Everybody Digs Bill Evans
The superb pianist recorded this album, his second as a leader, in December 1958, more than two years after his debut. In between, of course, he was an integral part ofMiles Davis's legendary sextet. Spurred by a rhythm section of bassist Sam Jones and drummer Philly Joe Jones, Bill Evans shows amazing versatility on these sides: his playing on "Minority," "Night and Day," and "Oleo" is surprisingly robust and even bluesy at times--certainly not adjectives usually associated with the cool pianist. He's delightfully playful on the midtempo "Tenderly." Then there are the slow, meditative numbers for which he's known, including three unaccompanied showcases. "Peace Piece," which was actually conceived merely as an introduction toLeonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time," is the most famous, but his reading of another Bernstein song, "Lucky to Be Me," is equally mesmerizing. Although the original record dropped it, the CD reissue does include a version of "Some Other Time," complete with the "Peace Piece" intro.--Marc Greilsamer