Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Seems important to some. It's relatively mediocre to me.

Pleasant in the background, but it didn’t always make its way into the foreground.

Very enjoyable jazz. Easy to work listening to.

I don't doubt there is talent on display there, but Freddie hates jazz.

High expectations, but the music didn't reach me. It was kind of elusive, some soloing, not a lot of structure to be noticed. With my headphones on, it sounded as if they played in front of 30 people. Knowing nothing about Evans, I thought it should been packed.

There is a lot of good playing on this album, none of which comes close to producing anything resembling an emotion. I hate to take it out on what are surely very talented musicians. I just don't get it.

jazz 🥰🥰🥰

Not a jazz connoisseur but not sure why this is on the list

Bill Evans is one of the best pianists of the hard bop/modal eras. However, I prefer to listen to Bill Evans with Miles than a piano trio setting. The interplay is fun but dynamically, it hits the ceiling pretty quickly.

Kinda music you pretend to feel when on a date at the Green Mill

I like the band, but this was kind of a snooze fest. Not unpleasant but Waltz for Debby is far superior imo

So very peaceful, didn’t notice it repeat

jkh,g

I have never listened to Bill Evans or Cole Porter. They are just names to me. This is easily listening jazz music, articulate and restrained. Me likey!

Live album. na/10

Nice

Dypt behagelig og engasjerende å høre på. Alle tre musikerne spiller så respektfullt med hverandre. Jeg digger ideen til Evans om den demokratiske trioen. Evans styrer skipet behendig og selvsikkert med hans endeløst vakre pianospilling. Bassisten var selvfølgelig kjempeflink, og det er enormt trist at han døde i en så ung alder rett etter dette var spilt inn. Flere av soloene hans sprudlet virkelig i ørene mine. Samtidig så ble det kanskje liiiitt for mye av det gode i blant. Det samme kan ikke sies om trommisen, som limer alt i hop med presisjon og eleganse. Desidert et nydelig, grasiøst og sjarmerende album altså. Ikke noe å si på det.

Intimate recording of virtuosic prowess from all three. Love the block chords of the piano dancing over the endlessly searching double bass underpinned by the restless drums.

Great Sunday morning album. A stereotypical sophisticated jazz album that evokes in me images of smart young people drinking strong coffee, smoking cigarettes and engaging in illicit love affairs after a long day of discussing French philosophy and modernist literature.

Great and intimate

Sounds like three different people all doing their own thing. Not sure what I’m missing here but it genuinely sounds like kids playing random notes at the same time. Horrible.

Really good for what it is but what it is is kind of boring.

Not my type.

It really doesn't help that there are 286438 different versions of this album and recordings for each song. Some of it was really good and had me tappin and grooving to some emails but other parts dragged on and felt clashy. I'm not versed in Jazz enough to "get it"

Just not my scene

3 maybe 4

Relaxing but different feel that special

No words, very interesting

Very skillful jazz, their musical communication and ability to branch out into their own improvisation while not losing the other members is incredible.

Chilly

Wow. I LOVE this album. I wish I'd known about it earlier. Perfect classy and chill music. I will definitely have this on hand more often.

Live jazz is best enjoyed live.

very nice.

Minimal, clean, creative, and brilliant live jazz. Requires a little focused listening, but very rewarding. Evans might be my favorite pianist ever. Best song: Alice in Wonderland

And the crowd goes mild. Everyone is very proficient at their instruments here as you'd expect. However, I felt the energy on this album was missing a bit compared to other albums. Its a pleasant enough listen but not one that really lasts for me.

I'm sure he has a coherent approach to how he composes his music but I'm too dumb to understand and it sure sounds like noodling.

Top tier jazz album.

Pretty damn chilled jazzzzy jazz

Jazz.

I see this has been voted best live jazz album ever multiple times by credible sources. I believe them, I just don't possess enough sensitivity to jazz to be able to tell a difference. I liked listening to this and put it on my concentration list, but it weirdly tickles a part of my brain that needs to focus on other things when I listen to that playlist so I might take it back off. Glad I listened. 3

This is a great album. Admittedly I know very little about jazz, but really like this one. I will definitely be revisiting this one, and not just because my daughter is a jazz head.

Love it - an excellent laid back jazz album full of little surprises. Well worth additional listens. Evans played with Miles so you know he can play.

Not too bad, very easy to listen to as background music.

It's a solid album, but I would argue that better jazz records were left off the list.

Just absolutely not for me. Not as bad as the last jazz they made me listen to, which was some kind of "punk" jazz but still made me feel like I was at the dentist's office.

it’s good jazz i suppose 👏🏼 smol rant about the most annoying track order on spotify, it’s just added the bonus tracks after the initial take, as the bonus are just other takes of some songs already on the record. if i would listen to this again, i’d preferably make my own playlist with the correct order leaving out the bonus tracks.

Beautiful, elegant, timeless. All the individual performers’ work stands out so distinctly.

Jazz staples displayed Conveying effort with grace In night lounge magic

One of the coolest albums i've heard yet.

It was a struggle to try and get through this one. Not sure if I wasn't in the mood or it just wasn't for me

Wonderful piece of laid back modal jazz, the trio work in complete balance, everyone shining. Gloria's Step puts La Faro's bass melodies out front with a number of great solos. Solar has great interplay between Evans and La Faro with each seemingly egging each other to go higher before tumbling back down. Faro's technical ability is on show in Alice in Wonderland's solo before Evans matches it with an elegant legato. It would be easy to dismiss this album as background music, but La Faro's playing is so innovative that it demands recognition.

Utterly lost on this one, I just don't get jazz. It's boring, it's scattered, no rhyme or reason and it's boring. Not an album I could possibly listen to for one hour and 8 minutes if my life depended on it. It sounds like what you expect to hear in the lounge on the old folks cruise ship. Do you dance to it or just talk over it? Wow, I tried, it's just boring and meandering background music. One star from me but this is like trying to teach a 3rd grader physics, it's beyond my understanding or comprehension.

I generally want nothing to do with jazz. But when I'm working late and something mellow suits the mood... this fits the bill.

Very nice vibes I could see myself playing this on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Stellar 3 piece jazz.

Soothing.

82% Best: Gloria’s Steps; Solar; All Of You Must-Hear? Sure

I enjoyed this album, but apparently less than the person on here that said they uses it to have sex to lol. But I enjoyed it! Solid, moving jazz.

I'm not really a jazz person. I've never heard of these people. I like Liana Flores and she's sort of jazzy. I have a couple jazzy playlists I play sometimes (in love with you jazz + kipper sunday). And I'm not dressed for this kind of music. I'm dressed, today, for Bikini Kill. But this is still very pleasant. I'd take a walk to this. I'd go grocery shopping to this or maybe I'd drink tea and eat toast on my porch. It's lovely. A little long, though, and I do prefer Liana Flores. It all sounds the same. If I listen for too long, it all becomes mush and slightly annoying, even. But it's reminiscent of PBS kids shows -- Curious George or Eloise. I don't know why but it reminds me of being a kid. I enjoy it but it's not totally remarkable.

2 - old

Another drag to listen to, like the rest of the jazz albums I've had. I'm sure the jazz connoisseurs of this website will be no doubt creaming themselves whilst listening to it. Not for me though. I'll go cream to some Bolt Thrower, my beloved.

E pensare che live

Un si sanno cazzi di jazze perciò noi gli si dà ccinque deh

Otro día de novedades: Bill Evans únicamente me es familiar por su nombre y tal vez por alguna que otra composición que he escuchado propiamente de él y no recuerdo (no cuento a Kind of Blue para hablar específicamente de su obra). Los vivos del jazz tiene una magia única, por el lujo que se permiten los músicos para improvisar y experimentar. Éste caso no es la excepción, sobre todo por los momentos en que luce el dúo contrabajo-batería (My Man's Gone Now y Solar son ejemplos clarísimos). Disco bestial, ideal como música de fondo que inevitablemente hace que uno se cuelgue en sus ritmos. Hasta mañana.

This needs to be combined with life and listened to on vinyl.

I wish I knew jazz enough to give a well written assessment of this work, but I am at a loss for anything that would do it justice. All I know is if it has Bill Evans, it’s going to be amazing. I’m blown away that this is a live album.

Village Vanguard i love you but youre bringing me down

It's starting to feel like I have a jazz bias. While I do really enjoy jazz, I wouldn't consider myself a jazz connoisseur. Yet every jazz album I'm given on here is either very strong or an absolute masterpiece. This Bill Evans album, despite being a live performance (which, to me, disqualifies works as "albums" in the artistic sense) is such a work of art, I can hardly believe it. I've listened to it three times now, and it just gets better and better. The bassist, who passed away shortly after recording this, is a virtuoso. Bill's piano playing is just gorgeous. Being a massive Disney fan, I knew of him really only from his "Alice in Wonderland" cover, which appears on the Complete Sunday at Village Vanguard Sessions, and I absolutely adore it. But I really was not prepared for how good this record would be. It's an instant add to my replay collection, and I'm already looking for it on vinyl because to me there's nothing better than jazz on vinyl.

Some nice, easy listening. I’ve always enjoyed jazz and the piano, so i quite enjoyed this listen. But I found it lacks the flair of a Dave Brubeck style album.

This one really was not for me. I know this album is considered a landmark live jazz recording, and I can appreciate the technical skill on display, but as a listening experience it does very little for me. The improvisation feels loose and meandering, and I struggle to find a clear hook or melody to latch onto. After a while, it all blends into one continuous wash of piano, bass and drums. At best, it works as background music, but even then it is not something that leaves a lasting impression on me. I understand why jazz fans might love the intimacy and interplay, yet it simply does not connect with me in the way other genres do. Favourite track: I genuinely could not pick one, as nothing stood out enough. Least favourite: The overall sound just never grabbed me. Album artwork: A classic black and white jazz cover. Understated and serious, much like the music itself

I'm developing a theory: there is not as much jazz on the list compared to other genres. Therefore, what there is, is genuinely the best. Either that, or I need to listen to more jazz because this is excellent.

Epic

This is very nice. Not my favorite. Too many bass solos. But the parts that are good are very good.

Could listen to this everyday

Fans of the upright bass will love this album. I, unfortunately, am not. The audience chatter and background noise was also too distracting.

Charlie Brown style. Not offensive but not enjoyable. The freneticism of jazz gives me anxiety. My ex was a jazz musician, upright bass, usually playing this style...and while I appreciate the musicianship, I've never enjoyed it, which probably in large part lead to our relationship's demise.

Bill Evans is probably my most listened-to artist for three or four years now, no matter what the algorithm says. He’s the ultimate relaxing music to me. I put him on at home on vinyl, I put him on when I’m off-desk at work (sometimes when I’m on-desk and patrons aren’t around); he’s just my immediate go-to “background music.” He instantly calms me down, and his music helped a lot when I was dealing with untreated anxiety. This dude’s music literally helped me with health issues I was having! You know I love him!

I don’t make a point to listen to Jazz…but when I hear it in the wild I always seem to enjoy it. And this was an enjoyable listen, sending me off in different directions. Well done!

Really amazing music. Would be great as background music.

Gloria's Step 4 My Man's Gone Now 3.7 Solar 3.8 Alice in Wonderland 3.8 All of You (take 2) 3.6 Jade Visions (take 2) 3.3 Score: 3.7

Nice jazz

Good.

I don't like jazz.

Probably not built for the modern age, I'm sure I would appreciate this being played live in front me but to my ears this isn't really my thing. I do appreciate what's going on though, incredibly technically proficient drumming and piano playing would provide calming backdrop to a cool bar. I also enjoy hearing the conversation in the background of tracks like 'Alice In Wonderland' which makes me feel like I'm right where its being recorded. However, I don't particularly appreciate that most of the album repeats itself leading to me having to listen to the same song twice before I can move on to the next. For my current ears this isn't my thing but in the right setting it could be higher but purely as background music, SATVV doesn't hold up well to active listening but whilst searching for my girlfriends presents for valentines day it did help with focus. 5/10 Technically good but unlikely to revisit any time soon. Top Tracks -> Gloria's Step -> Solar -> Alice In Wonderland

Forgetable Jazz. Sounds like background music.

I was looking forward to this, but it turns out it is precisely the kind of whisk whisk plinky plonky piano jazz that made me think I didn’t like jazz for the first three decades of my life.

Classic

actual genuine elevator music ): 1/5 stars.

Near and dear to my heart, because of my Dad.

Incredible smooth jazz with a lovely recording. Puts you right at the club listening.

3.5

3.5

Though this may not be my preferred jazz, it definitely falls in my chill Jazz category. Honestly some exceptional playing on this album. (8.5/10) ★★★★

A bit too mellow and laidback, but still a really nice album. 4 stats

I liked it, but it's not something I would sit around an listen to. If I was a private investigator in a film noir, I'd give it 5 stars. But, since I'm not, 3 stars.

3.5

Very intimate and serene plus a few extra spiffing rumblytastic solo bass spots as well. It’s elegance and grace. A smile on my face. Tonight when we chase the dragon the water may change to cherry wine and the silver will turn to gold. Alice in wonderland!

Pretty cool live jazz album. Starts off kind of slow but picks up steam at the end. All Of You was pretty awesome. 3.5 stars for RYM and 3 for the site.

Are we sure Scott LaFaro knew how to play? Is his bass tuned correctly? The piano and drums were very nice, but even when not the centerpiece, the bass never sounded fully in tune. I'm all for some spicy chords and the occasional out there solo, but the CONSTANT aimless atonal bass waffling is not for me. Jade Visions was the best track simply for the least bass.

Good; jazz i can definitely listen to. Nice background music.

I felt like was getting serenaded, for real this put me in a trance.

Good ol bill Evans, lovely stuff

Sunday at the village becuase it’s a fucking old folks home and everyone’s asleep In all seriousness if they mixed it up a bit I might’ve given a higher score but it’s whatever

Not a huge Jazz guy. Sounded nice, and similar to other jazz i've heard over the years. My ear is untrained and my brain is ignorant, so this might be a groundbreaking and innovative album. Just not my cup of tea.

Very nice, it’s long, comforting. I like jazz like this, classic, good.

Очень атмосферная музыка. Звучит очень дорого

Nice background listening but everything sounded the same lol

Highbrow albums like these are annoying bc I have nothing to say but I also didn’t hate it. 2.5/5 bc it’s boring

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ unfortunately i'm just not a big appreciator of jazz so i can't find the vocabulary to critique this as well as other albums on the list. all i can say is it's lovely

Skipped after the first track. I appreciate the skill in jazz, it's just not for me

An analysis of Bill Evan's music by a musicologist might reveal all sorts of esoterica, but when you just sit back and listen, it's all just as sublime as a summer breeze through a window caressing two lovers.

A band that is in tune with each other in an unbelievable way and a masterpiece in immersive recording.

Love Bill Evans

Love jazz loved this album!

skimmed thru this one bc i have no patience for jazz in general. this sounds like the blueprint for every jazz record ever. music to listen to the rain fall to. great for whoever gets a kick out of that kind of sound, boring for me. bye

Elevator music

Awesome jazz piano trio

really fun album, especially with nice headphones. Just some good ol' jazz. I was consistently a fan of songs where the piano takes the lead rather than the bass, but all the songs were consistent bangers.

Instrumental and live. Neither of which I'm interested in. And smooth jazz is pretty much the definition of background music. There is no way this album could possibly get anything other than a 2 from me. Best song: Jade Visions

Great stuff!

Good journaling tunes, but not really following it otherwise.

pecka

OK, so heres the thing. This is a great JAZZ album. If you dont like jazz, you arent going to like this album. Like, at all. I mean, sure, put it on the list. It definitely deserves it more than Pantera. Its a very very good album, and a great jazz album. 4/5

I believe this is what it would have sounded like if when I tried to play instruments for the first time in my life I was given a random jazz song and asked to replicate it

it looped and i genuinely couldnt tell i dont care for lounge jazz

Very good. Much better than what I was expecting.

It's a 3. It's perfectly alright jazz. But it's not near the best of Bill Evans playing with others (Kind of Blue) or Bill Evans own trio best record (Waltz for Debby). Maybe it's here as it's a "historic" recording.

great sound, like most of his work

Doing this 1001 albums thing has been a real eye opener. I know some of the original bands that are now called Prog Rock cut their teeth in jazz clubs. And that several of the more modern bands describe them selves as jazz fusion. And that with modern instruments and equipment there is a lot more sounds and effects available to modern musicians. But I really don't understand why when I listen to this sort of music, jazz from back in the day, which can be described as the grandparent of modern Prog Rock, why do I find it...... well, tedious. It just doesn't have that quality that grabs you. Sorry, I know you were trail blazers in your day, but by today's standards you're just boring. 2

Better than that Miles Davis nonsense the other day. I prefer piano based Jazz, but not enough to elevate the score any higher than the 1 star.

What the hell was that? Best live Jazz album ever? No it can't be. The only way I will ever listen to this again is on vinyl, with all the grooves glued up.

boring sorry…there’s something about the constant snare+brush sound undercutting every song that instantly pushes it into schmaltz territory for me…can we please get any other kind of percussion up in here…. honestly with this kind of traditional (?) white people jazz i feel like i can only really appreciate it if i’m watching it being performed live, so i can see the musicians playing their instruments in real time. without that it just sounds like background music. as per usual the only parts that really grabbed me were the bass, and even that was kinda whatever.

Exactly the kind of jazz I like to listen to. I want to find sheet music for this so I can play it on the piano :)

Beau petit album jazz qui d’écoute bien, mais qui devient un peu vite la même longue chanson. Belle découverte tout de même.

Ахуевший джаз, всё понравилось, добавил себе

Easy listening jazz. Someone needs to have a talk with the bass player tho

Turns out I don’t like listening to this much jazz in a row

Tickled me. It’s no Love Supreme but it was pleasant.

Classic jazz album, good for a relaxing evening or cocktail hour vibes. Feel like I still prefer brass jazz though but really good live performances still! A 3 because I see its merit but not super my style

Nice easy-listening study music. This is my first time actually listening to real jazz. Favourite track: Alice in Wonderland

Smooth jazz 4 my earz :))))

Not quite my vibe but appreciate the craftsmanship. Love that it's made me dig deeper into other genres. It's also live!!

Background jazz :(

Jazz Album mit etwas Power und im einzelnen guten Vocals. Das Bassspiel in „My Men‘s Gone Now“ sowie „Alice in Wonderland (Take 1)“ sind für Jazz-Verhältnisse ausdrucksstark. Insegesamt gelingt es aber auch dieser Platte nicht, mich für das Genre zu begeistern.

I do like the sort of jazz Bill Evans produces but I found this hard to get into, I didn't find anything particularly compelling about it, not to say it's not bad. Just nothing mind blowing 3*

It's jazz. Piano, Drums, Bass. It's also a live album, and for some reason they decided to add multiple takes of the same song on the album. I already don't like jazz, and it all sounds the same to me, and then you put two takes of each song on the album with no discernable difference? That's just confusing. Sorry man. You're talented, but I hope I never have to listen to you again.

It's a nice jazz album but I would prefer if it had vocals instead of just being instrumental.

Not a huge fan of jazz so Im sure I didnt appreciate this as much as others. It was still enjoyable for a one time listen.

It's good. Kinda background-y music though, which I don't like that much since I'm more of an active listener. But it's still good. 3.5/5

Was fine.

These fella’s got talent. But without vocals, this becomes dinner theater pretty damn quick. Tough way to make a living.

No thank you. Such dross. There may be technically impressive music here, but I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone could possibly sit and listen to it.

The first few opening notes had me worried, but this is actually the kind of jazz I like. Reminds me of a CD I bought because it was playing in a record store in SF and I played it all the time: The Bob Brookmeyer Small Band, which I think was essentially the same line up except it had trombone. There was something pleasant about a trio of only piano, drums, and bass, although maybe could have used a horn at times--it got a bit monotonous and faded into the background at times. Still, it wasn't bad.

Really solid jazz album. I liked the vibe with the audience that made the album feel like a real live performance.

This is the kind of jazz I don't understand. I'm sure it's great by jazz standards but it didn't do anything for me.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it created a very relaxed and cozy atmosphere.

Not exactly my cup of tea but it did sound professional and a couple of tracks were of some interest.

I don’t listen to a lot of jazz but must have listened to this album two or three times. Loved how each instrument came alive. Great music for moving.

Very modal improvisation - not my favourite, but it piques my interest through building tension and resolving the disonance. Cool to learn the Bill Evans played with John Coltrane and Miles Davis!

I don’t listen to a lot of jazz so I’m not super confident in this rating. It’s very beautiful it’s just I think this is the first jazz record I’ve listened to without any brass and I’m really missing it

Bill Evans is a legend - and an extremely troubled soul - but I feel his later work is a bit more expressive.

Just lovely

aoooo potência perfeito pra dar uma relaxada e acender um cigarro porque o banco de dados caiu e não tem nada que você possa fazer pra resolver

carai, que BAIXARIA (rá) esse aqui. o cara largano o dedo no contrabaixão memo, foda-se. bonito demais. bonita homenagem pro contrabaixista, btw. só pedrada.

Nice, chill jazz

Muy bueno

gentle & relaxing

Chill

chill jazz joint

This album wasn’t really my style, but I appreciate the talent and artistry

This is much more related to my dislike of jazz in general than this specific album. I appreciate how talented the musicians are but I just can't get into it.

Smooth and relaxing. Nothing at all offensive.

Very jazzy

If Eddie Van Halen played bass in a jazz band

Jazz. First Listen 2/5 Again? 2/5

An incredible classic. Solidified his sound which has been explored relentlessly. Bill’s playing and aesthetic sensibilities inspires projects beyond just music.

couldn’t be easier to listen to

Tight sound from the group and really strong playing from all 3 of them. Good tunes too!

I've often heard of this record but never listened. Very good

A nice chill cool jazz album. Enjoyed the Alice in wonderland rendition. A nice album for listening to in the background-nothing mind blowing.

3/10. Gosh, I feel really bad for saying this. I really like jazz, but this album is just not for me. While reading this album's reviews, I kept thinking to myself "Did we even listen to the same album at all?". This is only the 217th album that the generator gave me, but I've already listened to over 1,000 (all of the albums from the 2016 edition of the album compilation, and almost all of the albums per se), and this is the only jazz album that I recall actually disliking. I don't get it. I don't like it.

Nice background music. Would work great in a cocktail bar. The bass solos are very good although let's face it does anyone get that excited about a bass solos? Of course Evans' piano playing is the highlight and he is incredible

Not a jazzer

Never heard this album before. I guess this is considered one of the greatest live jazz albums of all time. The production sounds great, you can really hear each of the artists and the crowd "noise" is nicely present without being distracting. But this isn't the kind of jazz I enjoy listening to. It's not offensive but not something I'd intentionally listen to again. Giving it 3 stars for historical significance and recording quality.

I go into jazz already thinking I’m gonna hate it. There’s nothing bad about it: I just find it boring no matter what. It was pretty sounding though, and I can see why it’s on this list.

As I listen to this album I picture an older chain-smoking Charlie Brown walking or slowly skating through the park by himself, just pleasantly reminiscing about the old gang and that dog whatshisname. Yeah this is my favourite kind of jazz and it's perfect here. No horns and ffs no vocals - just piano/drums/bass (Scott LaFaro who was *killing* it here, and sadly died not 2 weeks later). Killer. 9/10 5 stars.

its raining and this is perfect for today

Jazz all sounds the same to me. Except Dave Brubek. I hope he’s on here.

Pretty good

The perfect anti anxiety music beautiful

This is one of my go-to albums to play when I want some relaxing, soothing jazz. I learned about Bill Evans from him playing with Miles Davis and he’s fantastic here too. I bet I’ll come to appreciate him even more if I learn more about jazz or piano-playing. He sounds so at ease and relaxed but he’s very expressive and I’m sure his playing is technically impressive too. I like that the bass is mixed loud enough that you can hear it easily. Often at a live show the upright bass can get lost a bit if it’s not mic’d properly but the bass solos really shine here. I love that the recording includes some background conversational chatter. And once or twice you can even hear plates clinking. It makes you feel like you’re right there at the club for the live show. And maybe this is weird to say but I think it’s cool that someone dropped a fork in the back of the club and now it’s preserved on a classic album for all time. 😂

Beautiful, intriguing, and timeless. The music of Bill Evans for me will always be synonymous with cold days in the fall at my undergraduate school of William Paterson University, in the music department, with students and professors trying to make the sounds he was making. It was great to listen to then and great to listen to now, and will forever be great to listen to. Banger of an album cover too; he's always had great ones.

Not my thing but superb musicians

Very jazzy jazz that jazzes all over the jazz lands.

Great album with perfect piano and bass

It must have been recorded live but the crowd noise was so distracting it was not a pleasurable headphone listening experience.

Ahh, Bill Evans. The Whitest Jazz Player ever? But whatever his music might have lacked in Bop, it certainly made up for in spacious melancholy. This is perfect music for late night, brooding whisky and cigarette sessions, propping yourself up at a seedy bar and remembering all of the dames who’ve broken your heart over the years. Most of Bill Evans’ stuff is perfect for that, but if I may make a specific recommendation, he did an album with Tony Bennett which is just perfection. On a side note, I listened to the extended edition of Sunday At The Village Vanguard and each time Alice In Wonderland came on, I initially thought it was I’m In The Mood For Love

Not shabby

Since I have no idea how to judge jazz, the rating is a little arbitrary. Feels like a 2 or 3 to me; nothing special, but I don't hate it.

Holy fuck.

Really enjoyed. And opened my eyes to some new music

It's not bad to have on in the background but it still just sounds like endless jazz noodling. Not much here to make me want to throw this on again. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)

It’s Christmas Eve, I’m prepping veg for tomorrow. This is the perfect soundtrack. Proper plinky plonky jazz that has been timed perfectly.

Beautiful jazz piano. Not what I normally listen to but great chill music to have on in background.

I dig

It was fine. Nothing I’d add to a playlist but good background music.

3 great players in constant communication with each other. jazz trios are so fun because there’s just so much space and it opens up so many possibilities. and the quiet clinking and talking underneath?? love that

The first time I listened to this album, it was ok. But in the second time I realized that it is a bit boring. For me, it is like background music, something you listen when you do anything else without paying too much attention, because when you do, you don't get anything out of it. But at least it isn't a punishing record. Also, jazz is not a genre that I'm familiar with, so maybe I need more experience to understand this one.

Not what I’d usually listen to but it’s nice music to focus with while working.

Great music to chill or work to

the art of the piano trio doesn't get much higher than this, y'all. this one was formed by Bill Evans shortly after his brief, yet legendary stint with Miles Davis' band which produced perhaps the most popular album in the history of jazz. Scott LaFaro is on bass and Paul Motian is on drums and cymbals. I'm certainly not the first person to gripe about the fact that Bill Evans is often an unsung hero of this music! as far as I'm aware, it was Evans who introduced Davis to George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, a theoretical text from which a whole host of jazz musicians developed new means of melodic and harmonic expression, leading to the advent of modal jazz as the fifties became the sixties. despite Evans' indisputable importance to the acoustic jazz universe around this time—he worked in bands organized by Russell as early demonstrations of Russell's theories— there's hardly a word to be said about him in Ken Burns' Jazz, or many other jazz documentaries for that matter. thankfully, his legacy is very much intact among jazz cognoscenti, and he's worked his way into plenty of people's record collections in the same fashion that Johnny Cash or Beethoven find their way into mine. country music and Classical-period classical music (bad sentence) don't usually do much for me, but sometimes an artist cuts through all of your preconceived notions about genre or style and manages to hit you in a deep place all the same. Evans' interest in unique ways of structuring music, evidenced by his interest in the Lydian Chromatic Concept, is the keystone of his body of work. with the LaFaro-Motian trio, the emphasis is less on the chord-scale relationship (as it was on Kind of Blue) and more on using bebop as a vehicle for counterpoint. LaFaro is, by all accounts, the star of the show in this trio. you're unlikely to hear the double bass played this adventurously in a jazz context outside of the small number of recording dates this trio made. in most straight-ahead jazz settings, the bass grounds both the harmonic progression and rhythmic pulse; LaFaro often excels in both departments, but the most interesting moments here are when, during Evans' piano solos, he uses his instrument less as the band's anchor and more as an independent melodic voice, one which is truly in conversation with Evans and Motian rather than simply acting as their guide. it's incredibly rare to hear him "walk the dog", which I usually love to hear whenever I'm listening to jazz, and especially when I'm playing it, but I honestly think it would kill the vibe of this band if LaFaro laid down too many consecutive quarter notes! all three members of this trio operated with such extreme finesse and precision as a unit, and it's evident on every second of these performances. Evans has a delicate touch on the keyboard that's become sort of a trademark for him over the years, and his improvisational faculties are heightened here by LaFaro's presence. you can really hear them motivating each other! Motian's introspective, sensitive drumming is the glue holding everything together; he mostly plays with brushes here, and he manages to drive the bus and keep the energy of the band up while not overpowering the group dynamic. unfortunately, the Village Vanguard date that produced this album was the last time Evans and LaFaro would ever perform together. LaFaro died (at the tragically young age of 25) in a car accident just ten days later, sending Evans down a dark path which would define the rest of his performance career and parts of his personal life. what was to be a single "Live at the Vanguard" album became two, with the first-—Sunday at the Village Vanguard—being rushed to market just about three months after LaFaro's death by Riverside. although the circumstances surrounding this release, which specifically highlights tracks featuring LaFaro's soloing and appends his name to the front cover, are certainly somewhat dodgy in retrospect, it's still nice to have this as a historical document. Waltz for Debby, the second of the two, might have a slightly more well-rounded choice of tracks, but it's hard to turn down the set of performances on offer here either! although, if I really want that experience of feeling like I'm at the Vanguard in 1961, I'll usually just throw on one of the sets from the full compilation of recordings that these two albums were selected from, which came out in 2003 and is now widely available on streaming platforms. you can't go wrong with anything this trio put to tape. decent 9/10.

Toujours cool un bon album de jazz avec des bons musiciens. Maintenant est-ce que je devais l'écouter absolument avant de mourir ? Peut-être bien

I really liked the album. A pretty cool sound. Bill Evans and his colleagues are probably brilliant on their instruments. But even though I like jazz and enjoyed this album, I probably won't be listening to it again any time soon. 3/5

Definitely some talented jazz musicians on the album, it just didn't move me like some other jazz albums on this list have.

Very cool. Perfect when I feel like playing the sims but can’t

I appreciate it for what it is, but this music is just not for me. I couldn't get through the whole album without skipping, but what I was able to tolerate was good! 3/5

Nice, not really something I would listen to often.

Welcome to Jazz Club…nice!

I feel like I should be wearing a tailored suit, holding a tumbler of whisky while chatting to a dame in a fox fur shawl while dapper gentlemen smoke cigars nearby. I appreciate the musicianship here, they're all amazing. I'm glad that I listened to this, but it's not something I would listen to again.

Excellent

Een kwalitatief goede liveopname van een prima jazztrio. Af en toe hoor je een koffiekopje rinkelen en aan het einde van een nummer volgt een beschaafd oud-geld applausje, alsof Ronnie O'Sullivan zojuist na de rode bal ook een niet al te moeilijk zwart balletje in de pocket heeft weten te werken. Dit soort jazz kan ik goed hebben. Als de Rozenboom van Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden een echt hotel was zou je dit verwachten in het bijbehorende restaurant. Er wordt knap muziek gemaakt, er zit nog iets van een herkenbare structuur in, de percussie is hypnotiserend maar houdt de boel wel op de rails en de piano en bas lopen lekker door elkaar heen te kloten. En niemand die ze verder tegenhoudt. Ik vind hier weinig mis mee. Ik zet dit niet elke week aan, maar voor een keer is dit best leuk. De één uur en acht minuten voelt aan als minimaal een halve werkweek, maargoed. Waar voor je (oud)geld. Vier sterren zodat ik meer ontwikkeld lijk dan ik daadwerkelijk ben.

Fav song: Alice In Wonderland Flawless performances from incredible and very obviously highly experienced jazz musicians. This is what I think of when I think of proper Jazz. I’m not the biggest jazz head so I’m not as good at seeing the intricacies of each song, and as such find that it tends to blend together a little bit. That being said, it was a really enjoyable listen either way.

Loved it

Fantastic record. I had never listened to this one all the way through, but I'm so happy this was on this list. Just a really great jazz trio. I know Bill Evans is supposed to be the focal point here but Scott LaFaro on bass is just tearing it up throughout the entire album. Fantastic playing, and super sad that he died just a few days after this was recorded. Kind of Blue is probably the best jazz record of all time but this has to be right up there in the top 5. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for this at the record shop. 5/5

Finally some good fucking food

Hotel lobby vibes, forgettable

falling down sounds

It was a jazz vibe. It was all right. Didn't love it but did not dislike it.

Very cool

Great album, good improvisation from all trio members. Bill Evans doesn't disappoint

The first one was a vibe. Otherwise, okay background music but nothing I'll return to a whole lot.

worst melatonin ever

Too jazzy for me. Obviously skilled but to busy to relax and enjoy cocktails.

Can’t go wrong with some Jazz really can you

Probably the single most important jazz piano recording from the pre-eminent creator of modern jazz piano. Incalculably vital.

I feel like a lot of jazz is very "full of itself". This felt like there was no pretentiousness about it. It's a good listen and makes jazz feel like an approachable genre

I know this is probably unfair as these people are great musicians, but I have a bias against piano jazz music. I think it's from listening to too much NPR over the years. It just grates on me.

Buen jazz

Jazz! Muito bom!

Wonderful

This was really difficult to rate. My goal here in this challenge is to only listen to records once, but this took me many tries! You really have to concentrate for instrumental albums. Listening in a loud bus doesn't work. Letting your mind wander off doesn't work. Actually take the time to have a cup of coffee, stare at nature and let the music take you where it wants to. Trust me, it's worth it.

Jazz music to chill and relax to Gemiddeld

really good. if im being honest i cant tell the difference between jazz albums, but i liked this one a lot

3 stars

Sounds like all the other jazz combos that I’ve heard.

Loved this album. Saved it in my favorites to listen again.

Ahh, this one is relaxing. Smooth jazz for a rough day. I barely even noticed it's live, which is a compliment. Unfortunately, it mainly all just reads as "Linus and Lucy" to me. I am not a discerning jazz listener. Highlights: 'Solar', 'Gloria's Step Take 3' (Where is take 1? Also, these songs with the same name I would never match up in a million years, which either says something about jazz or something about me)

One of the more remarkable displays of virtuosity you're going to hear. Not from headliner and reluctant cover-boy Bill Evans, but by upright bassist Scott LaFaro. He bounds all the way across the fingerboard playing counters and solos, yet never loses sight of the melody. Evans leads incredibly well from his piano, and very selflessly. His sense of timing and dynamics on album closer (and LaFaro composed) Jade Visions brought me to tears. They clearly knew how to get the best from each other. The Stereo image on the recording is impeccable, capturing every nuance of the players and the club. If there was any downside, it's that I'm often left wanting the drums to do more, aside from the welcome solo on All of You (Take 2). Maybe it's the inner rock-child that still lives inside me, but sometimes there is such a thing as too tasteful. Today's the first time I've heard this trio and any of its member play, and I'm already crushed this was the final time they had a chance to. Scott LaFaro died in a car accident soon after. I couldn't think of any better tribute. PSA to anyone listening on Spotify: The bonus tracks have been mixed in with the originals, following straight after the preferred take. The correct track listing should be: "Gloria's Step" (take 2) – 6:09 "My Man's Gone Now" – 6:21 "Solar" – 8:52 "Alice in Wonderland" (take 2) – 8:34 "All of You" (take 2) – 8:17 "Jade Visions" (take 2) – 3:44

Fantastic. It’s easy to write an album like this off as “boring” but man, there’s some really fantastic musicianship here.

SMOOTH JAZZ OTL...

What's with all the 5 star reviews? This is a lot of self-indulgent noodling and boring. Why do they need to put 4 of the tracks down twice? Even they know it's not good and felt they could do better. Oof.

4.5/5

Still not into jazz but it was nice.

To be honest I didn't notice that this had finished and started again from the beginning. I don't dislike Jazz but I did feel a little bit Vince Noir at times.

definitely one hour of uninterrupted jazz highlights: Idk i zoned out

Just a lovely live jazz recording, suitable for sunny picnics or warm bourbon by the fire. Enjoy!

Picture it: Playing billiards at the Vanguard while listening to live music such as this. It has an ambience to it that soothe the soul. Favorite Track: "Gloria's Step".

It sounds nice, but I still dont quite get jazz.

Very nice.

Not sure what Bruce likes about this so much. Too much noodling!

this would've been nice to listen to in a coffee bar or museum gift shop. i'm sure there's some really amazing musical stuff happening here, but it just didn't really grab me beyond pleasant background music.

hmm. i still don't think i "get" jazz, but this was pleasant enough to listen to most of the time. however, there were some weird sections where the bass sounded out of tune (not out of key/away from the current tonal center) and the songs were quite lengthy. also like half of them were repeats, just a different take? not that i really noticed when actually listening to them, lol. anyway, i'm a philistine who doesn't understand great art and probably wouldn't listen to this again outside of background music... sorry. i just like the sound of brass in jazz too much i guess... yeah, we'll go with that. favorites: gloria's step (take 2), jade visions (take 2), alice in wonderland (take 1)

Cool little jazz album.

Loved it

5/10

I needed some new jazz before the holidays hit. Perfect timing.

A delight. Sumptuous. Listenable and re-listenable. Very happy discovery. I am going to dig deeper and dog more ...

A little - goes a long way. Although I like this type of music, I like it in smaller doses, I guess. This was way too much, for way too long.

Sunday At The Village Vanguard is a live album from the Bill Evans Trio, which at the time included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. This was the last time Evans played with LaFaro, who died tragically shortly after the album was recorded. Evans played in a few groupings in his career, and considered this to be the strongest group - and this album may be this trio's best work. This is often regarded as one of the best live jazz recordings of all time. Evans was an elegant, expressive pianist, and these songs show his skills with subtle expressions. LaFaro and Motain are also incredible musicians, and the trio had clearly established chemistry.

Too many bass solos, otherwise this would be a slam dunk.

This is exactly the kind of jazz I like. Super chill yet upbeat. Can get your foot tapping or calm you down. The instruments are well balanced and the improvisation is dynamic but not overwhelming.

holy shit a new jazz favorite!!! i rewound the last minute of "solar" multiple times just to hear the drum fills. impossibly cozy. "all of you" has a Disgusting upright bass solo. now THAT'S a fucking jazz album dude

Really solid smooth jazz. And a live album at that. You can almost smell the cigar smoke and whiskey from the seedy jazz bar this album could have been taped at. And it is a brassless jazz album, which I love. Sometimes trumpets and saxes get fucking annoying (like in every fucking Miles Davis album). Sometimes ya just want to sit back and enjoy the beautiful sounds attainable by a bass, piano, and drums. So relaxing. Dudes bassist is a fuckin machine!! Favourite songs: All Of You, Gloria's Step Least favourite songs: My Man's Gone Now 5/5

Certainly jazz

Very good jazz piano, it's pretty chilled out. Nice beats perfect for background listening at work or some time you want to relax. I'm sure that I will be listening to this one again when the mood hits.

dogpoo

Jazzy

Like most Miles Davis albums, this album gave me a very Autumn in New York Vibe!

Trio jazz like this really places demands on the players and these guys are/were some of the very best. Again I'm not a jazz guy but these artists are real masters.

Just an all-around pleasure to listen to, so soothing to listen to and an interesting contrast to something like Kind of Blue where the brass tend to command attention.

It's jazzy piano, bass and drums. The bass solos are a little too improvisational for my liking but in general it's a pretty easy listen. The recording is excellent. I did not realize it was a live album until the audience clapped. Very good album.

Boring

This would be cool to have been present for but ultimately the songs all blended together and nothing was vibrant enough to stand out as vital. The story is more interesting than the music, unfortunately. Still, not bad by any means.

Solid background music, but not sure I’d take it on a road trip or to the gym or to the bedroom or to the wood shop or most anywhere else with much intention. Great musicianship with nothing to really pull me in.

Couldn’t get into this on first listen. Then I put on a lot of good headphones and could hear the bass properly and could see why this is heralded as a great live album. Three musicians just killing it live. I think this will be another grower for me- nothing really grabbed me although I could definitely appreciate it.

very good study music

Not a jazz fan, but this is good background music for hanging around the house.

What a great live performance

Took a second to realize this was 6 songs but there were multiple takes of some. I mean it’s not awful to listen to but I will not be returning to listen to the ol Bill Evans trio anytime soon. Maybe when I’m 80.

I really am trying to like jazz. It’s not workint

Some nice moments but not for me

I have similar thoughts for this as I did for 'Lady In Satin'. This is a great album, but is hard to listen to when I'm working. It's an album that makes you think! It needs 110% of your brain! There's a lot of good stuff going on here. It's not an album I'm going to rave about and actively seek out (unless I'm throwing an extravagant cocktail party). But it is very good.

Yep, that’s Jazz alright

Pretty good though the bass solos seem to go on forever. There are much better Bill Evan’s albums than this one in my opion.

I really like to listen to jazz and I listen very much. I did not know this album and it is nice, but I was not able to find any deeper connection to Bill Evans' music on it.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Nothing else to say. I love this. I want more of this. More jazz. There isn’t enough jazz on the list. Give me more jazz. This was great. Technically, musically, feel-wise, just excellent. Yes. Five stars. Standout Tracks: all of them

I love jazz, but this was a bit too frantic and scattered for me. This album might be proof that it is indeed possible for there to be too much improv. Still, I enjoyed it and it'd be good background music for any holiday parties I ever host. (I do not have enough friends to host any holiday parties.)

Smooooth

I appreciate the rendition of Alice in Wonderland. This album is however a little boring but I can respect it for what it is.

nice background / focus music