There is a treasure trove of freshly mastered Evans material on Verve that is still available. Before actually signing with Verve, Evans recorded 1962’s Empathy, sharing top billing with Shelly Manne and featuring Monty Budwig on bass. It is atypical for an Evans session, as Shelley Manne is hardly Bill’s usual type of drummer, but everyone was having a fun time and the session is very enjoyable. It’s a studio recording by Rudy Van Gelder. The album arrays piano in the left channel, bass in the center and drums on the right. The photo in the album shows just the reverse and may have you checking your connections for a reversed lead. Analogue Productions released this album in 2013 as part of its 45 RPM “Verve Series”, not to be confused with the current 33 RPM “Verve (Acoustic Sounds Series)”. As such, it is out of production, but new copies may still be floating around.
Next up was Evans’ Trio ‘64 with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, recorded by Bob Simpson in December 1963 at Webster Hall, a New York nightclub that in 1968 became RCA’s east coast recording studio. The acoustics seem right for one of Evan’s best trio settings, with Peacock, Motian and Evans perfectly anticipating each other’s next move. Simpson is best known for his RCA recordings, including Belafonte at Carnegie Hall, but he also recorded many great sounding Verve titles.
One year later Evans returned with Trio ’65, also on Verve, but this time with Larry Bunker on drums and Chuck Israels on bass. This is typical of Evans in that period, and the performances are all memorable. Recorded in February 1965 by Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood Cliffs studio, the sound highlights Van Gelder’s trademark piano sound, with up close miking that can seem a bit dry and bright, bass a bit muffled and a well recorded drum kit.
A year later Verve made up for a lack of studio sessions, releasing Bill Evans At Town Hall Volume One with Chuck Israels on bass in his last performance with Evans, and Arnold Wise on drums. A jazz orchestral backing joined the trio during the concert but none of those numbers made it onto this album. As its name suggests, Town Hall, located in the Theatre District of New York, was originally built as a speaking venue. Rudy Van Gelder recorded this session on site. The audience is respectful and hushed, perhaps in response to Evans quiet and delicate mood on four standards. It was reissued by Speakers Corner over a decade ago and is scheduled for an October release in the Verve Acoustic Sounds series. This is among Evans best played and best recorded LPs, and the most anticipated of the Evans releases in the Acoustic Sounds series.
The year after that, they recorded Bill Evans At The Montreux Jazz Festival, this time with Jack DeJohnette on drums and Eddie Gomez on bass. Where Town Hall was relaxed and introspective, Montreux is spontaneous, fast paced, and exciting. Classic Records and Speakers Corner have both had their way with this title and when Acoustic Sounds purchased the Classic Records catalog, they kept it in production. It is currently available in 33 and 45 RPM versions. Unlike the Town Hall live recording, the audience is openly enthusiastic, and Evans matches that energy with an equally upbeat and animated performance. The sound quality, recorded by Swiss radio engineer Jean-Claude Martin, is outstanding, with an up front sound typical of live recording—little stage depth but fleshed out instruments with plenty of body.
