Richie Beirach
was a friend of
Bill Evans
, so it was only natural that he would do a record dedicated to him following
Evans
' sad and sudden death in 1980.
Beirach
has a similar gift for interplay with his rhythm section, and the participation of bassist
George Mraz
and drummer
Al Foster
makes for a superb trio. Even though both the leader and the bassist professed a love for the work of the early
trio with
Scott LaFaro
and
Paul Motian
, if anything, this group suggests closer ties to
' later trio with
Eddie Gomez
Marty Morell
.
Dave Brubeck
's
"In Your Own Sweet Way"
has been a favorite of many musicians.
chooses an uptempo approach, with its centerpiece being a long but effective bass solo by
Mraz
"Blue in Green,"
first recorded on the historic
Kind of Blue
LP (with authorship individually claimed by both
Miles Davis
), starts in a fragile mode but quickly is diverted into a more abstract setting.
sustains the melancholy mood of
"Spring Is Here"
during his solo, but turns it into a celebration as
Foster
join him.
"Peace Piece,"
' brilliant
improvisation
based upon
Leonard Bernstein
"Some Other Time,"
is an extended interpretation, played unaccompanied, as did
performed and recorded
'
"Nardis"
on so many occasions that he is often given composer credit.
's arrangement of this
modal
masterpiece finds a different way to build and release the tension that
brought to every performance. But
seems to add a touch of humor with a well-disguised quote from the musical
The King and I
. Originally recorded for
Trio
in Japan, this album was only briefly available in the U.S. on
Palo Alto
before it abruptly ceased operations, so snap it up without hesitation if you run across it. ~ Ken Dryden