Bill Evans with Don Elliott & Jerry Wald - The Mello Sound Of Don Elliott + Listen To The Music Of Jerry Wald (2014) {Solar Records}

Bill Evans with Don Elliott & Jerry Wald - The Mello Sound Of Don Elliott + Listen To The Music Of Jerry Wald (2014) {Solar Records}

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© 2014 Solar Records | 4569954

Jazz / Mainstream Jazz / Cool

Two extremely rare recordings featuring pianist Bill Evans as a side man. The Don Elliott album was recorded in 1958, shortly before Evans joined the Miles Davis sextet. Elliott plays trumpet, mellophone and vibes and also in the group are Hal McKusick, reeds and sax; Barry Galbraith, guitar; Ernie Furtado, bass and the future drummer of the Bill Evans Trio, Paul Motian. Evans and Motian were also in the line-up on clarinettist and bandleader Jerry Wald’s 1955 LP. Eddie Costa was the featured vibraphone player. Delving into the hidden depths of a great artiste’s discography can be a fascinating business and dedicated followers are keen to unearth early indications of burgeoning talent. This reissue brings together, for the first time on CD, two `cocktail` jazz sessions in which Bill Evans performs as a sideman revealing himself to be an accomplished session musician contributing to the prevailing mood rather than asserting the developing individualism that was already emerging through his work with George Russell’s `Jazz Workshop` and the clarinettist, Tony Scott. The earliest session here is the Kapp album `Listen to the Music of Jerry Wald`. Wald was a very different clarinet player than Tony Scott, more in the Artie Shaw mould, and performing with a sextet embedded within a lush string section, he beguiles the ear with an easy listening set of standards that showcase his talent and offer some tasty interludes for his colleagues. Evans excels with sprightly solo in a jaunty version of `Love for Sale` and anticipates the spare chromatic romanticism of his mature work his solo in Bernstein’s `Lucky to be Me`. Given that this dining and dancing music Evans playing is constrained by prevailing conventions but he is never hackneyed and frequently works flashes of the brilliance that was to come into his brief three or four bar interludes. Incidentally this was, apparently, the first time Evans and Paul Motian recorded together and is fascinating to hear the feisty avant-garde drummer that he was to become in this well mannered setting. The second featured album is `The Mello Sound of Don Elliot` and comes nearly two years after Evans made his leadership debut with `New Jazz Conceptions` and whilst he was in the midst of challenging sideman assignments with the likes of Russell, Scott and Charles Mingus. Elliot, who played the mellophone, a cross between a trumpet and a trombone with a vaguely French horn sound, was a friend from Evans` past and they had previously performed together live at Newport. To be part of this project must have come as a relaxing diversion for Evans because like its partner this is another relatively easy listening session with a jazz combo augmented by a harp and a six voice choir. The sextet is a top drawer group and there are some choice solo passages including three tunes where they get to play without the enhancements. Of these a bouncy version of `Play Fiddle Play` is the standout track with the leader on trumpet and the mellowness provided by McKusick’s bass clarinet. More typical of the set, however, is a version of the waltz from Tchaikovsky’s 6th symphony entitled `The Story of a Starry Night` complete with swirling harp and `ooh-whaa` vocal refrain. Notwithstanding the overtly commercial nature of the music it makes for very pleasant listening on several levels and its re-issue shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere novelty for completists. There is some impeccable musicianship to be heard even though it will never be regarded as a significant milestone in Evans’ career; that came a mere three months after the Elliot session when Evans joined the Miles Davis sextet. The disc comes with a useful booklet replicating the original cover art and album notes including an informative appraisal by Mel Parson. Personnel: Bill Evans (piano) with the Don Elliott combo featuring the leader (trumpet, mellophone & vibes), Hal McKusick (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto & tenor sax), Barry Galbraith (guitar), Ernie Furtado (bass), Paul Motian (drums) plus harp and vocal group and the Jerry Wald Orchestra featuring the leader (clarinet) with Eddie Costa (vibes) and Paul Motian (drums). Recorded in New York 1958 and 1955 respectively. tracklist: 01 - A Million Dreams Ago 02 - It's Only A Paper Moon 03 - Dinah 04 - Blue Waltz 05 - Poinciana (Song Of The Tree) 06 - Play Fiddle Play 07 - Summer Scene 08 - Tired Of Me 09 - I Don't Want To Walk Without You 10 - When The Sun Comes Out 11 - The Story Of A Starry Night 12 - A Waltz 13 - Who Cares 14 - If I Had You 15 - Mad About The Boy 16 - Dancing On The Ceiling 17 - Lucky To Be Me 18 - Three Little Words 19 - Love For Sale 20 - I've Got A Crush On You 21 - You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me 22 - Gloomy Sunday 23 - Little Girl Blue 24 - Maybe