Bill Evans: Another Time: The Hilversum Concert

Musical performance archeologist Zev Feldman again provides the Bill Evans discography with important, previously unreleased material. Another Time documents pianist Evans, in the company of bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette, in concert at the Netherlands Radio Union VARA Studio 8 in Hilversum on June 22, 1968. The release complements the previously released Some Other Time: the Lost Session From the Black Forest (Resonance, 2016), by featuring the same trio performing live two days after the sides for Some Other Time were recorded. Until 2016, the trio format of Evans/Gomez/DeJohnette was represent on a single commercial release, Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Verve, 1968) which was recorded on June 15th, just prior to the Some Other Time sessions on June 20th. What emerges is a significant addition to a period when Evans was at the height of his powers and shifting the personnel his trio.

Another Time contains some of the best captured Evans live recording. The drums and bass stand equal with the piano and are better represented in the resulting mix. Per performance, Evans is as assertive and forward in his playing as he was reserved and contemplative on Some Other Time. The pianist was concentrating on drums during this period, push DeJohnette to the post-bop edges being explored at the same time by Tony Williams with Miles Davis's second great quintet. "You're Gonna Hear from Me" and "Who Can I Turn Two" are aggressive romps by Evans' standards, while "Alfie" and "Embraceable You" demonstrate a more strident and abstract balladry. Gomez is featured prominently on the latter with considerable solo space that he uses well. Miles Davis' "Nardis" never left the Evans Songbook after its original appearance on Cannonball Adderley's Portrait of Cannonball (Riverside, 1958), a recording date on which Evans played. Here, Evans gives the song lengthy attention, again featuring Gomez. Evans is lyrical and sophisticated.

Another Time is the gravy of the Evans discography. Previously unknown, it appeared as if summoned to fill in a weak spot of the pianist's chronology. These two previously unreleased European recordings join Resonance Records' expansive Bill Evans: Live At Art D'Lugoff's Top of The Gate (Resonance, 2012), recorded in October 1968, as the patch for the period. We should hope for much more of this music.