But Beautiful

Performer: Bill Evans Trio (Piano)/Stan Getz/Bill Evans (Piano)
Artist: Eddie Gomez
Producer: Joop De Roo; Joop de Roo; Helen Keane
Distributor: Fantasy (distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Bill Evans (piano); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Eddie Gomez (bass); Marty Morell (drums). Engineers: Tinus Bruyn, Cees Van Der Gragt. Recorded live at The Singer Concertzaal, Laren, Holland on August 9, 1974 and Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium on August 16, 1974. Includes liner notes by Helen Keane. Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1996, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Personnel: Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Bill Evans (piano); Marty Morell (drums). Audio Mixer: Butch Jones. Liner Note Author: Helen Keane. Recording information: Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium (08/09/1974/08/16/1974); Singer Concertzaal, Lauren, The Netherlands (08/09/1974/08/16/1974). Editor: Butch Jones. Photographer: Tom Copi. Stan Getz and Bill Evans initially worked on a recording in 1964 that, much like the Getz collaboration with Gary Burton entitled Nobody Else But Me, was done on the heels of the saxophonist's commercial success in the bossa nova arena. Both efforts were scrapped and laid on the shelf to gather dust, and were eventually issued for the first time some decades later. The Getz/Burton quartet was a touring unit, whereas in 1974 Evans and Getz performed live concerts in Europe, the source material for these dates, recorded by Radio One in Antwerp, Belgium, and NOS in Laren, The Netherlands. Even after a rehearsal, the pairing of Getz with the longstanding trio of Evans featuring drummer Marty Morell and bassist Eddie Gomez for both concerts had their rough moments, tense occurrences, and in one instance, Evans laying out entirely or playing without the tenor saxophonist. It is also assumable that there was additional material not included that might have been more of a train wreck. Of course, it would be difficult for these absolute masters of jazz to play anything less than very good music, but the flaws here are evident. A version of "Funkallero" has Getz rushing through and playing barely a half chorus on the melody before stepping aside. The most evident problem is during "Stan's Blues," where Evans barely plays at all, and at the end of the program the trio seems liberated without Getz, waltzing through blue fields in playful, childlike fashion � la Dave Brubeck or Vince Guaraldi on "See Saw" and the mostly improvised take of "Lover Man." A version of the Jimmy Rowles evergreen "The Peacocks" is a piano/sax duet that ranges from pensive to brooding. The band does get it together -- albeit in spurts -- starting with the chamber inspiration of Evans on "Grandfather's Waltz" evoking the lilting tenor of Getz, and continuing with the absolutely gorgeous "But Beautiful" with a sighing sound from Getz and the always lovely "Emily" and "Lover Man," a bit stock and phoned in, but still breathtaking. The highs and lows of jazz are all too telling on this recording, where one has to wonder what the audiences were feeling and thinking as this battle of the wills went on for all to witness. Nonetheless the sound quality is good, and this will be one completists will want to add to their Evans and Getz collections. ~ Michael G. Nastos Aside from a series of studio sessions a decade earlier for Verve, this CD represents the only other meeting featuring Stan Getz with pianist Bill Evans. Originally issued by the notorious bootleg label Jazz Door with six selections from a Laren, Holland concert in 1974, Milestone acquired the masters for a legitimate release and added four bonus tunes from a concert in Antwerp, Belgium a week later. Getz meshes almost perfectly with Evans' trio (with bassist Eddie G�mez and drummer Marty Morell), with only one sore spot: Getz ignored the pianist's request not to play the under-rehearsed "Stan's Blues," which provoked Evans into quickly dropping out and signaling his sidemen to avoid solos of their own. But the remaining tracks are all invigorating, particularly Evans' brisk "Funkallero" and the lush take of Jimmy Rowles' ballad "The Peacocks." It seems a shame that there were not additional opportunities for Getz and Evans to work together on other occasions, but it is possible that their strong personalities would have clashed. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden BUT BEAUTIFUL's blend of Evans's introspective piano and Getz's velvety tenor saxophone, backed by Evans's long-term trio members, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell, results in a romantic, exuberant take on the material. The album was recorded live at the Laren International Jazz Festival in Holland and Jazz Middelheim in Belgium during the summer of 1974, where the infrequent collaborators created a magical sound. Especially radiant are the ballads, "But Beautiful," which was reportedly one of Evans's favorite songs, and Jimmy Rowles's haunting "The Peacocks." "Stan's Blues," however, belongs entirely to Getz, with the faintest piano chords at the beginning and then not a sound from Evans. Legend has it that Getz introduced the song without having rehearsed it with Evans, and that the pianist sat stony-faced throughout, with his hands off the keyboard. "Lover Man" suffers for its glossiness, but "Funkallero" makes it clear what kind of wild energy is possible from this group.

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