Montgomery / Okada / Smith Trio

Montgomery / Okada / Smith Trio: Bill Evans Songbook Vol. 1

by Victor Verney
October 2, 2006

In jazz, tribute performances like this one by the Montgomery/Okada/Smith Trio are considerably trickier propositions than those of rock 'n' roll tribute bands. The latter merely call for slavish imitation and are judged by how well they clone the original. In jazz, however, they are judged instead by how successfully an artist brings his or her own vision to the music while staying true to the spirit of the original.

William Montgomery brings both credentials and chops to this Evans ...