Bill Evans | Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark 1965-1969 (2023)

Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) is a set of never-before-released recordings of jazz piano icon Bill Evans, taped with excellent sound quality either live or in Danish TV and Radio studios in the mid-to-late 1960s. An official Elemental Music release in collaboration with the Bill Evans Estate, Treasures is truly a ’holy grail’ discovery culled from the private collection of Danish jazz musician Ole Matthiessen and being released for the very first time as a limited-edition 180-gram 3-LP set. Highlights of the collection include trio performances from 1965 featuring legendary Danish jazz bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; the only solo piano version of “My Funny Valentine” by Evans known to exist; a 1966 orchestral suite performed with the Evans trio accompanied by the Danish Radio Big Band conducted by trumpeter/arranger Palle Mikkelborg; and much more!

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

The beautifully designed triple gatefold LP set showcases previously unpublished photos by Jan Persson from Evans’ Danish tours, as well as insightful liner notes by acclaimed author, journalist and Evans scholar, Marc Myers, plus interviews and statements from Danish drummer Alex Riel, music journalist, Danish producer and Evans discographer Peter Larsen, Palle Mikkelborg, Evans’ longtime trio mates – bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell, and pianists Ran Blake and Matthew Shipp. Elemental Music

A new anthology of previously unissued performances covers three distinct facets of the jazz pianist’s career: his trio work, orchestral arrangements, and his endlessly inventive solo playing.
If Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue is the most common entry point for a new jazz fan and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme is number two, a typical next step would be an album by Bill Evans. The LPs drawn from the Village Vanguard sessions in 1961, when he recorded with his great trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass Paul Motian on drums, are widely considered to be the pianist’s high-water mark, but he was an artist of unusual consistency, not just in quality but also in musical vision. While the ’60s and ’70s were a time of rupture in jazz, with the rise of free improv and fusion, Evans mostly worked within relatively narrow parameters—acoustic post-bop played with trios, some solos, a few duos, an occasional date with a larger band. Pitchfork

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Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 0.59 x 4.92 inches; 5.01 Ounces
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Elemental Music
Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2023
Label ‏ : ‎ Elemental Music
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BX4GDC81
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2