Sunday 5 August 2018

Bill Evans - Green Dolphin Street

It has been alleged that when President Richard Nixon made his famous trip to China in 1972, he asked the Chinese premier Chou En Lai what Chou thought of the effect of the French Revolution on history. Chou's enigmatic reply is said to have been "It is too soon to tell". Although this story may in fact be an exaggeration, or nothing more than an offhand comment, one wonders if perhaps the impact of Bill Evans on jazz piano could not also be considered in the same light.

Bill Evans was never noted as a great composer or soloist, yet his influence and standing in jazz since his untimely passing in 1980 has been pervasive. Many of the younger jazz pianists recording over the last twenty years seem to have assimilated much of his style in their approach to the instrument. Not unlike John Coltrane, who also passed away at a young age, Bill Evan's musical contributions to the jazz art form are still highly regarded. Bill Evans' recordings are still being released and played, and a recent discovery of an unreleased recording from 1968 generated intense interest when it was located and subsequently released.

Which brings us to one of Bill Evan's lesser known releases, and the subject of today's post, Green Dolphin Street. Recorded in 1959, but not released until almost 20 years later, the trio tracks that make up most the album include Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The story goes that Bill Evans along with Paul Chamber and Philly Joe Jones were the rhythm section on a Chet Baker recording date in New York. Orrin Keepnews, the famed producer and part owner of Riverside Records, was overseeing the date, and after the sessions with Baker were over, he asked the trio to stay and record some material. It was a spontaneous date, and while the three players had been playing with Miles Davis and were familiar with each other, they did not normally work together as a trio. However, they decided to record at least six songs.  The decision was made that this would be considered a Bill Evans date, and he specifically requested that the tapes not be released until he had a chance to listen to them later.

It was not until the mid 1970's that both Bill Evans and Orrin Keepnews returned to the recording, which, as Orrin Keepenews states in the album's liner notes, miraculously had remained untouched and in storage for at least 15 years. Upon listening to it again Bill Evans agreed the session could be released, and in 1977 it was. It should be noted that Orrin Keepnews agreed completely with Bill Evan's decision.

While the session that produced the trio tracks had not been previously planned, it would be inaccurate to think of it as nothing more than a throwaway. Bill Evans had a meticulous approach to a song, and the trio decided upon songs that they were already playing with Miles Davis, as well as some mutually familiar standards. The result was a wonderful piece of music, featuring three artists familiar with each other and capable of performing at the highest levels of proficiency on their respective instruments.  There is no particular standout in my opinion, but the title track is a great extended reading with lots of room for solos.

This particular version of Green Dolphin Street is a vinyl release on Waxtime, a European label specializing in reissues.  Although there is some degree of uncertainty (or perhaps controversy) concerning the sources used to make these records, my version has a clean, pristine and warm sound. No complaints.

Bill Evans' influence on jazz will continue to be felt for many years to come. Perhaps it is too early to attempt to quantify how significant that influence will be, but it is unquestionable that it is profound