Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dave Askren Trio: Re: Bill Evans

Dave Askren Trio: Re: Bill Evans

By Michael P. Gladstone
May 11, 2004
View read count

Los Angeles-based guitarist Dave Askren has undertaken a formidable project in adapting the music and style of Bill Evans for a guitar-bass-drums trio. In his liner notes Askren goes to a great deal of trouble to rationalize the validity and difficulties of this undertaking, insofar as Evans' influences for many of the selections and the difficulties of transposing his piano voicings on the guitar. It makes for an interesting story but, to these untrained ears, the question remains as to whether it all works or not. Unequivocally, these eleven tracks do bear the stamp of the late pianist.

In selecting these compositions, Askren has provided a good mix of Evans originals, standards and jazz standards that he frequently played, and one that he never recorded but could easily have ("When Sunny Gets Blue"). The mood is generally the introspective ballad performance that Evans was so noted for. A few tunes, like the Cole Porter "Everything I Love" and Gershwin's "Who Cares?", are taken at mid-tempo; while Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader" is the closest to an up-tempo jam.

Askren seems best able to share the Evans persona in the impressionistic adaptation of the Evans classic "Re Person I Knew," the Rogers & Hart "Spring is Here" and especially on the Young & Washington standard "My Foolish Heart." As would have been the case in the Bill Evans Trio, drummer Steve Sykes and bassist Mike Flick share in this project with thoughtful solo work and supportive playing.

Track Listing

Re Person I Knew, Spring is Here, Everything I Love, My Foolish Heart, Midnight Mood, Who Cares?, Time Remembered, Freddie Freeloader, It Might As Well Be Spring, When Sunny Gets Blue, If You Could See Me Now.

Personnel

Dave Askren

guitar

Dave Askren, guitar; Mike Flick, bass; Steve Sykes, drums

Album information

Title: Re: Bill Evans | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: String Jazz Recordings

PREVIOUS / NEXT

John Abercrombie: Extending the Trad...
< Previous

Heroes
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.