Bill Evans Trio - Everybody Digs Bill Evans (1959)

Bill Evans' second album as leader proved that he was a major emerging talent in the world of jazz piano, and came highly recommended in its testimonial-style cover.  It remains one of his most popular records, sounding crisp, clear and for the most part meditative and restrained.  It's also an important precursor in the chemical chain reaction of 50s modal jazz that led to Kind Of Blue four months later.

The opening Minority is one of the few uptempo tracks, with Joneses Sam and Philly Joe a cracking rhythm section (see also the jittering Night And Day, and a great run at Sonny Rollins' Oleo).  They're barely there in the second track though, a gorgeous Young And Foolish, and Lucky To Be Me is the first instance of Evans playing solo on the album.  The stark ending to that track gets even more minimal in Peace Piece, where Evans picks out a modal melody line from near nothingness in chordal terms.  This stunning highlight was originally based on the Leonard Bernstein showtune Some Other Time, which is included here as a bonus track.

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Previously posted at SGTG: Waltz For Debby / Undercurrent