Bill Evans: Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969)

At first one might wonder how long good fortune can last so that previously unheard and unreleased Bill Evans sets such as Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) seemingly fall from the heavens on a regular basis. Is it not fact that all good things must come to an end is the cruelest of ironies? But it would appear, at least for the expectant moment, that we are living in the best of times.

So savor it and savor this indelible 2cd (3lp) set of Evans' intimate magic brought to us by the the intrepid investigative team of master jazz sleuth, Zev Feldman. Neither heard nor seen the light of day since their debut on Danish radio, the set kicks off on Halloween 1965 in Copenhagen's Tivoli Concert Hall as Evans, with an increasingly vibrant flair for swing, articulates "Come Rain or Come Shine" in new ways even he may not have been aware of until that night in Denmark. Danish bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer Alan Dawson pick up the vibe and run with it through enduring takes on "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Beautiful Love."

But Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) is just getting started. Danish drummer Alex Riel commands the chair for the next five trio runs, nearly a month later, and Evans and Pedersen haven't missed a beat, alloying "I Should Care," "Very Early," and "Waltz for Debby" with a pristine optimism and a joy for playing. The Royal Dutch Symphony (featuring trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg) joins bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morrell (who all share their recollections of the time in the beautifully curated deluxe booklet) for luxuriant renderings of, among others, "Time Remembered" and "My Bells."

Six solo radio performances circa 1965 take disc 2 to a quieter time and place; Evans contemplating the verdant harmonics and inherent beauty of "Re: Person I Knew," "'Round Midnight," and the only known solo, luminous version of "My Funny Valentine." Six trio performances with Gomez and Riel from 1996 (including "Stella by Starlight" and "Nardis") and four from 1969, this time with Morrell on drums (highlighting "Autumn Leaves" and "Emily") close out this stellar, once in a lifetime collection.