John Abercrombie Trio / Switzerland 10.22.2004 Plays Bill Evans

This is a precious recording of a 2004 live performance in which John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson, and Peter Erskine, three musicians embodying the ECM aesthetic, confront Bill Evans’ repertoire head-on. The attempt to play “Evans” without a piano is a reconstruction project that goes far beyond a mere tribute. Abercrombie’s guitar moves freely between the ambiguity of melody and harmony, maintaining Evans’ lyricism while painting a more abstract sonic space. Johnson’s bass, based on the language he cultivated as a member of the Evans Trio, develops a deep and organic dialogue. And Erskine’s drums, rather than marking time, gently govern the entire music as if “regulating the breath.” The selection of songs mainly touches on the core of Evans’s work, but what you hear here is not a reproduction, but a record of an introspective dialogue between the three musicians. The fluctuations in tempo, the timing, the layering of sounds—all of these translate Evans’ spirit into a modern interpretation. The recording is extremely natural and has a deep sound. The sense of distance and reverberation of each instrument are carefully captured, and a major attraction is that a three-dimensional stage image emerges depending on the listening environment. Live At Zurich, Switzerland October 22nd, 2004 1. Free Again 2. Love Theme From Spartacus 3. Beautiful Love 4. Big Music 5. Nardis 6. Prelude 7. Solar 8. Four On One 9. My Foolish Heart (inc) John Abercrombie (g) Marc Johnson (b) Peter Earskin (dr)