Search - Bill Evans :: Portrait in Jazz (20 Bit Mastering)

Portrait in Jazz (20 Bit Mastering)
Bill Evans
Portrait in Jazz (20 Bit Mastering)
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (9) - Disc #1

Lyric and thoughtful, pianist Bill Evans proved an urbane bridge between the early bop style of Bud Powell and playful funk of Horace Silver, to the later, modern approach of pianists like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Bill Evans
Title: Portrait in Jazz (20 Bit Mastering)
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Riverside
Original Release Date: 1/1/1959
Re-Release Date: 11/27/2001
Album Type: Original recording remastered
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Styles: Cool Jazz, Modern Postbebop, Bebop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 025218483926

Synopsis

Amazon.com essential recording
Lyric and thoughtful, pianist Bill Evans proved an urbane bridge between the early bop style of Bud Powell and playful funk of Horace Silver, to the later, modern approach of pianists like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett (indeed, Jarrett went as far as to record with Evans's backup band of drummer Paul Motian and bassist Gary Peacock). Evans's second album as a leader, Portrait in Jazz combines a pair of originals--"Blue in Green" and "Peri's Scope"--with a handful of show tunes and standards, including a version of "Someday My Prince Will Come" that pre-dates Miles Davis's adaptation. With a preference for irregular phrasing and a taste for unusual chord spellings, Evans was frequently able to recast old chestnuts and tired warhorses into new gems and spirited charges, as he does here with "Witchcraft," "Spring Is Here," and "When I Fall in Love." And although he recorded in many different formats throughout his career, including duets with himself, the power and beauty of Evans's trios helped him lay a special claim to that grouping. --Fred Goodman

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CD Reviews

Perfect intro to the Evans-LaFaro-Motian trio
Mike Johnston | Wisconsin | 02/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Bill Evans (and I really do--he's got a smooth / lounge aesthetic but with guts, heart, and brains), this is a great album to have; if you think you might like him, it's a good place to start. Evans is an accessible yet deeply original and inventive pianist who is not afraid of pianistic beauty. He's a virtuoso yet never a show-off. And the celebrated "telepathic" communication between Evans and bassist Scott LaFaro, whose tragic early death devastated Evans, is amply evident on this release. (With drummer Paul Motian, this is the same trio that made the masterpiece "Waltz for Debbie.")The sound on Fantasy's 20-bit remastering is, I swear, the same as the XRCD. It's rich and smooth and virtually as good as a modern recording despite having been recorded in 1959. Tape hiss is just not a problem. Even the standing bass sounds good, which is unusual since that instrument seems to record badly. If you can get with the suave, urbane, laid-back 1950s jazz club atmosphere of this music--or anywhere near it--this is a completely recommendable disc. But do be sure to get this remastering, with the cardboard slipcover that has the wide red surround."
The Ballad Man!
Carl Johnson | Detroit, MI United States | 02/18/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bill Evans is one of the most lyrical pianist you will ever here on this planet. This is one of his best recordings. My Father liked, "Spring Is Here" and the album that was kind of based on the theme contain in the song, a lot. Most of you that are looking at buying this version of this record you can't lose. Bill was jazz genius! Period! Phemominal spin! Oh... the remaster is fuller sounding..."