Bill Evans - New Jazz Conceptions [Blue Spain Import]

Bill Evans announced himself quietly but unmistakably on New Jazz Conceptions, his debut as a leader, presented here as a limited Spanish import on 180-gram blue vinyl.

Recorded in two sessions in 1956 for Riverside, the album pairs Evans with bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Paul Motian, who would later anchor his celebrated trio with Scott LaFaro. Producer Orrin Keepnews had to coax a reluctant Evans into the studio, and it is easy to hear why he persisted. Even at this early stage, the harmonic richness and searching lyricism that would make Evans one of the most influential pianists in jazz are already in place.

The original Five is an angular, Monk-like workout built on borrowed Gershwin changes, while Displacement, another Evans tune, finds the trio locked in crisp, swinging conversation. Most famously, the record contains the first recording of Waltz for Debby, here a brief and delicate solo piano miniature that would grow into his signature composition. A solo reading of My Romance hints at a tune he would return to throughout his career.

It is a fascinating portrait of a great artist finding his voice, full of youthful confidence and quiet invention. For anyone who treasures the later Village Vanguard sessions, this is where the story begins.