Bill Evans - At Town Hall Vol. 1

 

Acoustic Sounds Series reissues from Verve/Universal Music Enterprises!

Monthly releases highlighting the world's most historic and best jazz records!

Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes

180-gram LPs pressed at Quality Record Pressings!

Stoughton Printing gatefold old-style tip-on jackets

Series supervised by Chad Kassem CEO of Acoustic Sounds

Click to see the Acoustic Sounds Series

Of pianist Bill Evans' many live albums, At Town Hall ... Vol. 1 has always been among his most delicate and elegant, writes Marc Myers for JazzWax.

Evans' playing is taut and graceful, with lovely long improvisational lines and a snappy, fluid attack on the keyboard. The mix of standards and two originals — one was a suite in memory of his' father, who died just three days earlier — also were neatly selected and assembled.

Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years, the Town Hall recording on February 21, 1966 was Evans' first New York concert appearance. Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with just bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise, and the second half with an orchestra. The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunes: "Willow Weep for Me" and "What Kind of Fool Am I" as well as Evans' originals "Funkallero" and "Waltz for Debby."

Musicians:
Bil Evans - piano, keyboards
Chuck Israels - bass
Arnold Wide - drums

Orchestra:
Ernie Royal, Clark Terry and Bill Berry - trumpets
Bob Brookmeyer, Quentin Jackson and Bill Watrous - trombone
Bob Northern - French horn
Jerry Dodgion, George Marge, Eddie Daniels, Frank Petrovsky and Marvin Holladay - reeds

Side A

1. I Should Care

2. Spring Is Here

3. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)

Side B

1. Make Someone Happy

2. Prologue

3. Improvisation On Two Themes: Story Line - Turn Out The Stars

4. Epilogue

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 3 person(s) rated this product.

Perfection! posted on 02/04/2023 5 Stars Reviewer: Chris If you are not a Bill Evans fan you need to hear this. Perfection!

Oh my! posted on 01/16/2023 5 Stars Reviewer: Gordon Johnson While still on the first side, the pressing is so far flawless while the vinyl itself is exceptionally quiet. All this allows the music to shine and shine brightly here. The mastering from Ryan Smith is outstanding, again to the benefit of the music. The decay to the piano is quite something else when played back through the Harbeth 30 series. As for the music, well is all familiar or at least should be! Yet, its feeling fresh here the way its allowed to be as natural as is possible, enthralling as never before I feel.

Spectacular! posted on 12/02/2022 5 Stars I had heard that the tapes for this release were in bad shape. You wouldn't know it from this stellar reissue. Much better than the Speakers Corner version, which itself was better than the original. And the cover is great too-Stoughton at its best!

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