the languid chords with his brushes as Della Porta plays in hushed elegance to underscore the fragile beauty of the tune. Following this is the classic "Nardis," with Battaglia going inside the piano for food, bowing and scraping strings as Della Porta counters with subtle hammering on the lower register of the bass. It's a stunning, sympathetic reading that captures all of the isolation and darkness in the original, without giving up any of the melody to sentimentality. Battaglia's approach to Evans, despite his great affection for the man's work, is free of nostalgia. He has treated these compositions with the utmost sensitivity and respect by offering them as living compositions to be workshopped not as "classic" material, but as carrying within them the thread of the jazz life force itself. Amazing.
by Thom Jurek - Volume Two
On this second volume investigating the works of Bill Evans, Italian pianist extraordinaire Stefano Battaglia pulls some of Evan's best-known work out of the closet (it's amazing that some of this was left off the first volume) and concentrates on the area that most pianists leave out in interpreting him: his tenderness. Battaglia's approach is a light one, not musically, but emotionally. He understands, on a cellular level it seems, that the emotion Evans put into his compositions wasn't there for effect, it was part of the tunes themselves. The readings here of "Turn Out the Stars," "Peace Piece," and "Story Line" reveal the softness in Evans' approach to his own tunes without being corny or stilted. There is a true generosity in Battaglia's playing that is underscored by the rhythm section of drummer Aldo Romano and bassist Paolino Della Porta, who obviously take their cues from the last Evans trio. What Battaglia "adds" to the work of Bill Evans would be arguable except for the following: his nuance and his unwillingness to sacrifice Evans' particular melodic genius for the sake of a sideways, more intellectually "challenging" interpretation. He understands the material deeply enough to know it doesn't need to be muddied up with either extra notes or unwanted tempo shifts — a good listen to the up-tempo "Displacement" reveals this. As with its predecessor, this volume is essential for Battaglia fans to be sure, but arguably it is also necessary for fans and students of Evans' canon as well.
Jessica Williams
Joyful Sorrow - Solo Tribute
by Ken Dryden
This solo piano CD is unusual in many ways. Jessica Williams' solo concert in tribute to Bill Evans (who died 15 years to the day prior to this performance) features four standards that were a part of his repertoire, "Flamenco Sketches" (which he performed as a member of the Miles Davis Sextet on the landmark Kind of Blue), plus three originals by Williams, but none of Evans' compositions. "Alone Together" is a bit off the beaten path with darting left-handed runs accompanying a sparse right hand; "My One and Only Love" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily" display Williams' lyrical side, while "My Man's Gone Now" proves to be a bit more adventurous. Her originals include the melancholy opener "I Remember Bill"; the oddly named "Joyful Sorrow," which provides Williams a chance to show off a bit; and her loping "Blue for Bill," which wraps the concert. The Black Hawk label, founded by Dr. Herb Wong, folded in the late '80s, but this recording was made in 1996, so the producers evidently started using the name again according to Wong, who said he had allowed the name to go dormant. Surprisingly, there is no aural indication one is listening to a concert, since the recording is free of any kind of audience reaction or intermittent noise. The CD has no catalog number but is a signed limited edition of 200 (possibly given out as a thank you gift for a fundraising event?), autographed by both the pianist and Carole Hand, the artist who provided the painting for the cover. Whether there was ever an additional pressing following this small 1998 pressing remains to be discovered, but in any case, jazz piano fans will want to locate this curious release.
The Drummonds
Letter To Evans
by Ken Dryden
Pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Billy Drummond (her husband at the time), put together a fine tribute to the late pianist Bill Evans on these 2000 sessions, though they don't play any of his timeless compositions. Instead, they build upon his vast recorded legacy by interpreting standards and modern compositions that Evans enjoyed playing. While there is a touch of Evans' lyricism in Rosnes' playing, she is no mere copycat; while Ray Drummond's tasty, inventive basslines and Billy Drummond's light-handed percussion would have possibly been an excellent rhythm section for Evans. Rosnes' debt to Evans is most apparent in the upbeat treatment of Earl Zindars' "How My Heart Sings" and the brisk setting of "I Hear a Rhapsody." There are also a pair of tracks not associated with Evans. This CD was also issued by True Life as Pas de Trois, though with a slightly different track selection.
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