California Here I Come

Six years after the legendary live sets that yielded two of Bill Evans’ best-loved albums for ‘Riverside’, ‘Sunday At The Village Vanguard’ and ‘Waltz for Debby’, the influential jazz pianist returned to the same Manhattan jazz club for two nights in 1967, in a rare trio setting with Eddie Gmez on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The recordings were compiled on the perhaps confusingly-titled double album ‘California Here I Come’ in 1982, issued two years after Evans’ passing. Despite the perceived coastal mix-up, one thing is clear: Evans and his rhythm section were in fine form, delivering unbridled spirit, rhythmic fire and high-energy interplay with each other on readings of standards like ‘Round Midnight’, ‘In a Sentimental Mood’, ‘Stella by Starlight’ and the then-new Bacharach/David standout ‘Alfie’. The Verve Vault series is all-analog, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.