Rhino / Wea
1977
You Must Believe In Spring
About This Album
Bill Evans' contract with Fantasy came to an end in the mid-'70s after Warner Bros. lured the pianist with the benefits only a major label can offer. Yet these stunning 1977 sessions were inexplicably withheld from release for nearly four years, possibly because this edition of the trio broke up before the album could be issued. In any case, Evans is in top form as he explores new material and recent compositions, most of which are somewhat somber in nature. The moody opener, "B Minor Waltz (For Ellaine)," was dedicated to his longtime common-law wife, who had tragically taken her own life. Another new work, "We Will Meet Again (For Harry)," honors his older brother, who fought depression and committed suicide a year before the pianist's own death in 1980. Its melancholy air is masked somewhat by the brisk setting, Eddie Gomez's phenomenal bass solo, and the crisp brushwork of Eliot Zigmund. "Gary's Theme," composed by Gary McFarland, is yet another haunting performance, due possibly in part to Evans' lament at the 1971 poisoning of the composer; it became part of the pianist's concert repertoire for the remainder of his life. Evans' emotional interpretation of Jimmy Rowles' lovely ballad "The Peacocks" is matched only by its composer's recording.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

 
report abuse