Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, this set rounded out what became known as an early "full" portrait of Bill Evans by following Sunday at the Village Vanguard with most of the rest of the music he played on June 25, 1961. Very little in the annals of piano-trio jazz ever reached the clarity of execution that Evans made his own with the recordings from this single date. With bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, Evans reached a rapport that sounded whisper-intimate, rolling into gentle cascades and then rhythmically pouncing juts. On the keys, Evans sounds at once completely walled-off and nakedly open as he takes on "My Foolish Heart" and the title melody. The chords are voiced ever so oddly, as are the bass and drums. Coming as it did several months in the wake of the successful first episode in Evans's Vanguard, Waltz for Debby just made it all the more obvious what a wonder the world had in this trio and its leader. --Andrew Bartlett Amazon.com essential recording

I am a bit surprised...

... that so many people rate this album so highly. I don't like the format of the repeated alternate takes, and I don't like the constant background noise of clinking glasses, chatter, and so on. I guess it would make decent background music for a cocktail party and would probably be of great interest to fellow musicians who are interested in Evan's piano technique, but this is an album that I have had for years, and it hardly ever gets played--never, actually.

At the time that I bought it I was under the impression that this was a great, essential album, but I don't think it is. May 11, 2008

Terrific, but can be topped

This is a great Bill Evans album and a must for any serious jazz enthusiast, but, rather than buy this album, I recommend The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. That way, for just a little more money, you get all the recordings on this album, plus the outtakes, alternate takes, and a host of other songs that do not appear on this classic jazz album. January 19, 2008

Overdone!

Only one star for Waltz for Debbie? This is a sublime album and deserves all the accolades it gets but Orrin Keepnews managed to blow it. Not only does he add three alternate takes but instead of tacking them on at the end he plays them in succession and then runs those three back to back. Thus we hear Waltz for Debbie-Waltz for Debbie-Detour Ahead-Detour Ahead-My Romance-My Romance, each about seven minutes long. Using the "Random Play" option doesn't help because the ratio of alternate takes is so high your just as likely to hear the same track three or four times in a row. Musicians wouldn't play a set like this. The album was perfect at about 45 minutes. December 14, 2007

Bill's best

I own at least 20 Bill Evans recording but this is his best. Why?

1- His trio with Paul LaFaro was totally matured. Since LaFaro would die only a few days later, it is the zenith of Evans' work with LaFaro. LaFaro gave Evans an opportunity that no other sideman ever did. He was so creative in the way that he played bass that Evans and he played duets, with the gentle but essential drumming of Paul Motian underscoring everything that was happening. Nothing that Evans ever did approached his trio with LaFaro.

2- Like most jazz musicians, Evans was best in front of an appreciative live audience.

3- There were two albums recorded during Evans' stay at the Vanguard. The other album, "Live at the Village Vanguard" featured cuts where LaFaro was dominant, as he had just died. "Waltz for Debbie" is more typical of what the trio usually played, and the tunes favored the ballads and waltzes that Evans played best.

There is nothing but great tracks on this album, but in my opinion, Evans' recording of the title track is the best thing that he ever recorded.

Evans is my all time favorite jazz pianist, and this is his best album. Six stars! November 23, 2007

The Goldberg Variations of Jazz

While this may seem like a snobby kind of
classical thing to say... I have no other way
of saying it.. Waltz for Debbie (the tune) is ingenius!
It's like listening to Johann Sebastian Bach had he
been a jazz composer/piano bringing us through
all the colors of the rainbow. Brilliant!
Don't ask me, just read all of the other reviews here!!! October 9, 2007

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