Interplay

by Bill Evans

Overview

Interplay stands as some of Bill Evans' most enigmatic and unusual music in makeup as well as execution. It was recorded in July 1962 with a very young Freddie Hubbard from the Jazz Messengers, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Philly Joe Jones performing five veteran standards. Evans has a more blues-based approach to playing: harder, edgier, and in full flow, fueled in no small part by Hall, who is at his very best here, swinging hard whether it be a ballad or an uptempo number. Hubbard's playing, on the other hand, was never so restrained as it was here. Using a mute most of the time, his lyricism is revealed to jazz listeners for the first time -- with Art Blakey it was a blistering attack of hard bop aggression. On this program of standards, however, Hubbard slips into them quite naturally without the burden of history -- check his reading and improvisation on "When You Wish Upon a Star." Ironically, it's on the sole original, the title track, where the band in all its restrained, swinging power can be best heard, though the rest is striking finger-popping hard bop jazz, with stellar crystalline beauty in the ballads. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	10/07/2016
Label:	Imports
UPC:	4988031172469

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bill Evans   Primary Artist,Piano
Zoot Sims   Primary Artist
Freddie Hubbard   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Trumpet
Bill Evans Quintet   Primary Artist
Philly Joe Jones   Guest Artist,Drums
Percy Heath   Guest Artist,Bass
Jim Hall   Guest Artist,Guitar

Technical Credits

Bill Evans   Composer
Billy Moll   Composer
Joe Goldberg   Liner Notes
Ruth Lowe   Composer
Orrin Keepnews   Producer,Liner Notes
Harry Barris   Composer
Ken Deardoff   Design
J. Fred Coots   Composer
Leigh Harline   Composer
Howard Dietz   Composer
Ned Washington   Composer
Arthur Schwartz   Composer
Tommy Nola   Engineer
Haven Gillespie   Composer
David Luke   Remastering,Digital Remastering
Ted Koehler   Composer