For a jazz artist born in 1929 and deceased for nearly 45 years, the recordings of pianist Bill Evans are still incredibly popular. Recent vinyl reissues of classic trio albums such as Waltz for Debby, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and Explorations, in addition to lesser-celebrated works from the 1970s (including his often-overlooked collaborations with Tony Bennett), have helped sustain his popularity well into the 21st century. Even better, there are recordings previously unknown to even the most ardent fans that are surfacing. The most recent one is from a 1970 gig that shows Evans in fine form.
Live in Norway is another trio recording performed live at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival on 26 June 1970. It featured Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums. Elemental Music released a limited two-record vinyl edition on 29 November as part of Record Store Day, with a single-disc CD released on 6 December. When Scott LaFaro, the bass player in Evans’ celebrated early 1960s trio, died at the age of 25 in a car crash, Evans was understandably devastated.
While he continued to record and tour, he developed a debilitating heroin addiction. Gomez and Morell entered the fold in the late 1960s, and Evans kicked heroin for several years. The 1970 Norway concert took place right in the middle of this fertile, healthy period (when this performance took place, Evans was using methadone to kick his drug habit).
Understandably, Evans sounds positively revived in this set, jumping into a vibrant cover of “Come Rain or Come Shine” right off the top. As usual, Evans didn’t share the evening’s set list with the other two. In the 2024 interviews with Gomez and Morell featured in the album’s generous liner notes, Motell explains, “On a new song, he might pull Eddie aside and say something to him about the key. But generally, we picked up on what Bill was playing from his introductions. His set list sat inside the piano.” That fact only makes the interplay between the three musicians more impressive.
As usual, ballads live comfortably among the more fast-paced tunes in this set. Bill Evans gives the appropriate light touch to Michel Legrand’s “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life”. Meanwhile, Denny Zeitlin’s masterful “Quiet Now” begins in a sumptuously lazy tempo, with the full band engaging in some faster sections around the song’s midpoint. A peppy take on “Autumn Leaves” becomes a showcase for Gomez, and Evans’ composition “32 Skidoo” (originally recorded for his 1962 album Moon Beams but not released until his 1977 compilation The Second Trio) is a lightning-fast wonder.
One of the album’s most pleasant tracks is the cover of Miles Davis‘ seminal “So What” – recorded initially on Davis’ Kind of Blue, which featured Evans on piano. The track, which Evans dropped into set lists fairly frequently during this period, positively soars in the trio format. Another Davis composition, “Nardis” – written in 1958 and appearing on Cannonball Adderley‘s Portrait of Cannonball LP – closes the record beautifully. This nine-and-a-half-minute triumph features ample soloing, including a stunning closing solo from Morell.
Given the turmoil and loss Bill Evans had been dealing with the previous decade, it’s incredible how vibrant and muscular this trio sounds. In 1959, Evans released an album called Everybody Digs Bill Evans. What may appear to be artist hubris is actually pretty close to a true statement. When Bill Evans was at his best and with excellent musicians backing him up, he was unbeatable and loved by millions. This unearthed recording merely confirms his greatness.