Reviews (page 4 of 13)
Dear lord this is classy. First live album I experience where the ambience isn't in the crowd's cheers, but in the wine glasses clanking and other such subtleties. Those are the details that TRANSPORT you to the Village Vanguard, to performances where Scott LaFaro is shredding pure heat on bass. Love it!
Not much of a jazz listener but it was very easy to listen to. very calming
Jazz
Always love hearing jazz records I haven’t before. This bassist, Scott LaFaro, sadly was killed in a car accident 11 days later. He crushes here.
Some really great live jazz stuff, the open hihat sounds like rain and the rest of the instrumentation is just very well done
Perhaps I was just in the right mood, but this recording is so evocative and atmospheric. It's easy to be there in the room, the smell of tobacco, the drink flowing, the sounds of the fret clicks and string chirps, and the hum of the audience gently murmuring in the background. I can hear the sound that may have influenced a young Zappa too. I'm not a massive fan of live albums, but this feels more like an historical document. I love it. It moves to 'the buy list'. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Superb ★★★★☆ (8/10) Total reviewed : 274 Already owned : 62 Purchased : 15 To buy : 2 Nope : 195
This seems like a basically pristine recording - you can't really tell it's live until the audience starts clapping. Maybe it's because I'm a bassist, but the bass stands out the most to me by far. That said, reading up a little bit, it sounds like the bassist was a prodigious talent who passed away in a car accident shortly after this was recorded. Only 25, very sad. Piano and drums are great too though. It does all sort of blend together to me. I wouldn't regularly choose to listen to this kind of thing, but it's a really pleasant experience to listen to.
Scott Lafaro, bass player here, died 11 days after this was recorded. Reading this fact made me single him out as this album went on. His performance alone is enough to hold my interest and make me enjoy the album all the more.
Really great! A little too ambient for my tastes — I wouldn’t play it back-to-back, per se. But it is a great sound that I love to listen to. A 4.
Amazing. Not much into jazz but was nice over my morning coffee
Clean and moody, like the crowd noise. I don't know music theory enough to fully appreciate this. 3.5/5
Oh this is superb! I am not very knowledgeable in jazz but I do appreciate the shifts in mood and the amazing piano and bass. The songs are very nice and enjoyable and made my breakfast a thousand times better. I will definitely listen to more Bill Evans Trio and get to know better his background. Amazing 4/5
Scot's Day At The Village Vanguard A landmark recording - delicate lightning in a bottle!
I like jazz trios, feels both cool and accessible. I like this album. It's not super memorable and I wouldn't be able to tell it apart from a hundred other jazz trio albums, but I like it.
solid 4.0. Extremamente agradável e relaxante.
Great, captivating jazz. Only thing docking from a perfect 5 is that I didnt always love the bass player
relaxing
Heel leuk, jazzy! Wel iets drukker dan ik uit mezelf zou luisteren
So fun. Jazz is really something. Weaving in and out with each piece. What it would have been like to be in that room..
4.5 (42:03, 6 tracks, 3rd album, 1961) LIVE Jazz, Genre defining (Jazz Trio) Really coming to appreciate Jazz (traditional music appreciation track for a middle-aged white guy.) Most of my youth Jazz sounded like 3 super talented musician met in a parking lot and picked a time signature to play in, went inside and performed a set and never saw each other again. They'd split the $150 three ways; and this is how they made a living, well that and bussing tables during the day. Q: "Can you play that song again." A: "Nope." i really enjoy this album, listened to it many times. It walk friendly, work friendly, sleep friendly - mood album. Can definitely see me playing this again and again. Took a whole spin down Bill Evans life span of work (it's massive) as part of this assignment. Sunday at the Village Vanguard is a live album by jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans and his Trio consisting of Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian. Released in 1961, the album is routinely ranked as one of the best live jazz recordings of all time. Sunday at the Village Vanguard was drawn from material recorded on June 25, 1961, at the Village Vanguard in New York City. The trio played five sets—two in the afternoon and three in the evening—each one comprising four or five numbers and lasting about half an hour. This was the last performance by the Bill Evans Trio with bassist Scott LaFaro, who was killed in a car accident eleven days after the recording. Riverside had been looking for only one album from this date, but LaFaro's death changed the economics. The album was subtitled "Featuring Scott LaFaro" and was rushed out for release three months after recording by September 1961. Evans and producer Orrin Keepnews reportedly selected the tracks for Sunday at the Village Vanguard to best feature LaFaro's masterly performance on bass, beginning and ending with two tracks ("Gloria's Step" and "Jade Visions") written by LaFaro himself, and with all the others featuring solos by him. This memorable day's performance resulted in additional material released in a second album in 1962, Waltz for Debby, as well as a further selection of takes appearing posthumously in 1984 as another LP: Bill Evans — More From the Vanguard (Milestone M-9125). In numerous interviews Evans has paid tribute to what he always considered to be his finest trio, “I am thankful that we recorded that day, because it was the last time I saw Scott and the last time we would play together. When you have evolved a concept of playing which depends on the specific personalities of outstanding players, how do you start again when they are gone?” After this recording at the Village Vanguard and the death of LaFaro, it became one of the extreme low periods in the life and career of Evans. He did not play for many months, not even at home. Thom Jurek wrote of the album: "This trio is still widely regarded as his finest, largely because of the symbiotic interplay between its members. This is a great place to begin with Evans." C. Michael Bailey of All About Jazz wrote: "Along with bassist wunderkind Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, Evans perfected his democratic vision of trio cooperation, where all members performed with perfect empathy and telepathy... It is these performances, currently available as Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby that comprise the number one best jazz live recording in this present series." Starting in 1992, both this album and its successor Waltz for Debby have been awarded a crown in all nine editions of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Track listing 1. "Gloria's Step" (take 2) 6:09 2. "My Man's Gone Now" 6:21 3. "Solar" 8:52 4. "Alice in Wonderland" (take 2) 8:34 5. "All of You" (take 2) 8:17 6. "Jade Visions" (take 2) 3:44 Personnel Bill Evans – piano Scott LaFaro – bass Paul Motian – drums Bill Evans Bio: William John Evans (1929–1980) was a legendary American jazz pianist and composer who fundamentally reshaped the role of the jazz trio and modern harmonic language. Classically trained from age six, Evans studied at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Mannes School of Music. His style was heavily influenced by 20th-century classical composers like Debussy and Ravel. He is renowned for his "singing" melodic lines, innovative chord voicings, and the use of impressionist harmony. Evans revolutionized the piano trio by moving away from a piano-dominant structure toward a "democratic" dialogue where the bassist and drummer had equal roles in improvisation. Career Highlights: In 1958, Evans joined Miles Davis’s sextet and played a pivotal role in the recording of Kind of Blue (1959), the best-selling jazz album of all time. He formed his most famous trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, recording landmark albums like Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby (1961). He received 31 Grammy nominations and won seven awards. His compositions, including "Waltz for Debby" and "Very Early," have become jazz standards. Evans's life was marked by the tragic death of Scott LaFaro and the suicides of his brother and long-term partner. He struggled with long-term heroin and cocaine addictions, which contributed to his early death at age 51 from complications related to a bleeding ulcer and liver disease. He remains one of the most influential jazz musicians of the post-bebop era, directly inspiring pianists such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett.
I was today years old when I learned that Bill Evans was Miles Davis’s keyboardist. It shows here. However, I don’t understand jazz as well as I should. It seemed to miss the horns that made Miles’s music so accessible for me. Still I can’t deny the quality of the performances here.. Great bassist whose name I missed (Scott LaFaro - a true virtuoso). This would work better for me as background music. 4 stars
Rock solid jazz album Some really cool pockets and the bassist is excellent All of them are locked in
I think this is my first ever pure instrumental jazz record. Based on that I have no basis for weather this is actually *good*. I think it was, I enjoyed myself. It was pleasant! Very easy listening.
The bassist is going crazy on this one. Must have been incredible ripping a heater in a jazz club seeing this live, 3 old fashioned’s deep.
Gimme more of that.
Very enjoyable album to study to
The album is routinely ranked as one of the best live jazz recordings of all time and I understand why. Never listened to the whole album. I want a comfy lounge chair and a martini. I prefer a crooner/singer with my jazz. 0 songs added to playlist.
STANDOUTS: Gloria's Step, Solar, Alice in Wonderland Peak studying music right here. Listened to this while working on homework and I've never felt more locked in in my life. The sound level of the crowd noise is perfect, it's not too loud where it overpowers the music, which by the way is absolutely gorgeous (especially the bass), but it also prominent enough to provide a bit of natural ambiance, making it feel much livelier than a studio recording. 8/10
Romanticized rainy morning
Seratonin
Great listen! Very cool snapshot of the era.
What an awesome album. Love Bill Evans. 7.5/10
nice freestyle jazz or whatever it is i find it quite enjoyable but in some moments it sounds like mumbles
Various parts of different songs really stand out, but no songs as a whole. Better background music than actively listening.
A great cleanse for my musical palate. Very heavy bassist throughout most songs.
I really like this album. It feels classy and simple without ever teetering on boring. The bass playing in this really stood out to me, shout out him. Strong 8/10
Mood music. Smoke filled club large leather chairs sitting back very mellow mood sipping espresso martinis.
Una atmósfera muy íntima y envolvente. Mi favorita del álbum es "Jade visions".
Turns out the original release is only six tracks, but I didn't mind listening to the full ten on streaming. Expert playing and a mournful vibe. Dig it.
Divine.
True to its name, this is Sunday brunch jazz. Light, airy, delightful. I made tea and toast, sat on my couch and looked wistfully out my window, chilled, vibed. Jazz is exquisite enlightenment. Even in the darkest of times, it is a ray of light and a beacon of hope and a truth that can never be falsified. I wish there were more variations of it on this list.
jazz tranquilo, principalmente piano y batería, muy chill, merece la pena escuchar en modo relax o poner de fondo,
Skikkelig koselig kaféjazz.
Det flyter greit inn i hverandre det her, men kan ikke si annet enn at det var fint å høre på. Kult med støy fra lokalet som løfter live-følelsen. Sjuk bassist!
I enjoyed this. Pictured myself sitting at a table in a smoky New York nightclub in the 1950s. Very atmospheric and musically important. Ultimately, it works for me as background music but saying that probably makes me a philistine. Warrants careful attention to all the instruments and the whole improvisation vibe.
Gorgeous and vibey. Perfect listening for a quiet rainy day.
Very beautiful and relaxing jazz.
Ist an mir vorbeigeflogen im positiven Sinne. Wirkte schon so, als ob da auch ein guter Teil Jam-Session ist. War aber alles im Rahmen.
Really sets the mood for a nice chilled evening
8/10… jazz / piano / *1961
Solid jazz album, but not blow me away great. Since I listen to my album choices in the morning, it was my soundtrack for grocery shopping, and no complaints. 3.75 / 5
Not enough jazz on this list, at least so far. Fantastic album
Love this, 1* off for the live recordings that include people talking. I'm all for the jazz club vibe but i prefer it without the additional soundtrack
Felt like a live jazz bar. Studying with this on was like a breeze. Gorgeous melodies and some virtuosity. Great record
I actually really liked this. An instrumental jazz isn’t always my go to, but the time went by really fast and liked the music throughout
Sunday at Starbucks Inc.
el cool jazz més blanc que ningú pot imaginar, però joder, que bé li senta al gènere un tio que ha absorbit a tots els impressionistes per a traslladar eixe minimalisme melòdic als seixanta de nova york. que sí, que no inventa res i que de vegades pot acabar sent un poc fons, però és impossible separar la gravació del seu context, i al cèsar el que és del cèsar.
No lo escuché todo pero lindo y suave
Loved it. Great jazz album!
2/3/26. Enjoyable jazz with no voice. 8/10
Impeccable, gentle, top tier jazz from a trio of wonderful musicians. Well recorded and effortlessly digestible. Bass playing is out of this world.
Un classico
This is nice, pleasant music. All my life I've wanted to get into jazz and I've just never been able to. There's a good amount of it that I like, but don't love. I never think to put on Kind of Blue. I suppose you could say I respect the music and the people that play it but it's never my first choice of what I want to listen to. So to my untrained ears, this is just...like I said, really nice, pleasant music. This is the music I'd want to hear out at a nice dinner. I'm not listening to this in my truck, but I'd probably be listening to it if I'm making dinner for my family. Aside from the players being proficient at their instruments, I don't know what separates this from other jazz music that's similar in nature. It's also nice to hear jazz that's not driven by horns and saxophones. Glad I listened to it, probably wouldn't return to it is my criteria to give something a 3. But you know what? I probably would return to this. I can see myself putting this on in the kitchen.
балдежный джаз, хочется послушать в особой обстановке, за ужином, бокалом вина
This was phenomenal, great chill vibes but the star of the show is Scott LaFaro’s impeccable bass work.
Interesting listen, made me want to listen to jazz and such more
Nice to listen to, but it is very jazzy jazz. The quality of the recording is pretty outstanding - you can hear string noise, the rattle of the drum kit and squeak of the kick pedal, quiet murmurs of the crowd in places. To me, the piano is actually fairly understated by that is probably how it is supposed to sound for this genre. I am noticing an almost total absence of bass drum, which is really interesting. The bass owns the timekeeping in a lot of places, but the piano trades back at times and the drums are almost entirely "seasoning" on the music. Bass playing is absolutely superb throughout, it is its own instrument and stands to play just as much melodically as the piano. Neat stuff, I will give them 4/5 for the cool factor and that it is a rather serene record.
I like jazz trios, feels both cool and accessible. I like this album. It's not super memorable and I wouldn't be able to tell it apart from a hundred other jazz trio albums, but I like it.
Exactly what I needed
I liked it, good background music.
Ótima gravação, som impecável. É um tipo diferente de Jazz, sem instrumentos de sopro, apenas o piano e o baixo guiando as canções. A simplicidade instrumental exibe claramente o talento interminável dos artistas do trio, o baixo especialmente me agrada muito. Ele dança e canta em cada uma das faixas, e faz uma dupla imbatível com o piano de Evans. Uma escuta muito prazerosa e fácil, um ótimo disco, não consigo apontar nenhum defeito a não ser a falta de excitação. 4/5
Nice enough
EPIC
Overall rating by me: 8/10 Songs added to the playlist: All Notes: This is absolutely it - no more words needed
Enjoyed this. It's easy going but interesting. Feels totally contemporary. Pleasant as background music, but worth paying attention to. Subtle and smart.
this album makes me wonder why there’s not more jazz in this project
3.9 I will add this into my limited Jazz rotation. Interesting to read up on the guy, went down a tangent of Jazz theory that was intereseting albiet over my head.
Great
3,8*
great album to listen on the way to work in 5 degrees weather
Smooth and satisfying
Had never heard this album. It was enjoyable. I dig most jazz, so this was easily a 4 for me.
4.5 The most intimate sounding live album I've ever heard. Made me want to explore the world of jazz more.
delightful easy listening jazz. this trio of bill evans, scott lafaro, and paul motian is fantastic. the first half of this album doesn't overly stand out to me other than as simply very nice to listen to, but "alice in wonderland" and "all of you" in the second half are sublime. easily the best on the album. the second half is so energetic i wanted to bounce out of my chair. the soft chatter background of the club is so delightful atmosphere too. deeply tragic that lafaro was killed in a car crash two weeks at such a young age after this performance because his talent is otherworldly. another note in the long list of reasons why society should move beyond the automobile.
This made me feel like I was in a cafe it was fun to listen to, I liked to see how different all the songs were and I liked to hear the different rhythms. I would want to listen to more music like this in the future!
Жоские homescapes вайбикс
Love jazz. That’s it.
I'm honestly the worst person to ask about jazz, this might be the first jazz record I've ever listened to all the way through. That being said, this was a very pleasant listen. Quite loungey without ever getting too pedestrian, and a very easy thing to let wash over you. There were rare moments where it felt like the bassist and pianist weren't in complete lockstep about the type of jazz they were wanting to play, but then again, what the fuck do I know about this sort of thing?
Nice jazz, chill instrumentals
Yup. That’s jazz.
chill. jazz. mellow. background.
Genuinely fantastic jazz that is a joy to listen to. Though I'm not sure how I feel about the different takes of the songs following the first one: since the start of the songs are so similar, it kinda feels like you're listening to the same song again. Gloria's Take is the worst of it, and it might've made a better album experience if the second takes were set in the second half. But overall, I really liked it. Wish I had more chances to go and listen to live jazz.
Bass goes dum da dum dum
Man patiko, geras pasiklausymas.
first jazz album in a longtime. unfortunately, i feel like i don’t have the enough knowledge to critic or comment properly on jazz, or moreover it doesn’t feel like my place to do so lol. for a live recording for the 60s, this is really smooth. bass is incredible. bass pulls you back each time. each instrument hold on to each other very well. fav: alice in wonderland, take 1
Geen groot spektakel, redelijk subtiel. De live collab is wel sick
Really smooth piano driven jazz. I found the soft murmur of the crowd a bit distracting though, I kept pausing the music because it sounded like people were talking outside my window hahah
i'd liked it, I think it's a good gateway to get more in to jazz music.
Smooth. If I had to describe this album in one word it would be that. Seriously some of you all parents were conceived to this album. Grandma was knocking some boots to it. What struck me was how good the recording of it was. A lot of older jazz albums have a grit to them and this doesn't. I swear you hear glasses clink in the background. This is an album that belongs on the list.
While not really my thing definitely one to save for the right moment and also just incredible
This was really interesting. Perfect background music for math homework or programming I feel like, because of how complex the melodies are. More investigation into this guy needed.
nice
Really good.
Very good study/background music. Not unique enough for the likes playlist though
i’m fucking with this HEAVY. i love jazz. i feel like im shopping at a Sears department store in 1965, just looking for the perfect gift for my husband (its their cheapest, but still expensive looking casual everyday wear watch and he let me take the family car out to be here). did this album just raise my IQ? whoever is on the standing bass can GET IT. i hate the clapping - this shit better be a live album. okay, it is live. best tracks: alice in wonderland and all of you (shit has some swing to it!)
Enjoyed this album. Playing is really good and the band is tight. Just a little slow for my taste, but overall a really good jazz album. 4/5 Will listen again
relaxing and instrumental
added to reading playlist!
me cuesta un poco escuchar un jazz tan abstracto, pero me ha gustado. Me lo guardo para estudiar. Me han gustado: Solar y Alice in wonderland, all of you (tenen molt contrabaix)
🌟🌟🌟🌟 not a huge fan of jazz but this is really good
geiils albumcover hahaha scho det hetmer vom todesfall vomene künstler kapitalisiert joo es isch mega schön, mega agnehm. vill meh hani nöd z sege
Ah, enfin un album de jazz qui ne donne pas l'impression d'avoir été fait pour ceux qui n'aiment pas le jazz ! Et celui-ci est vraiment très cool. Le piano, c'est pas ce que je préfère dans le jazz, mais celui-ci m'a vraiment capté, c'est probablement ma performance préférée du genre à ce jour. En prime, on a une petite basse vraiment sympa. Sur le papier, ça n'aurait pas dû me parler plus que ça, mais c'était vraiment un bon moment.
Solid, but not my favorite jazz album. Gloria’s Step (take 2) ★★★★☆ My Man’s Gone Now ★★★☆☆ Solar ★★★☆☆ Alice in Wonderland (take 2) ★★★★☆ All of You (take 2) ★★★☆☆ Jade Visions (take 2) ★★★☆☆ Gloria’s Step (take 3) ★★★☆☆ Alice in Wonderland (take 1) ★★★☆☆ All of You (take 3) ★★★☆☆ Jade Visions (take 1) ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.2/5.0 ★★★☆☆
Excellent example of how wonderful the world would be without saxophones.
Unexpected gem. Would listen again when I need some peppy jazz music. Replayed in the car - perfect driving music. I kept forgetting this was a live session until the audience clapped after each song.
I know that Sunday at the Village Vanguard is an essential live jazz recording, and I've been meaning to listen to it for a while. After listening to it a few times, I'm not really sure why this record is regarded as the most important live jazz recording between 1953-1965 by the All About Jazz website, even beating out John Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard, which is a mind-blowing recording and a personal favorite. Don't get me wrong; Sunday at the Village Vanguard is some of the most pleasant jazz I've ever heard, and it is beautifully recorded. But it feels like an extended vamp on some VERY chill themes. I may need to get more familiar with it, but none of the tracks feel like real stand-alone compositions. It is perfect for what it is. The improvisations here didn't stir my soul, but I was consistently impressed with the virtuosity. Bill Evans' piano is the focus, of course, but there is also a lot of space for Scott LaFaro, whom I'd never heard of, to riff on the stand-up bass. Again, the bass is recorded extremely well. You can easily hear the metallic rattle of the strings against the neck. It's great. Perhaps the quality of the recording itself is the real star of the date. At this time, the Village Vanguard was one of the most popular venues for live jazz recordings, and the engineers who set this one up definitely knew what they were doing. It's hard to describe, but the audio sounds very intimate. They even captured the crowd noise, mainly in the form of clinking glasses and very light murmurs, but only enough to make the recording sound alive. It never gets overly distracting. Instead, I get a slight sense of traveling back in time and actually standing in a real room. People say that about a lot of live recordings, but I don't get that feeling often. I wouldn't call the music on Sunday at the Village Vanguard exciting, but it is a chill set played by virtuosos and recorded exceptionally well. Four stars.
Piano bass and drums, buh-dum-dum-dum
Ay queria rankear este y lo puse en el de led zeppelin q salame. ( igual tmb le pongo 4 estrellas al de led zeppelin)) creo q es mi album favorito de ellos, es fantastico me encanto thank you no la conocia.
7/10
Fantastic sounds of laid-back and carefree jazz. While listening, I read about Evans’ life around this time and was surprised to learn about his many struggles. Can’t judge a guy by an album cover! Also didn’t know he played with Miles Davis on “Kind of Blue”. Fascinating. Overall, the guy was very talented and somehow balanced his hardships with a productive music career. Solid 4.2
great quality jazz music, great live album
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to! Saw "live jazz album from the 60s" and was initially wary, but this was good listening! Enough going on to keep me interested but not going wild, and I actually enjoyed it being a live album? The occasional bit of glasses clinking or talking cutting in I think actually added to the atmosphere a bit. "Gloria's Step" and "Alice In Wonderland" are faves on here.
Very good, they are a super cohesive and talented trio, very enjoyable album
This has been a favorite for several years
- albums ao vivo são difíceis de comparar com gravações de estúdio, especialmente em jazz a proeza técnica é muito mais perceptível do que algum conceito ou estilo. esse álbum tem muitos solos de baixo, algo que é mais comum hoje em dia. - pra mim a definição de cool jazz, um bebop bem tradicional com poucos instrumentos, temas bem enxutos e impressionistas, com bastante espaço pra improvisação
Nice easy listening jazz type
Hell yeah
As a massive Bill Evans fan, I am admittedly a little biased with this one. Like most jazz albums I don't fully understand musically, what is going on, but I do know it sure sounds good. It combines exploratory bass lines, which deviate from the established walking bassline trends of the time, with intricate drum fills and introspective piano playing. Further, multiple takes of most songs allow the listener to consider different interpretations of the same theme. A great listen, and a great tribute to LaFaro, who died ten days after this was recorded.
Relaxing, laid-back, consistent. Overall really enjoyed listening to this, though it kind of faded into the background of my mind.
“The album is routinely ranked as one of the best live jazz recordings of all time.” Well the bar is set - let’s go Billy boy! A really lovely heart and soul to this. Effortlessly pleasant and smooth. Enjoyed the slight uptick in ‘Solar’ but once again could be lovely background or devoured with full attention. Really lovely interplay, tightness and communication from the three of them and just so much talent. Half of which probably goes over my head!
This is a great opportunity for me to finally sit down and really listen to Bill Evans. Even for me, who’s never really listened to jazz, the album felt surprisingly inviting — Jade Visions especially stood out to me. It felt less like listening to music and more like overhearing someone’s quiet thoughts — an expression beyond words.
colorful
4.0 - Very Good
Very nice.
Surprisingly nice to listen to, worth 4 stars in my book
Really enjoyed this, nice piano jazzy stuff
Interesting, ethereal, calming
Incredibly well-performed jazz album. Some of the best bass playing I've ever heard in any genre. The drumming was impeccable as well. The piano was mostly tasteful. Still, I felt the album didn't go to the highest gear it could've. While it was very solid, it didn't reach the highs it seemed it could, and stayed as very respectable dinner music.
Maybe jogging wasnt the best time to listen to this album. I wouldve preferred a cigar and single malt. It was a very nice jazz album.
A very good jazz album, albeit a little boring at times.
real good
4/5 very excellent background noise, and very much up my alley. I don't think it's everyone's thing though, so can't be a 5/5.
If you like tinkle-tankle piano and tippy-tappy cymbals and strummy-thumby bass then you will likely enjoy this album. I do and I did.
Very very nice. Some contemplative jazz for a fall day.
Godamn those boys can play. The bassist stole the show. I was captivated during the whole performance. And a live album too! I don’t know much about jazz but this felt like a benchmark.
Cleaned my whole house to this album
Fantastic Jazz
It's always difficult to rate jazz albums because they are so different to other genres on this challenge. This is a highly enjoyable virtuoso jazz album, and it's a live album which makes it anneven more fantastic one because it sounds like a studio album, it's that perfect sounding. 4.5 stars.
Favorite Track: Gloria’s Step
Great album but not good shower music. Lounge music or study music.
so wonderful so whimsical
To answer Barry B. Benson, I like jazz. This album also inspired me to change my earphones to mono audio.
I think I like jazz
Listened in work, and really enjoyed the sound, in the background.Sets you back into a fancy American style lounge, or speakeasy atmosphere. Or a wet Sunday morning coffee vibe. Being live adds another element for me and is just more engaging. An unexpected enjoyable one for me. Although the repeating of certain takes of similar sounds makes it hard to track if it's a new long at times.
Nice calm, relaxing album. 7.1/10
Moja prva reakcija je bla: wtf je to, sm upala na neki bl Halloweeny. K pogledam tracklisto, vidim Alice in Wonderland v naslovih, zazdeva se mi, da je jazz, še zmer je pa mal annoying, ker je več k 1 uro. Ok. (Wiki pravi 42 minut, se prav morm odstrant 4 komade, če hočem poslušat album, kot je bil izdan.) "Gloria's Step" je zelo chill jazz. Prijetno. Isto se nadaljuje z "My Man's Gone Now". In js čist premal vem od jazza ( se pravi, nič), da bi loh karkol komentirala, a je to dobro ali ne. Je pa prijetno za poslušat. Bom zihr še kdaj, zvečer, mood lighting, itd. "Solar" mal pospeši, je bl fast-paced komad. "Alice In Wonderland" je očitno prav iz Disney filma, ampak je čist predolgo minil, da bi se ga spomnila. Zadnji, "Jade Visions" se začne počasi in je tak, minimalističen throughout. Najs.
Slightly less of a junkie than Chet Baker, but still an insane Wikipedia bio. Take me back to the good old days of PRESCRIPTION HEROIN. Anyways, it's hard to fuck up Jazz, and there's no doubt this guy was talented as hell. I just prefer a wind instrument focus in my jazz, rather than piano - I find piano-lead jazz a bit dull. Still, an interesting listen and one I think is worthy of any formidable vinyl collection.
I refer to this as dinner jazz and that is not with slander. It is very cool music, great in the background. The first time I listened to it, the bass really stood out to me. On my second listen all three of them were burning up their instruments. My rating for this went up slightly on relisten.
Good consistent vibe
Remarkable stuff
Perfect morning listening. A gem from the storied Village Vanguard from the master, Bill Evans.
Perfect mellow-ish album. But waltz for Debby is the best so far
This album sounds incredible! Feels like you are at the Vanguard. Love the music too, it's taking me down a jazz road I haven't gone in a while. Highlights: "Gloria's Step" and Solar"
The quality of the recording is impressive for it being a live record from the early 60's. Bass playing by LaFaro is best part of this, tragic he died days later in a car accident.
4.35 I don't like it when there's repeated same songs next to each other. Put all your live sessions and remixes at the end pls
I’ll give it a 4. I can appreciate that this is good music, but I’d be talking over it a hotel bar cocktail party….or while doing my chores after coming home from five days at a convention and multiple hotel bar cocktail parties. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to entire songs…skipped ahead on all of them 1 - No.
Beautiful playing, great live performances and recording down to the bar conversations and martini glass clinks between the numbers - but - did they have to keep every clink and laugh right through every song? Fucking annoying, like the record is a comment on the eternal insult played to jazz greats bringing genius night after night while being ignored and talked over by their audiences. I do like live better than studio for lots of jazz, but I'll check around for a Bill Evans live recording with a more involved crowd.
Piano Jazz isn't exactly my wheelhouse but if I'm going to listen to it, I think this will be the record. This is the non-Christmas background music you want for your winter dinner party, or a cozy night at home with a fire going. This was the final performance with bassist Scott LaFaro, who died in a car accident 11 days later. His bass work is intentionally showcased here as tribute, and even without the backstory it's hard not to notice his performance. Bill Evans has called this the best version of 'the Trio', and I'm not bold enough to question that. Secretly, I wish it wasn't a live album because the occasional applause breaks pull me out of my cozy solitude. However, I don't think you'd get the same magic in a studio recording. I'll cope.
Muy lindo, como para construir ciudades y verlas crecer. Nota: 3.7
Long meandering melodic lines, three instruments in complete communication (tri-alogue?). Fantastic.
The jazz albums never miss
Do you like jazz?
Really interesting to hear the different takes right after each other. For example, Take 3 of Gloria's Step sounds much more lively rihht off the top than Take 2 does. Didn't listen too deeply to this one, but I would probably listen again.
“ I don’t get jazz. It all sounds the same. I mean it’s nice. But it all sounds the same.” - Kori Agreed
Not sure I truly understand jazz. I’m sure there is something unique about this album. But it sounded like good jazz.
This is an incredible jazz album. I loved the vibes here
Objectively, this performance was tight, cool, sophisticated, and difficult to really understand how much goes into it. I feel as though I would need to fully focus on each of the musicians here and how they are speaking to each other, how they are working together as this super talent of a musical trio, to fully appreciate this to its fullest. I found it difficult to fully lock in for the full duration of the album. My focus tended to slide after a while, as the music slowly fades in the background again and again. Catching myself again and again, "focus on the music James" I keep telling myself over and over. The music itself chronically fades into coffee lounge jazz, still, a pleasant cascade of background music. Pleasant being the key word here, I did enjoy this quite a bit. But I guess what I'm getting at is that I lack the musical/jazz knowledge to fully appreciate this album to its fullest. This kind of music I feel like is somewhat locked up behind bars to your average listener, (not to say I'm average), but for most people this would come across as classic ordinary jazz. I do at least know that this is far from ordinary. However, I only have an inkling of the intricacies of this language these musicians are speaking to one another over the course of this live recording. For that I find myself hard pressed to give this more than a 4.
Great recording, especially for a live show. I need to revisit this as I didn't give it a fair chance (listened to it while driving) but really enjoyed it.
Jaaaaaazzz! Light session music dbass piano drums
Awesome Jazz, the piano skills are crazy.
Smooth
This was really beautiful and masterfully played
Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian were not pushing any boundaries musically. But the interplay between each instrument and improvisations on each other made this a fascinating listen.
Smooth, cool jazz. A relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Great small group jazz. So many bass solos. I'd listen anytime I want something low key.
Классный расслабленный джаз. Сложно тут что-то еще прокомментировать. Это просто очень хорошо. Во время прослушивания ощущаешь себя толи в нуарном фильме, то ли в дорогом ресторане (скорее, даже, второе). Люблю джаз. А кто нет?
Thoughts before listening: I am pretty sure that Bill Evans is a pianist, and I do typically enjoy piano led jazz. In general with Jazz artists I know and recognize a lot of the big names, but I have not actually listened to their work. That is definitely the case with Bill Evans so I am glad to have a reason to listen. This also seems as if it will be a live show which hopefully means a looser, improv heavy set. Review: This is very pleasant piano-led jazz with minimal instrumentation, just Bill on keys with a bass player and drummer. I quite enjoy this sound and especially love the interplay between bass and piano. This can easily slip into background music, but while I have made the comment a number of times on other albums on this list, the musicianship here really draws me in. My critique of albums as background music tends to be for more modern, electronic style albums, and I think its the organic instrumentation and free form live setting that keeps this interesting. I can picture myself in a New York jazz club sipping a cocktail and watching these world class musicians create these sounds onstage. 4-stars
I don't listen to enough jazz, and I really should.
The only 3 instruments I require to appreciate Jazz. Love Evans and maybe played this one once or twice years ago. What a wonderful tribute to the bassist who passed away shortly after the recording, which Evans and the label rushed into stores to honor and capitalize on (respectively) his death.
Rewards those who actively listen. It's good background jazz, but the musicality is straight up great.
Bill Evans is one of the absolute top jazz pianists, and this is one of his best albums - and was recorded live. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs (really, any of them) Solar Alice in Wonderland - Take 2
A warm and beautiful jazz album. The fact that it’s a live recording is irrelevant, since you barely hear the crowd. I’m not a big fan of this kind of trios, I usually like my jazz with at least some horns peppered on it. The complete absence of horns throughout the albums makes it a bit too quiet for me, and I often end up listening as background music – which is a shame, because the piano is amazing and clearly deserves the listener’s full attention. But whenever I make the effort to listen with focus, I’m awed by the subtlety of Bill Evans. The bass and drums offer a solid performance as well. My only regret is that it’s always so perfectly contained. I wish they’d go a bit crazy sometimes. 8/10
Pop music? maybe at the time? Anyway without feeling anything extraordinary this album has (the bass solo is something), I confess I had a CD I liked to listen from Bill Evans (conversatrions with mywelf) now and then... as ambiance music.
Just what I needed this morning.
this one is nice and chill, was a good listen Will I listen to again: 80%
не часто слушаю джаз, но тут все норм, претензий нет.
Great jazz album; will listen again
Excellent jazz album
Very enjoyable, I actually unknowingly listened to the 1 hour deluxe cd version assuming the different takes of the songs were purposefully added to show variation in takes of the same song and, although it wasn’t the case for the original release, that’s still how it cane across for me and I liked it. The actual album felt incredibly professional all the way through, you can tell they’re close knitted as a trio because everything compliments each other well and the ability to keep in time and play like that is masterful. Also, other than the piano being amazingly played, the bass player was a phenomenal, it felt a bit like he was holding himself back at parts, especially on Gloria’s step. This actually doesn’t even feel like a live album as well as it’s so well recorded and made, the clapping and quiet taking in the background with gentle clinks of tea cups adds to the calm atmosphere. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that this is so good without any brass as well, pulling that off is crazy. Favourites: all. Overall, 8/10.
I’m a casual jazz listener and can’t always tell the great from the very good. But I can tell there are some special moments recorded here. Put your phone away, pour yourself some of your favourite beverage and make sure nothing will disturb you over the next 45 minutes. (The album on Spotify has a ton of extra tracks, including multiple takes of the same songs. You don’t want that unless you specifically want to study differences. For the original release, check the track list on Wikipedia and make a playlist with only those tracks) 4/5
Beautiful jazz.
Darren, I like this one!
New listen for me. Catchy album.Heavy on the stand up bass.
I have a physical copy of this that I got from a jazz-knowledgeable friend when I was young. This is a great recording of a great jazz pianist and a great backing band. I love how this is just totally live and you can hear the murmurs and glasses clinking in the audience. This really captures that feel of a small jazz club in New York and I'm so happy this is on the list.
This is why I started this whole endeavour. Absolutely not the kind of thing I would normally listen to but it’s good.
Need to give this a few more listens but enjoyed the musical interplay between the trio.
Very chill. Incredible musicianship. Reminds me of Dave Brubeck Quartet.
Upscale jazz
Pretty classic jazz. Easy to listen to, but no hook to catch on to and remember significantly. Would definitely enjoy this as relaxing background, and sounds well executed, but not something to be foreground listening.
Relaxing listen, great at work
Perfect background music. Thanks for letting me get stuff done.
Very good jazz album perfect for a lazy morning 4/5
A Very Good Record!
Enjoyed this way more than I expected. While I like jazz, I tend to like it in small doses or live. This one was a great throw on while I worked album/ Great pacing, tempo changes, and quite honestly, the drums were a treat. I felt transported to a jazz club in the village of the early 60s. The next best thing to actually being live. This is now up there w/ some of my all-time jazz favs, like Coltrane and Davis.
whenever a jazz album has low or mid ratings on here it always good sign for. HOLY PLEB FILTER this is so nice. real high brow shit, got me fuckin snapping my finger in sans of clapping whenever one of the performers finishes one their crazy ass solos. not the most mind blowing jazz out there but still highly enjoyable
One fully digs Bill Evans (everyone does) but has always preferred other records (Explorations, Portrait in Jazz and the underrated BE/Tony Bennett) as this leaves one a bit cold, as the playing gets a bit clinical and finicky, perhaps even a touch show-offy. It may not even the best record he put out in '61 This choice seems obvious for a list that way underplays jazz overall.
The bass…
Bill’s playing is sublime as always. What’s with all the crowd noise/dialogue during the performances? It almost sounds like they turned it up
Loungy Jazz piano and bass ensemble. Live album, awesome riffs, something to drink red wine or cocktails to
Nice if you like freeform jazz
An easy listen that’s enjoyable and relaxing the whole way through
Good listenable jazzy tunes.
Anyone wanting to listen to great jazz piano should listen to this
I thought instruments were well played and it was very relaxing music. It was a little long but was a live album so I get it.
A tad bit long but was surprised by how good it was
This was lovely. Kept me from doing something drastic while watching my Tar Heels get railed by TCU during Bill Belichick’s debut. Probably would be a 5 if I understood jazz better (or like, at all). Really nice.
Going in so hyped for this one… haven’t finished it yet but I can tell it really tickles that rainy-day coffee shop kinda vibe! Ayo!
jazz is my go to hangman word
Close to a 5 for me. Not my favorite Bill Evans, but it’s always so so so nice to listen.
Fucking awesome Fav song: Gloria's Step
Smooth as butter
One of the most atmospheric albums. Incredible, but just not one of my personal favorite albums
I saw the album cover get revealed and immediately thought it was going to be some bullshit 60's folk rubbish that I get all too often on this generator but I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I listened to this wonderful album for most of the day with joy.
I didn’t get to finish this. But I really like this.
Really quite amazing I think; good to listen to on its own and not just background just to hear all the individual parts; not 5 stars because probs not absolute favourite but good reminder of how I really like jazz
Jazz is insane
Listened to this while watching a spider make a web on my ceiling. Near the end my cat sat on my chest. Would recommend, made both events feel much more whimsical and cinematic.
Nice jazz album although interesting mixing with instruments in different ears 3/5
My Third: Note: I am in no way competent to review a jazz record, but we all have to step up when it's time. Since it's a trio playing well and riffing on some recognizable content (aren't all the good jazz tunes starting with a composition your mind can recognize? or making up a melody someone could turn into their own structured number? that's how jazz works, right, it's this fluid or energy like plasma that can express itself and be measured in numerous fashions?) it avoids the pitfalls of anything experimental or avant-garde (i.e. people saying _I don't understand it_ or _I can't dance to it_ or _jazz is stupid—why can't they just play the right notes?_) and instead evokes a scene in a subterranean club in Greenwich Village. If you can't picture Greenwich, it's a brighter, not-built-so-high part of Manhattan, but maintains its charm by crumbling and being bustling like the rest of New York—think some nice neighborhoods, some low-rent tenement porn on display, pizzerias and whiz-kid chefs on the same block but most importantly: there be artists here. Comics, creators, musicians shooting their shot and often within spitting distance of greatness. A Cincinnati office clerk might have spent her vacation to come and do stand-up at a club for two nights for no pay _but_ a shot at being seen by Marc Maron or Jimmy Fallon. Not only is it worth her while but it's fun to see someone live that dream in realtime. In the 40s, 50s, 60s, you're really playing among and for the musical elite if you've got a spot playing a set for New York bohos and the elites who slum it alongside them. And I donno Bill Evans from anyone but he's practiced and riffed and soloed all his life to be this fixture here and put it on wax, and nothing's off, it's really quite pleasant. If that sounds boring it's because those jazz acts that make this sound easy have made countless appearances in scores and soundtracks and movies and TV and being played on the sound system of your restaurant or coffee house or public radio station playing in your kitchen—the sound is ubiquitous, but it's talents like this trio who made it so. That's why I say: forget comparing this to pop music or other jazz you're familiar with and sink into the frame of the picture. Can you be Kerouac snapping his fingers at a dark table at the Vanguard? Can you be a CBS Records exec just stepped out of a cab and down half a flight of stairs below the street, sipping gin and smoking and feeling very accomplished, having brought this sound to the fore, to the masses? Can you be the person for whom this was the leading edge of culture, and you get to witness it in that basement? That's what this record is trying to do for you. Should you let it.
Really good jazz album
Great album
uskomattoman immersiivinen livealbumi, ihan kuin olisin todellisuudessakin sunnuntaissa. mutta en ole. tänään onkin maanantai kerrassaan loistava sivuefekti... porukka puhuu ja juttelee ja kahvittelee wau ilmiömäinen konsepti myös, awesome. dialogi pianon ja basson välillä vittun mahtava, mutta rumpali tekee jotain ihan omiansa siellä. mutta kun vähän lähempänä kuuntelee voidaan huomata että trio kuin telepaattisesti puhuu keskenään. siellä aivoissa kuhisee "nyt tee noin ja näin ja noin!". ei voi muuta kun hymyillä ja taputtaa ja niin kiivas taputus ja päihdyttävän viaton hymy naamalla. solar
Very chill!
great jazz
This is a pretty easy listen. Very good example of 60's jazz and the perfect vibe if you want that bar vibes this album gives. Not my cup of tea for everyday life but Ill throw It once in a while if I feel down, cuz this is a great mood lighter. Solid 82/100
Tasty jazz, I enjoyed it while reading with a glass of wine and it was pretty great. Can't remember basically a thing about it except for the nice bass, though.
Smooth and easy
Never heard such cool music from a man who looks like he could save you a bunch of money on your taxes.
Una de las grabaciones en vivo más legendarias de la historia del Jazz. Está tan bien grabado que si prestas atención se escucha a los espectadores brindar en la sala. Considero que es uno de los mejores puntos de entrada para quien quiera iniciarse en el género. 4/5
Jazzy jazz
Bill Evan’s is an excellent pianist. Got introduced by my granddad many years ago. It’s music you wanna listen to around the dinner table drinking shitty wine and chain smoking cigarettes
I think this album benefitted from me being in the office, it may not have rated so highly. I enjoyed it
Interesting choice for the first album. Lounge jazz? Giving late night at a sexy high class lounge/casino bar. Dangerous lives taking a contemplative moment. A calm before a storm in the life of a Hitman/Mobster.
Right up my alley jazz-wise, not too “challenging” like some later Miles Davis or Coltrane but clearly Evans is a master at his craft and is playing with two other guys who are locked into the same wavelength. Will definitely get some repeat spins.
I don’t feel experienced enough with jazz music to say where this falls on the scale of good-to-masterpiece. But I like it. Energetic, clean, background enough while still being engaging.
Bill Evans Trio has better albums. This one is good but I hope there are at least 1-2 more albums that better emulate them
Fun album! Absolutely fantastic working music. Upbeat to keep you moving, interesting enough to keep your attention, not distracting because there are no lyrics and it’s not too in your face with the mix and sound levels. Loved it!
This could easily be a 2 if you let this play in the background but if you give it a good go and listen to it intently, it really tickles the brain just right.
I enjoyed this enough to listen to the bonus tracks as well as the original album, not once, but three times in the end. I struggled to understand why I enjoyed this though, it's out of my musical comfort zone, but I felt there was something special about it, so I'm giving it four stars.
Alice in Wonderland
very calm. loving the jazzy vibes, very soothing.
I've listened to a bunch of jazz at the Vangaurd, and never had the piano in my right ear and the bass in my left. Really weird!
Great vibes
A really terrific light jazz album. Definitely enjoyed it even if it's not my favorite genre.
Solid jazz album. Definitely brings a kind of feel with it, takes you into the scene back then. Would have loved to experience this live. 4/5.
Good jazz album. Pretty chill style.
I'm a fan of the jazz trio format but I'm of the opinion that bass and drums should be heard but not solo. and if they do solo, it should be short and infrequent. This album was a bit much bass-wise but I love Bill Evans and this was still an enjoyable listen.
Bill Evans has the touch. Peaceful and precocious piano tunes that, in this live, outdoor setting, can make any room feel a little warmer. Evans and co. make each song feel breezy and effortless.
Made me fall asleep. Very soothing jazz with cool strings, especially bass
Riktigt härlig Jazz, och tycker det funkar ovanligt bra för att vara en liveinspelning. Känns som man är där! Läbbigt med applåderna som ligger bakom en i ljudbilden dock, jumpscare varje gång
Mys Jazz!
I have this one on vinyl but haven't listened to it until now. So soothing I can't wait to listen to this as I fall asleep sometime. Just lovely. Favorite track: All Of You
Amazing album, especially from track 3 onwards. The playing is great throughout, my only complaint is that some of the bass solos sound more like scales being played really fast rather than a solo, but then again, I haven’t listened to too much jazz before, so maybe it’s normal. The music keeps you engaged throughout the album with all that’s going on. The piano playing is flawless. 4/5
Even as a jazz enjoyer, I didn't find anything particularly standout in here. It's definitely well written, well performed, and well recorded. However, nothing took me by big surprise and made me want to listen to it again. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, it just kinda was. A great accompaniment to the morning's work but nothing really more than that. My wife commented that I needed a cocktail and a cigarette, and despite it being 9AM I agreed.
jazz is not my thing i get bored after a while. that said this seems great and there is nothing i could complain about even if i wanted to
A very nice listen, perfect for a sunny, quiet morning.
Solid live album. Jazz trios are cool. Shoutout to the bassist. Favorite Track: Gloria’s Step
Proper modern Jazz, contains a lot of freestyle elements. Not as easy going as Oscar Peterson.
Jazz. Live. Bass, Schlagzeug, Klavier. Mit den Stimmen und dem Geklapper von Tassen im Hintergrund klingt das richtig authentisch.
This was great but I still need more melody. I live the live feeling of this and the drum and bass are wonderful.
I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy this, because there are so many more misses than hits in the genre to my ears. But in this case, the spirit of jazz took over my soul and I found myself having a pretty great time. I’ve never smoked in my life, but it made me crave nicotine with a glass of whisky in a bar where people are suited up. This had a real fancy feel, and I couldn’t help but to have a good time with it.
Que belleza de album, me fliparia escucharlo en algun bar de jazz.
Ya like jazz?
As someone who is unfamiliar with jazz, this was a pleasant, enjoyable listening experience. Talented trio of musicians and even more impressive being a live album. Hearing the audience in the background added an interesting element, almost feeling like you’re there too. Would definitely listen to again.
The piano does what you'd expect in a jazz trio, but the drums and especially the bass go way beyond expectations, going nuts, frankly. Group improvisation premised on deep listening, counter melodic interactions and constant manipulation of rhythm and harmony - goes way beyond a rhythm section supporting a soloist. 40 minutes of virtuoso bass playing isn't for everyone, but if it's your jam this is fucking marmalade!
Вник чуть меньше чем можно было бы. Но и так местами тронуло.
I love how context adds meaning to music and knowing all the little streets of West Village makes Bill Evans sound more personal
Wonderful
This was a great smooth jazz album to start my day with. The trio consisted of pianist Bill Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian, who were all top tier jazz musicians. I was surprised to learn that just 10 days after this recording, Scott LaFaro tragically died in a car accident at the age of 25. It’s a totally shame considering how much his playing stood out to me. While I enjoyed all three elements of the trio, the bass work was easily my favorite.
Great background jazz, definitely add to playlist
A Talent Gone Too Soon 1001 Albums Generator 63 (06/30/2025) The Bill Evans Trio consisted of bassist Scott LaFaro, drummer Paul Motian, and pianist and bandleader Bill Evans. Bill Evans is one of the greatest pianists of all time and he got his start playing jazz in the mid 1950's. Before creating this trio where he would releases his most acclaimed albums as bandleader, Evans got the opportunity to play with the great Miles Davis. He was famously featured on Davis' Kind Of Blue and even wrote the most popular song on that album, Blue In Green. After getting dissed by the great trumpeter (Miles took credit for writing this song and gave Evans $25 when the pianist asked for some royalties), Evans met Scott LaFaro, who suggested a trio with drummer Paul Motian. This band recorded multiple studio albums throughout the turn of the decade. In 1961, they performed multiple shows at the famous Village Vanguard in New York and released two albums from these shows: Waltz For Debby and Sunday At The Village Vanguard. Tragically, the 25 year old LaFaro died in a car crash merely 10 days after these recordings, which makes them all the more haunting. Evans stopped performing for months after LaFaro's death and bassist Ray Brown said the death of LaFaro would set the instrument back 10 years. It's a true tragedy that he is not a household name outside of jazz circles. Waltz With Debby is one of my favorite jazz albums, but Sunday is one that I wasn't so familiar with, having only listened to it once before. Sunday At The Village Vanguard is a hard album to talk about song to song. I think that the songs tend to blend together a bit for me, so much so that while listening to this album at work, I didn't even realize I had accidentally listen to the bonus tracks. Everything about this album is just downright pleasant, with every member of the trio excelling in their craft. Evans and LaFaro especially just kill it on this album. Normally, bass solos are some of my least favorite parts of jazz albums, but LaFaro keeps them interesting. I believe his best solo is on Alice In Wonderland, but once again, these songs are not wildly different in quality or sound. Meanwhile, Evans' piano work is as wonderful as ever. His chord voicings all throughout this thing are inventive and beautiful as always. The covers here are the best, with Alice In Wonderland and My Man's Gone Now being my favorite compositions on this album. His playing on the former is particularly impressive. LaFaro wrote the opening and closing track, and while I think Gloria's Step is great, Jade Visions is probably my least favorite song, perhaps just due to its shorter length. The trio is at their best when they are all given time to breathe. Sunday At The Village Vanguard is a beautiful album with a tragedy attached to it due to the untimely death of bassist Scott LaFaro. In spite of its beauty and the immense talent on display, the songs can somewhat blend together. However, repeated listens have allowed me to appreciate these songs. 3.5, rounded up to a 4. Favs: Gloria's Step My Man's Gone Now Alice In Wonderland Least Fav: Jade Visions
This is an amazingly good live jazz album. Impressive musicians.
Puts me into a murakami novel
Reminiscent of the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (complimentary). Not a jazz guy but lovely as background music.
I like jazz.
Behagelig pianojazz
There’s no bad track on this; it’s a smooth, thoughtful jazz record that flows effortlessly. But while it’s undeniably great playing, it’s missing that standout moment or track that truly grabs you. Everything blends nicely, but nothing rises above the rest.
Such perfect background music - listened to it thru twice without stopping.
I don't know enough about the history of jazz to identify this as significant or not but it's an easy listen and I will probably come back to Jade Visions when I'm in a jazz mood
I had a long drive in the sun and this fitted the bill (pun intended) nicely. A beautiful, relaxed wander through some classic jazz. I dont know enough about jazz to critique it but i enjoyed it and will be back.