Bill Evans - in a perpetual state of evolving and woodshedding.
Bill Evans Trio – In Rehearsal – 1966 – Past Daily Downbeat
Bill Evans Trio – in rehearsal – Danish Radio/TV – October 25, 1966 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Something a little different this weekend. The Bill Evans Trio in rehearsal just prior to an upcoming gig in Copenhagen in 1966 recorded on October 25th. One of the things about listening to these unedited rehearsal recordings, especially if you’re a student, is hearing the process – how things change and evolve; unguarded moments. The true genius of an artist is not necessarily in the end product but how a piece is shaped into being – the avenues one goes through to get there; the mistakes and discoveries along the way.
Not that it doesn’t occur in the realm of the actual performance. As an audience you only know something’s up when you see eye contact between the players; sometimes a wince and sometimes a nod. When it’s not in the framework of a performance but in a recording studio there are audio cues, interruptions, re-visiting a phrase over and over.
To the uninterested ear it’s boring as hell – someone once said it’s like watching paint dry. But to others, the ones whose veins pulse to Jazz or any kind of music for that matter, this is a rich reservoir of thoughts and ideas.
Bill Evans has always been considered one of the true giants of Jazz. His voices rings true on a lot of levels and every note is worth exploring. And this is one of the primary reasons recordings like this are so important – and how their preservation makes it possible to those coming along, who haven’t gotten started yet, to dive back into 1966 and be a fly on the wall thirty, forty or even fifty years from now.
It’s why we love what we do.
Plug in and enjoy.
And if you want to dive further and dig deeper:
