Waltz for Debby (Original Jazz Classics Remasters) [with Paul Motian & Scott LaFaro]

On June 25, 1961, the Bill Evans Trio — Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian — played five sets at the Village Vanguard in New York that have taken on legendary status. One reason is that LaFaro’s life was cut short in a car accident just days later, but as anyone who has heard Sunday At the Village Vanguard knows, it’s also because of the extraordinary music that this innovative and organic unit produced. Waltz for Debby draws its material from the same Vanguard gig and it’s a superb album. On the opener, “My Foolish Heart,” Motian’s hissing brushes and fluttering cymbals and LaFaro’s choice tones combine with Evans restrained yet emotional touch to create a moving version of the standard. Two takes of the Evans original, “Waltz for Debby,” are included here; both possess an appealingly light sense of swing and feature solos by LaFaro. One of the bonus cuts, “Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy),” impresses with its sense of lyricism and timbral sensitivity. And it’s great to hear the group swing hard on Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” a track that has a fierce, extended solo by LaFaro.