Opens in a new tab

Sunday At The Village Vanguard
by Bill Evans Trio

First Released: 1st October 1961
Riverside
Jazz
Sunday At The Village Vanguard Album Cover

Review

I really enjoy jazz, but often find that it can be a slightly difficult genre to get into. Many of the top jazz artists have such vast catalogues that often touch on a range of styles, ranging from the more novice friendly to those that are more difficult to parse as someone not deeply versed in the nuances of improvisation and the more free-form edges of the genre. With that in mind, I’m always delighted to be offered up a jazz record to enjoy, because it takes that difficulty of choice out of my hands. I’m probably most familiar with Bill Evan’s work with Miles Davis, most notably on the seminal Kind Of Blue, released two years before this record. For this release and sister album Waltz For Debby, Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian recorded a series of performances at the Village Vanguard and Evans compiled his favourites into the two records. LaFaro was tragically killed in a car accident ten days after the recordings were complete, so this record was used to highlight his standout moments across the performances. Because of the, this is a fairly bass heavy take on the groups work at the time. But it’s a delightful showcase of the deliciously organic and energetic work of the young bassist. Listening to each of the tracks, the conversations between Evans and LaFaro are really wonderful. Evans himself brings a slightly more restrained take on the work, but the way they bounce off one another is lovey. As I mention during my track by track breakdown, there were moments when it felt like, across the journey of the track, the two felt almost like an energetic puppy and a guiding owner taking a stroll though the woods. Evans would guide the way and pin down the more by-the-book, structured elements of the track, while LaFaro would roam and play, while ensuring that he touched base regularly with Evans to make sure they were still heading in the right direction. Of course, Paul Motian plays a part too, and he does have his moments of prominence, but his deftness and subtlety of rhythm kind of acts as the backdrop for the flair and directionality of the other two players. It’s a great mix and, while there are moments when LaFaro takes things to a slightly more ragged edge, the fact that you can hear the passion, enthusiasm and, joy within the playing is an incredibly infectious element of the recording. The alternation between more energetic, front-foot performances and some slightly more laid back efforts gives the record a great flow, and ensures that those more “on the edge” moments are allowed to have breathing space around them. As a personal preference, I think that Waltz For Debby is a slightly more well rounded selection, but this is still pretty special. When listening to live jazz like this, if you can get a real picture in your mind’s eye of the players bouncing off one another, sweating, grinning and interacting through their performances, I think that speaks volumes about the quality of the work. And this record did that for me in spades.

Track by Track

1

Gloria's Step

The rolling shuffle of the drums here is delicious. The bass and piano roam around their own respective paths, but beautifully touch base at certain moments, with brief echoes of each other’s experimentations passed between them. Bill Evan’s’ piano soloing is gorgeous, and the bass picks up some cool little moments to jump forward and remind you of its presence, like an overly keen puppy checking back on its owner during a walk. There’s something delightfully raw and exposed about this, particularly the almost on the edge nature of Scott LaFaro’s bass. He pushes things playfully during his solo section before gathering it all back up into the considered and centred closing section. Really nice.

2

My Man's Gone Now

This is more of a lazy stroll of a track. The bass takes a more considered and grounded approach, with Evans stretching out above it. He clambers up and down some really smooth sequences, with moments of zip and flair, but never stretching things too far from the more genteel pace of the piece. When LaFaro gets his moment to solo, it feels like he’s allowing for a bit more space for his work to breathe in this one, and you can even hear the subtle chit-chat of the audience in his pauses. He plays with a very percussive style, but that space opens things up more and allows the chord structure of the piano to guide things nicely. When they reconvene for the closing passage, they take the strength of each other’s playing in hand, and drift slowly away in a smooth, almost sultry way. You can just imagine the trio grinning at one another as they reach the final notes.

3

Solar

Back to something a bit more forward and playful. Again, there is a roaming sense of adventure about the two tonal instruments, with Paul Motian holding down the pace and swagger of the groove incredibly well. There’s so much charm and personality to both bass and piano, and Evans really makes the most of the slight dynamic drops that the other two throw in to punch in some great dynamic phrases. The lead in to the bass solo section grabs hold of repetition in some really cool ways, and it’s interesting to hear LaFaro go for a play without Evans there to hold the musical centre. He does a great job of touching base on notes and motifs within his soloing that keep things musically in line with Motian’s drumming, giving us a brilliantly virtuosic and musical piece of improvisation. It’s nice that we get a bit of drum focus in the final couple of minutes too, with some nice rolling fills and bits of punch that jump out between the tonal instruments.

4

Alice In Wonderland

Another lean backwards, and again we’re delivered some incredibly smooth work. The melodic touches that Evans weaves into his playing are delightful and, while he does have a playful and roaming freedom to his playing, it never feels like it steps too far off the beaten track. During the first half of this, the bass work is a masterpiece in accompaniment, offering tonal support while flourishing here and there with moments of magic. When LaFaro gets to take the lead, he again embodies the more freeform and wild-roaming third of the trio, but there’s something delightfully playful and engaging about his playing. When the three join back up again in unison, those different aspects, the more structured but melodically charming piano work, the loosely controlled but free roaming bass and the shuffling, stable heartbeat from Motian, it’s pure magic.

5

All Of You

The converging rhythms of the players during the opening section of this one act like an establishing shot being slowly brought into focus. It’s punchy , playful and dramatic in all the right ways, and there’s a particular moment when LaFaro drops a beefy slide on the bass that stuck out to me as a moment of such personality and fun that it was really worth highlighting. I find that the best jazz puts you mentally right there in the room, with a clear mental picture of the players interacting with one another via glances and facial expressions as they play, and this is a fine example. The opening sequence here is a brilliantly unification of each members’ styles into a gloriously melodic, punchy and coherent whole. Then LaFaro goes on some energetic strolls, with Evans only backing him up at key moments to drop in a harmonic centre. There are some lovely little moments when he grabs hold of a little motif that he likes and spins it around a few times with slight variations before tossing it away into the wind again. We get another slice of drum soloing here too and Motian continues his role as the understated player with all of the talent he needs, but no desire to overstretch his position as the backbone. And finally they come together to cap it all off with a choreographed bow.

6

Jade Visions

It’s almost like they’re reluctant to end it. They pull out a slow, and considered final track in which the most energetic component is Motian’s drum, for what is really the first time on the record. There are some stunning pieces of melodic work from Evans and, while LaFaro is more restrained, his use of the occasional chord to add harmony to the low end is lovely. It’s interesting how the band has quietened the crowd during this more subtle piece, as if they can sense the heart and emotion behind it. It’s deft and fairly short, but it’s wonderful to hear a track in which the trio deals more into unison and subtlety, and it’s a fabulous way to end the record.