Soundscapes - 572 College Street Toronto

The first of two albums culled from a 1961 live date with the Bill Evans Trio, Sunday At The Villiage Vanguard still stands as the model of the modern piano trio. In the two years preceding this recording, Evans, along with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, had reinvented the sound of this standard jazz grouping as a collaborative creative venture with three unique voices, rather than that of a featured pianist with rhythm accompanists. Much of this innovation was facilitated by the unmatched virtuosity of LaFaro, whose horn-like lines can be heard weaving through Evans' rich harmonies, never married to the pianist's left hand, nor to a strict four-to-the-bar swing. LaFaro's role in the trio also extended into the repertoire played--his Gloria's Step and Jade Visions present vehicles as daring as the trio's approach, with odd phrase lengths which exploit the constant momentum created by the group's interplay. Sadly, this recording was to be LaFaro's final statement, as he was killed in an auto accident a mere 10 days after this recording at the age of 25.