WES MONTGOMERY – “BOSS GUITAR”
Wes Montgomery began his incredible series of recordings for Riverside in the organ trio context that he employed on gigs in his native Indianapolis. After a series of acclaimed albums featuring pianists, Montgomery ended his Riverside run by reuniting with Hammond B-3 master Melvin Rhyne on several sessions.
The first, Boss Guitar, featured Jimmy Cobb on drums, and the Miles Davis veteran (and future Montgomery working partner) inspired the guitarist and organist to their greatest recorded work together. Highlights include a cooking 6/8 version of “Besame Mucho,” the funky Montgomery blues “Fried Pies,” and Montgomery’s dazzling showpiece “The Trick Bag,” (each heard in both master and alternate takes.
BILL EVANS TRIO – “WALTZ FOR DEBBY”
This is the fourth and final album by one of the most influential groups in jazz history, a unit that redefined the notion of the piano trio. Recorded (like its companion volume Sunday at the Village Vanguard) just days before the highway accident that took bassist Scott LaFaro’s life, it summarizes the level of creative interaction that made the Bill Evans Trio a harbinger of jazz possibilities in the coming decades. Evans, LaFaro, and Paul Motian play with astounding freedom in these performances, maintaining all the while a keen balance and a pervasive sense of beauty. The flow of tempos and moods underscores the depth of the trio’s concept, casting a spell that remains undimmed some 50 years later.
You must see this if you like Bill Evans. A Swedish version of Waltz for Debbie. Monica Zetterlund with the Bill Evans trio.