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SACD

Bill Evans – Trio 64 (1964) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012] [SACD / Verve Records – UCGU-9041]

adminAugust 3, 2025 304 Views

Title: Bill Evans – Trio 64 (1964) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Joining Bill Evans (piano) on Trio ’64 – his initial three-piece recording for Verve – is the compact rhythm section of Gary Peacock (bass) and Paul Motian (drums). The effort spotlights their communal and intuitive musical discourse, hinging on an uncanny ability of the musicians to simultaneously hear and respond. All the more interesting, Evans had not interacted in this setting before, having most recently worked with Chuck Israels (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums). The personable opener, “Little Lulu,” features the aggregate melodically molding individual and distinct sonic characteristics. Evans’ nimble and emphatic syncopation is not only ably supported, but framed by Peacock’s expressive runs and Motian’s acute sense of timing. “A Sleeping Bee” is one of the collection’s most endearing selections as the groove playfully scintillates surrounding some hauntingly poignant chord changes. Evans bandies back and forth with Peacock, the latter likewise providing a stellar solo. “Always” captures a similar effervescence as the instrumentalists ebb and flow in synchronicity. Since the December 18 session was held the week before Christmas 1963, they fittingly tote out “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” creating a minor masterpiece of post-bop from what could easily have started as a spontaneous seasonal suggestion. Noël Coward’s “I’ll See You Again” bears a brisk waltz persona, enabling the unit to fluently weave its offerings without obstructing the otherwise affective tune. Concluding Trio ’64 is Rodgers & Hart’s standard “Everything Happens to Me,” with an unhurried tempo lingering just long enough to embrace the familiar refrain. Evans sparkles, gliding around Peacock’s full-bodied basslines and Motian’s solid yet restrained beat.

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2 min read

SACD

Bill Evans Trio – Portrait In Jazz (1959) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / Riverside Records – RISA-1162-6]

adminAugust 3, 2025 389 Views

Title: Bill Evans Trio – Portrait In Jazz (1959) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The first of two studio albums by the Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian trio (both of which preceded their famous engagement at the Village Vanguard), this Portrait in Jazz reissue contains some wondrous interplay, particularly between pianist Evans and bassist LaFaro, on the two versions of “Autumn Leaves.” Other than introducing Evans’ “Peri’s Scope,” the music is comprised of standards, but the influential interpretations were far from routine or predictable at the time. LaFaro and Motian were nearly equal partners with the pianist in the ensembles and their versions of such tunes as “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “When I Fall in Love,” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” (which preceded Miles Davis’ famous recording by a couple years) are full of subtle and surprising creativity. A gem.

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1 min read

SACD

Bill Evans Quintet – Interplay (1962) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011] [SACD / Riverside Records – UCGO-9018]

adminAugust 3, 2025 451 Views

Title: Bill Evans Quintet – Interplay (1962) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Interplay stands as some of Bill Evans’ most enigmatic and unusual music in makeup as well as execution. It was recorded in July 1962 with a very young Freddie Hubbard from the Jazz Messengers, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Philly Joe Jones performing five veteran standards. Evans has a more blues-based approach to playing: harder, edgier, and in full flow, fueled in no small part by Hall, who is at his very best here, swinging hard whether it be a ballad or an uptempo number. Hubbard’s playing, on the other hand, was never so restrained as it was here. Using a mute most of the time, his lyricism is revealed to jazz listeners for the first time — with Art Blakey it was a blistering attack of hard bop aggression. On this program of standards, however, Hubbard slips into them quite naturally without the burden of history — check his reading and improvisation on “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Ironically, it’s on the sole original, the title track, where the band in all its restrained, swinging power can be best heard, though the rest is striking finger-popping hard bop jazz, with stellar crystalline beauty in the ballads.

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2 min read

SACD

Bill Evans – Explorations (1961) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011] [SACD / Riverside Records – UCGO-9007]

adminAugust 3, 2025 339 Views

Title: Bill Evans – Explorations (1961) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

When this album was recorded in February of 1961, it had been more than year since the Portrait in Jazz was issued, the disc that won the critics over. By the time of this issue, Evans had released four albums in six years, a pace unheard of during that time. Most musicians were issuing two, three, and even four records a year during the same era. Many speculate on Evans’ personal problems at the time, but the truth of the matter lies in the recordings themselves, and Explorations proves that the artist was worth waiting for no matter what else was going on out there. Evans, with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro, was onto something as a trio, exploring the undersides of melodic and rhythmic constructions that had never been considered by most. For one thing, Evans resurrects a number of tunes that had been considered hopelessly played out, and literally reinvents them — “How Deep Is the Ocean” and “Sweet and Lovely.” His harmonic richness that extends the melodic and color palette of these numbers literally revived them from obscurity and brought them back into the canon. He also introduced “Haunted Heart” into the jazz repertoire, with a wonderfully impressionistic melodic structure, offered space, and depth by the understatement of Motian and extension by LaFaro’s canny use of intervals. Also noteworthy is Miles Davis’ “Nardis,” which Evans first played on a Cannonball Adderley set a couple of years before. The rhythmic workout by the Motian and LaFaro places Evans’ own playing in a new context, with shorter lines, chopping up the meter, and a series of arpeggios that open the ground for revelatory solo in counterpoint by LaFaro. Explorations is an extraordinary example of the reach and breadth of this trio at its peak.

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2 min read

SACD

Bill Evans – Bill Evans At The Montreux Festival (1968) [Japanese Reissue 2004] [SACD / Verve Records – UCGU-7033]

adminAugust 3, 2025 437 Views

Title: Bill Evans – Bill Evans At The Montreux Festival (1968) [Japanese Reissue 2004]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Casino De Montreux, Montreux, Switzerland on June 15, 1968. Originally released on Verve (8762). Includes liner notes by Gene Lees. Digitally remastered by Dennis Drake (Polygram Studios) & Gert Van Hoeyen (Polygram Sound Lab, Baarn, The Netherlands). A unique Japanese SACD remaster of the American musician’s 1968 release as part of the ‘Verve 60th Anniversary Supreme Sound Edition’ series; DSD digitally remastered by Seigen Ono. Centre label of the original LP faithfully reproduced on the CD.

At the Montreux Jazz Festival, marks the beginning of stylistic changes for the legendary pianist. Only 1 year earlier, his At Town Hall release found his approach generally more introspective & brooding. In contrast, this set is more lively, playful, & experimental. Much of this is down to the active & intense drumming of Jack DeJohnette, who had joined the trio only a short time before this concert was recorded; longtime bandmate Eddie Gomez is also featured on this album. His energetic soloing adds veracity to tunes such as “Embraceable You” & “A Sleeping Bee.” DeJohnette, too, is given several opportunities to display his drumming skills. His lengthy solo on “Nardis” displays his technical prowess & 4-way coordination; such acumen would later cause jazz fans & critics alike to hail DeJohnette as 1 of the world’s premier jazz drummers. Evans, famous for a soft-spoken pianistic touch, seems driven to new vistas on this album. He experiments more with harmonic dissonance & striking rhythmical contrasts, making this his most extroverted playing since his freshman release, New Jazz Conceptions. This is part of Verve’s Master Edition series.

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2 min read

SACD

Bill Crow Quartet – From Birdland To Broadway (1996) [Japan 2015] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-113]

adminAugust 3, 2025 415 Views

Title: Bill Crow Quartet – From Birdland To Broadway (1996) [Japan 2015]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

In the course of his long career as a bassist, Bill Crow has rubbed elbows with such luminaries as Gerry Mulligan, Marian McPartland, Stan Getz, and Duke Ellington. On this release for Japanese Venus Records, Bill Crow, who is an accomplished soloist when he chooses to take a chorus or two, is joined by veteran tenor saxophonist Carmen Leggio, guitarist Joe Cohn (son of tenor sax legend Al Cohn), and drummer David Jones.
Crow has played Broadway shows, including “Boccaccio,” “Rogers & Hart,” “The King and I,” “The Grand Tour,” “Morrisey Hall,” “On the Twentieth Century,” and “42nd Street.” He appears on many recordings with other jazz musicians, and has two CDs under his own name, The Bill Crow Quartet, with Venus Records of Tokyo. He has also self-produced a trio album with Hiroshi Yamazaki and John Cutrone titled “Embraceable You,” and another with guitarist Armand Hirsch titled “Bill Crow Sings”. The title track is a catchy blues with a snappy strut rhythm and fine solos by both Cohn and Leggio, while “Share a Key” is a tasty bossa nova. Crow also revives an oldie, “News From Blueport,” which the bassist had written in the early ’60s while a member of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet; this memorable blues still inspires musicians to shine. In addition to several enjoyable arrangements of standards, Crow’s subtle scoring of Oscar Pettiford’s “Tricotism” and Mulligan’s underappreciated ballad “Night Lights” round out this highly recommended release.

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2 min read

SACD

Bill Charlap Trio – Stardust: The Music Of Hoagy Carmichael (2002) [SACD Release 2003] [SACD / Blue Note – SA41746]

adminAugust 3, 2025 370 Views

Title: Bill Charlap Trio – Stardust: The Music Of Hoagy Carmichael (2002) [SACD Release 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Bill Charlap is one of the strongest mainstream jazz pianists on the scene and one of the most gifted interpreters of standards. Stardust is a wonderful album, which began a series of albums that focused on a single composer. Stardust featured the music of Hoagy Carmichael. Features the special lineup of guest stars like Tony Bennett, Shirley Horn & Jim Hall.

There’s a fitting symmetry implicit in Bill Charlap’s latest Blue Note release. It’s a symmetry born from purity of purpose, illuminated on 1 end by the timelessness of Hoagy Carmichael’s Americana, & asserted at the other by the clarity of Charlap’s touch. Charlap negotiates the music of Carmichael as if he’s lived it always – an impressive sleight-of-hand considering the disparate backgrounds from which these jazzmen come: One was inspired by lazy Indiana summers; the other by the fast-break rhythms of New York. What gives the album that extra touch is the special lineup of guest stars like Tony Bennett, Shirley Horn & Jim Hall.

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2 min read

SACD

Bill Charlap Trio – ‘S Wonderful (1999) [Japan 2000] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-8]

adminAugust 3, 2025 458 Views

Title: Bill Charlap Trio – ‘S Wonderful (1999) [Japan 2000]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Before the talented pianist Bill Charlap went “major” with the Blue Note label, he was discovered by Venus Records and the Japanese audience. This “debut” album of Charlap, released in 1999, was an enormous hit and became an instant classic. Deeply rooted in the tradition of jazz and with tremendous knowledge and respect for the American songbook, Charlap’s piano playing is lyrical, fantastic and powerful. This album may not dazzle you with apparent “newness,” but the beauty of melody, sound, and deep swing will move you and make you smile. The great New York rhythm section, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, contributes with great performances as well.

Best known for his work with Gerry Mulligan and later Phil Woods during the 1990s, pianist Bill Charlap was clearly developing rapidly on his own record dates. Beginning with a crisp rendition of “Time After Time,” Charlap, with a formidable rhythm section of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, explores a nice mix of standards and jazz classics. His refreshing approach to “Lover” initially adds a Latin rhythm to the sprightly waltz before launching into overdrive. The less familiar material, including a jaunty take of George & Ira Gershwin’s “Boy, What Love Has Done to Me” and a breathtaking solo interpretation of Jimmy Van Heusen’s dreamy ballad “Only the Lonely,” is equally rewarding. The sound on this studio date is so intimate that it sounds as if the listener is sitting right next to the piano. This exquisitely packaged Japanese release is very highly recommended.

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2 min read

SACD

Big Star – #1 Record + Radio City (1972+1974 / 2 albums on 1 Disc) [1992, Reissue 2004] [SACD / Stax – SXSA 60025-6]

adminAugust 3, 2025 365 Views

Title: Big Star – #1 Record + Radio City (1972+1974 / 2 albums on 1 Disc) [1992, Reissue 2004]
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The quintessential American power pop band, Big Star remains one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll. Originally led by the singing and songwriting duo of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, the Memphis-based group fused the strongest elements of the British Invasion era — the melodic invention of the Beatles, the whiplash guitars of the Who, and the radiant harmonies of the Byrds — into a ramshackle but poignantly beautiful sound which recaptured the spirit of pop’s past even as it pointed the way toward the music’s future. Although creative tensions, haphazard distribution, and marketplace indifference conspired to ensure Big Star’s brief existence and commercial failure, the group’s three studio albums nevertheless remain unqualified classics, and their impact on subsequent generations of indie bands on both sides of the Atlantic is surpassed only by that of the Velvet Underground.

A two-fer combining Big Star’s first and second albums, #1 Record/Radio City remains a definitive document of early-’70s American power pop and a virtual blueprint for much of the finest alternative rock that came after it. The lone Big Star record to merit the full participation of founder Chris Bell, the brightly produced #1 Record splits the songwriting credits evenly between him and Alex Chilton (in the tradition of Lennon-McCartney). But from the beginning, the group is tearing apart at the seams: Bell and Chilton’s relationship seems less a working partnership than a battle of wills, and each possesses his own distinctive vision. The purist, Bell crafts electrifying and melodic classic pop like “Feel” and “In the Street,” while Chilton, the malcontent, pens luminous, melancholy ballads like “The Ballad of El Goodo” and “Thirteen.” Ultimately, their tension makes #1 Record brilliant. However, Radio City shifts gears dramatically: Bell is largely absent (though he guests, uncredited, on a few tracks, including the wonderful “Back of a Car”), allowing Chilton’s darker impulses free reign. From the raucous opener “O My Soul” onward, the new Big Star is noisier, edgier, and even more potent. Erratic mixing, spotty production, shaky performances — by all rights, Radio City should be a failure, yet Chilton is at his best when poised on the brink of disaster, and the songs hang together seemingly on faith and conviction alone. Each track recalls pop’s glory days, from the Kinks-ish snarl of “Mod Lang” to the Byrds-like guitar glow that adorns “Way Out West.” The much-celebrated “September Gurls” is indeed a classic — everything right and good about pop music distilled down to three minutes of pure genius.

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3 min read

SACD

Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968) [Remastered Reissue 1999 (2003)] [SACD / Columbia – CS 65784]

adminAugust 3, 2025 417 Views

Title: Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968) [Remastered Reissue 1999 (2003)]
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Big Brother are primarily remembered as the group that gave Janis Joplin her start. There’s no denying both that Joplin was by far the band’s most striking asset, and that Big Brother would never have made a significant impression if they hadn’t been fortunate enough to add her to their lineup shortly after forming. But Big Brother also occupies a significant place in the history of San Francisco psychedelic rock, as one of the bands that best captured the era’s loosest, reckless, and indulgent qualities in its high-energy mutations of blues and folk-rock.

Cheap Thrills, the major-label debut of Janis Joplin, was one of the most eagerly anticipated, and one of the most successful, albums of 1968. Joplin and her band Big Brother & the Holding Company had earned extensive press notice ever since they played the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, but for a year after that their only recorded work was a poorly produced, self-titled album that they’d done early in their history for Mainstream Records; and it took the band and the best legal minds at Columbia Records seven months to extricate them from their Mainstream contract, so that they could sign with Columbia. All the while, demand continued to build, and they still faced the problem of actually delivering something worthy of the press they’d been getting — Columbia even tried to record them live on-stage on the tour they were in the midst of when the new contract was signed, but somehow the concert tapes from early March of 1968 didn’t capture the full depth of their work. So they spent March, April, and May in the studio with producer John Simon and, miraculously, emerged with something that was as exciting as anything they’d done on-stage. When Cheap Thrills appeared in August 1968 — sporting a Robert Crumb cover on its gatefold jacket that constituted the most elaborate album design ever lavished on a rock album from Columbia Records, as well as a pop-art classic rivaling the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s jacket — it shot into the charts, reaching number one and going gold within a couple of months, and “Piece of My Heart” became a Top 40 hit and helped to propel the LP to over a million sales. Joplin, with her ear- (and vocal cord-) shredding voice, was the obvious standout. Nobody had ever heard singing as emotional, as desperate, as determined, or as loud as Joplin’s, and Cheap Thrills was her greatest moment. Not that everything was done full out — there were relatively quiet moments on the album that were as compelling as the high-wattage showcases; her rendition of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” was the finest rock reinterpretation of a standard done by anybody up to that time (though, in an incident recalled in his autobiography Clive, when Columbia Records president Clive Davis played it to Richard Rodgers to give him an example of some of the sounds that younger audiences of the late ’60s were listening to, the 66-year-old Rodgers stomped out of the Columbia corporate offices in fury, vowing never to write another song); and Joplin’s own “Turtle Blues” showed that she and the band could turn down and do credible acoustic blues, in something like an authentic period Bessie Smith (or, more properly, Memphis Minnie) sound. Big Brother’s backup, typical of the guitar-dominated sound of San Francisco psychedelia, made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in precision. But everybody knew who the real star was, and Joplin played her last gig with Big Brother while the album was still on top of the charts. Neither she nor the band would ever equal it. Heard today, Cheap Thrills is a musical time capsule and remains a showcase for one of rock’s most distinctive singers.

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4 min read