Wistful Thinking

Bill Evans & Jim Hall: Dream Gypsy
From Undercurrent (1963)
Bill Evans - piano
Jim Hall – guitar

Paul Bley Trio: Ida Lupino
From Closer (1965)
Paul Bley - piano
Barry Altschul - drums
Steve Swallow - bass

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Miles Davis once described Bill Evans’ sound as being "like crystal notes or sparking water cascading down from some clear waterfall" and I’d say that pretty much captures the essence of his tone. But I have to admit that no matter how many jazz giants have gone apeshit over his style, and despite the fact that I’ve always admired his ability to imbue even the jauntiest of tunes with a sense of melancholy, I was never really able to get with that tinkley piano sound. I know this reflects some lack of sophistication on my part – I’ve never developed a proper appreciation of white wine either. Fortunately for me, I’m a sucker for compelling cover art, which is what initially lead me to pick up Undercurrent, the record that finally opened my ears to Mr. Evans’ sound.

Undercurrent is an album of duets with guitarist Jim Hall and it’s easy to hear why many jazzbos consider it to be the pinnacle of instrumental duet recordings. The sympathy with which the two accompany each other makes a good case for extra sensory perception. Listen to how Jim Hall makes his introduction on this tune, that quiet ringing tone followed by a subtle loping line. And then the way they seamlessly change hands, as the piano bubbles to the top and Mr. Hall lays barely perceptible chords underneath the raindrops Bill Evans sprinkles down over the tune. The whole thing coalesces into the sort of impressionistic nocturne that would make Debussy weep.

Palu Bley replaced Jim Hall in the chamber jazz ensemble The Jimmy Guifrey 3, helping to move that group further into free jazz territory. And while this track is not very typical of Paul Bley’s style, it does fit nicely alongside the Evans/Hall track; it sounds to my ears like it could have been an outtake from one of Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts specials.

As a side note, Ida Lupino was one of the first female film directors, and the first to direct a noir, The Hitch-Hiker (1953). She also co-stared with Humphrey Bogart in the excellent heist film High Sierra.

Read more about Bill Evans:
Wikipedia: Bill Evans
John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) waxes poetic about Mr. Evans’ “Moonbeams”:
Moonbeams MP3 Download
Pitchfork’s Mark Richardson romanticizes Mr. Evans’ depression and addiction, er… I mean reviews the pianist’s 1968 solo album “Alone”:
Column: Resonant Frequency #47
Read more about Jim Hall:
Jim Hall
Read more about Paul Bley:
Paul Bley Home Page
Read more about Ida Lupino:
TCMDB: Ida Lupino