Treasures - Solo, Trio & Orchestral Records from Denmark (1965-69)

Product Information

As with so many previously unheard releases from Evans’ vault over the past decade, both the sound quality and the overall package are excellent, reinforcing the idea that this is important music that demands to be preserved properly. An official Elemental Music release in collaboration with the Bill Evans Estate, 'Treasures' is a 'holy grail' discovery culled from the private collection of Norwegian jazz musician Ole Matthiessenand released for the very first time as a 2CD limited-edition in deluxe packaging.

Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Bill Evans sets such as Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) seemingly fall from the heavens on a regular basis. NHØP and the two drummers each swing beautifully behind him, making these two of the most satisfying Evans trios I have ever heard. The beautifully designed package includes previously unpublished photos, insightful liner notes and interviews. But Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) is just getting started.They illustrated how committed he was to furthering his music and ensuring he was focused on the interplay and dynamics that his fellow musicians deserved so that his music shone, whether in a trio or with an orchestra. Mikkelborg’s string arrangements are probably too romantic (or cloying – take your pick) for modern tastes but the big-band arrangements work well, showing Mikkelborg’s indebtedness to Gil Evans – especially on the titular track Treasures, where Mikkelborg’s muted trumpet sounds like a homage to the then very recent Miles Davis / Gil Evans collaborations of 1957–68. The beautifully designed triple gatefoldLP set showcases previously unpublished photos by Jan Perssonfrom Evans' Danish tours, as well as insightful liner notes by acclaimed author, journalist and Evans scholar, Marc Myers, plus interviews and statements from Danish drummer Alex Riel, music journalist, Danish producer and Evans discographer Peter Larsen, Palle Mikkelborg, Evans' long-time trio-mates - bassist Eddie Gomezand drummer Marty Morell, and pianists Ran Blakeand Matthew Shipp. These recordings capture the trios at the height of Evans’s foray into leading a trio that listened and responded to each other rather than the supportive musicians leaning back and accompanying the piano. Like NHØP, Riel was in the Montmartre Jazzhus’s house band at the time, which is bound to have created some positive chemistry between the two.

An official Elemental Music release in collaboration with the Bill Evans Estate, Treasures is a 'holy grail' discovery culled from the private collection of Norwegian jazz musician Ole Matthiessen and released for the very first time as a limited-edition 180-gram 3LP deluxe set. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. As well as the usual ‘track listing, personnel and recording dates’ type information, the booklet is packed with rare photos, interviews with (or articles on) the musicians involved, and other insightful articles such as an analysis of Bill Evans’s time in Denmark.Highlights of the collection include trio performances from 1965 featuring legendary Danish jazz bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; the only solo piano version of 'My Funny Valentine' by Evans known to exist; a 1966 orchestral suite performed with the Evans trio accompanied by the Danish Radio Big Bandconducted by trumpeter/arranger Palle Mikkelborg; and much more! Despite the music’s rigid structure, the precision with which Evans played allowed for emotional intensity to burst from the music in and between every note. i was at 2 of these shows and they were a highlight of the year for me, so glad to see this music released -- the interplay is incredible and the interpretations are so fresh. Evans’s piano playing explores an inner world where everything makes sense and is pristine and beautiful. Come Rain or Shine’ opens with a piano flourish so alive one almost doesn’t care whether the main melody ever arrives.

Bill Evans is well established in the jazz firmament, and the treasures on this recording are a testament to his lofty placement. While he always keyed his playing to fit his environment – quartet, trio, or even orchestra – his solo playing allows us to soak in his brilliance in one sensitive yet commanding cascade of notes after another.The trio-parts with Alex Riel on drums (and either NHØP or Gomez on bass) are also great - a little less so the first 3 tunes w. Re: Person I Knew’ displays Evans’s left-hand playing spare partial chords that march up and down the scale as his right hand deftly picks out notes that shimmer, dance, and sound even more lively than his solemn left hand.