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Bill Evans Trio: The Last Waltz (The Final Recordings Live at Keystone Korner September 1980)
The Last Waltz features Evans along with his then working rhythm section of bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera. And other than Evans’ signature renditions of standards such as the radiantly beautiful and sublime, “Emily”, the pianist performs his classic composition, “Waltz for Debby”, along with “Letter To Evan”, “Yet Ne’er Broken” (an anagram for his drug connection) and others. The musicians expand their creative juices while enjoying various levels of emotive interplay during several lengthy versions of Miles Davis’ “Nardis” yet at times, LaBarbera’s extended soloing leaves little to the imagination.
The eight CDs delineate Evans’ nine-day engagement at the “Keystone Corner” and as one would surmise there is some duplication of material throughout these recordings yet the musicians dutifully provide the nuance, finesse and firepower amid a few twists, turns and alterations of the musical scenery. Here, Evans performs with such intensity, grandeur and reverence for the material via flailing crescendos, harmonically rich themes, quick-witted invention, expressively percussive block chords and sinuous single note leads, while the sympathetic rhythm section comps and turns up the heat when called upon. Overall, The Last Waltz strikes a grand chord and resides as one of the more historically significant releases of 2000.
Track Listing
Disc: 1
1. After You, 2. Like Someone In Love, 3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams, 4.
Emily, 5. Turn Out The Stars, 6. I Do It For Your Love, 7. Nardis, 8. But Beautiful
Disc:
2
1. Yet Ne'er Broken, 2. Knit For Mary F, 3. Touch Of Your Lips, The, 4. My Man's
Gone Now, 5. Turn Out The Stars, 6. Your Story, 7. Nardis
Disc: 3
1. Peau Douce,
2. Yet Ne'er Broken, 3. My Foolish Heart, 4. Up With The Lark, 5. Turn Out The Stars, 6. I
Do It For Your Love, 7. Nardis, 8. Noelle's Theme / I Loves You, Porgy
Disc: 4
1.
Yet Ne'er Broken, 2. Spring Is Here, 3. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me), 4.
Letter To Evan, 5. If You Could See Me Now, 6. Two Lonely People, The, 7. Sleepin' Bee, A,
8. Haunted Heart 9. Five
Disc: 5
1. Re: Person I Knew, 2. Tiffany, 3. Polka Dots
And Moonbeams, 4. Like Someone In Love, 5. Your Story, 6. Someday My Prince Will Come,
7. Letter To Evan, 8. My Romance, 9. But Beautiful
Disc: 6
1. Mornin' Glory, 2.
Emily, 3. For Mary F, 4. Days Of Wine And Roses, 5. Up With The Lark, 6. My Foolish Heart,
7. Nardis, 8. But Beautiful
Disc: 7
1. My Foolish Heart, 2. Nardis, 3. Mother Of
Earl, 4. If You Could See Me Now, 5. My Man's Gone Now, 6. Who Can I Turn To (When
Nobody Needs Me), 7. Waltz For Debby, 8. Spring Is Here, 9. Five
Disc: 8
1. Letter
To Evan, 2. My Man's Gone Now, 3. 34 Skidoo, 4. Spring Is Here, 5. Autumn Leaves, 6. Knit
For Mary F, 7. Nardis
Personnel
Bill Evans
pianoBill Evans: Piano; Marc Johnson: Bass; Joe LaBarbera - Drums.
Album information
Title: The Last Waltz | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Fantasy Jazz
About Bill Evans
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