Bill Evans re-emerges after the death of Scott LaFaro

Following the untimely 1961 death of his musical foil, Scott La Faro, pianist Bill Evans disappeared for several months. He re-emerged in early 1962 with a new trio that brought bassist Chuck Israels into the fold. The trio recorded two albums in mid-year sessions, a collection of ballads entitled Moon Beams, and this set of mid- and up-tempo numbers. Israels occupied a more traditional spot in the trio, fluidly marking time and taking a few introspective solos, and the change in balance pushed Evans piano forward as a lead “singing” voice. Drummer Paul Motian also falls back slightly, drumming with crisp, light strokes that add delicate accents to Evans solos. Both percussionists stoke the rhythm for hotter numbers like “Walking Up,” but it’s the trio’s more delicate moments that find the most cohesion here. The song list is stocked with well-selected standards that, while not particularly revelatory, fit the trio well. OJC’s 2013 reissue includes three bonus tracks: “In Your Own Sweet Way [Take 2],” which was included on earlier reissues, and “34 Skidoo [Take 9]” and “Ev’rything I Love [Take 2],” which are being released for the first time. Joe Tarantino remastered the disc in 24-bits, and the original liners (by Bill Evans and Orrin Keepnews) are extended with new notes by Doug Ramsey. This is a nice upgrade from earlier reissues. [©2013 Hyperbolium]