Bill Evans - In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert [2LP]

Bill Evans In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert unearths a 1970 performance by one of jazz's great piano trios, issued as a Record Store Day exclusive 2LP set.

Recorded live in Kongsberg, Norway, it features Evans with bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Marty Morell, a lineup that had developed an almost telepathic understanding by this point. This was a fertile period for the trio, and archival releases from these years keep revealing just how adventurous they could be on stage. First released in 2024, the recording is a welcome addition to his growing shelf of live discoveries.

The set mixes beloved standards with Evans favourites. "Autumn Leaves" sparkles with quick-witted interplay, "Turn Out The Stars" shows his gift for introspective harmony, and "So What" gives the trio room to stretch. The concert also includes "Nardis," long a showcase for both Evans and Gómez in this era.

Evans' touch is as lyrical as ever, while Gómez and Morell push and pull the rhythm with real freedom, making the music feel alive and conversational from the first chorus to the last.

For jazz collectors, it is a valuable document of a superb trio in full flight, and it is beautifully suited to quiet evenings with the lamps turned low.