Further Explorations Review
The contributions of pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader Bill Evans to the language and appreciation of jazz continue to have a profound influence on musicians. Join master pianist Chick Corea as he leads original Evans alumni - bassist Eddie Gomez and the late drummer Paul Motian - on
Further Explorations, a two-CD live set of 19 tracks. The spirit of Evans comes alive thanks to the vibrant simpatico shared by these three master musicians.
Produced by Corea, Further Explorations was recorded May 4-17, 2010, live at the Blue Note in New York City. (2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Evans' original Explorations LP with Motian and bassist Scott LaFaro on the Riverside label.) In preparation, Corea, Gomez and Motian examined the entire Bill Evans discography. Rather than approach the music as a tribute, his material provides more of a template. Each musician also contributes original material. The results are inspired, as this elevated piano trio plays with near-telepathic empathy and a remarkable blend of ingenuity and emotional depth.
Disc one kicks off with "Peri's Scope," from Evans' LP Portrait in Jazz, "Gloria's Step," a Scott LaFaro classic from Evans' LP Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and Irving Berlin's "They Say That Falling in Love Is Wonderful," from the Broadway show Annie Get Your Gun. Other highlights include Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard's "Alice in Wonderland," from Evans' LP Waltz for Debby, Evans' hauntingly beautiful ballad "Laurie," from the LP We Will Meet Again, Corea's loving tribute "Bill Evans" and Thelonious Monk's "Little Rootie Tootie." As an added bonus, the first disc features an unrecorded piece by Evans called "Song No. 1." The tune was discovered by archivist Frank Fuchs and from this information came a tape of the song from Evans' son. "Chick transcribed the song, and confirmed with Eddie that this was something that Bill had been working on for years," writes associate producer Bob Belden in the liner notes. "On the first few nights, the song was so new that it was to be played as close to the written page as possible. Over the course of two weeks, it transformed into the fully-developed performance you hear on this set, which will make this version the definitive interpretation."
Disc two opens with "Hot House," a Tadd Dameron composition from 1940s, followed by Paul Motian's "Mode VI." There's something for nearly everyone here, from Evans chestnuts like "Turn Out The Stars" and the jazz waltz "Very Early" to Corea's own "Another Tango" and Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's "But Beautiful." The session wraps up with an Eddie Gomez original, "Puccini's Walk"
