Search - Howard Alden :: Your Story: Music of Bill Evans

Complex, Beautiful And Excellent

Robert J. Ament | Ballwin, MO United States | 07/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not having a music education makes it difficult to describe this cd. The music of Bill Evans is very complex and cerebral without being incomprehensible or losing appeal as it certainly swings and paints a variety of emotional colors. It's like a classical approach to jazz. It has a certain introspection, calmness and peacefulness as its components.That said, it seems to lend itself to an excellent interpretation by this group......almost as though it was written for guitar instead of piano. Two of my favorite faster cuts are "Displacement", a fine exercise for displaying the talents of Alden, and "Funkallero" with Frank Wess on tenor. Speaking of Frank Wess, some of the most sensitive work I've heard by him is on a beautiful composition titled "Laurie"."Only Child" starts out on a somber note with Wess on flute, Alden comes in on guitar adding a lot of warmth and Wess returns with a lighter more airy approach."Loose Bloose" has some good harmonization between tenor sax and guitar while "Time Remembered" is handled in a Latin vein with Wess on flute.Again, I would describe it overall as introspective, a more compromising classical approach to jazz that's very refreshing.
If you like the music of Bill Evans, or the guitar artistry of Howard Alden, or something with a little substance that is good jazz without being strident, you will definitely enjoy this as I have."