Search - Bill Evans :: Portraiture

A lot to enjoy

MikeG | England | 04/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"`Portraiture' has been described as "remastered", implying that the music has appeared previously under that title. If so, I hadn't heard of it. But nor is it a "new" Evans album. In fact, the ten titles on the CD are note-for-note the same performances that appear on `Waltz for Debby' on the Italian `Giants of Jazz' label in its 'Immortal Concerts' series (CD 53371). It's from a live date by the Evans trio with Eddie Gomez and Marty Morrell and the titles are Alfie; Waltz For Debby; 34 Skidoo; Blue In Green; Detour Ahead; Emily; Nardis; Peri's Scope; Some Other Time; Who Can I Turn To? The disc has 67 minutes of good music and is well recorded. The bass is spotlighted quite closely to an extent that you might find a bit intrusive, or you might think it enhances the sense of collective interplay between Evans and Gomez; otherwise it's a well-balanced recording with all three instruments captured in realistic sound with a particularly full-toned piano image. The trio plays with energy and good-humoured vitality on the faster numbers with the three players in lively, extrovert form, especially on an extended "Nardis". Gomez has some brilliant solos. The ballads are given typically polished, sensitive performances. "Some Other Time" (one of Evans's best versions of this tune) and "Detour Ahead" are poised and beautifully shaped readings. "Alfie" and "Blue in Green" are a bit more vigorous in their re-working of the themes. It may not be one of Evans's best albums, and much of the repertoire will be familiar to his fans; but it's a good example of this trio's work in live performance during this period and there's a lot to enjoy. The origin of the material is a bit of a mystery. `Portraiture' claims to be from a 1969 Paris concert; but the same music on the Giants of Jazz `Waltz for Debby' is credited to a concert at the ORTF Studios, Paris, December 7 1972. However, I have a Belgian-produced CD - `A Jazz Hour with Bill Evans' (JHR 73549) - which contains exactly the same performances of "Some Other Time" and "Emily" as on this `Waltz for Debby' CD but dates the music as 1969, so who knows? However, the Amazon UK website currently lists as unavailable a CD on the `Charly/Le Jazz' label - `Blue in Green' (LEJAZZ CD42) - which contains all of the same titles, plus "Elsa". It is said to have been recorded December 17, 1972 at ORTF Studios, Paris. Did the Evans trio record such a similar programme in 1969, then on the 7th December 1972, then again ten days later at the same location, or are these three CDs different packagings of the same material? (By the way, this `Blue in Green' CD should not be confused with a CD of the same title, but containing different material, from a Canadian concert recording, on the Milestone label). To summarise: `Portaiture' is a re-packaging of material that has previously been released under one, possibly two, different album titles on different music labels. One of these, the Giants of Jazz `Waltz for Debby', appears to be still available.If you enjoy this CD, you should also enjoy the one mentioned above - 'A Jazz Hour With Bill Evans' - even though it duplicates two of the tracks. It contains one of Evans's best-ever ballad performances, which every Evans fan should hear: "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?""