At the Montreux Jazz Festival

by Bill Evans

Overview

Bill Evans' 1968 release, At the Montreux Jazz Festival, marks the beginning of stylistic changes for the legendary pianist. Only one year earlier, his At Town Hall release found his approach generally more introspective and brooding. In contrast, this set is more lively, playful, and experimental. Much of this is down to the active and intense drumming of Jack DeJohnette, who had joined the trio only a short time before this concert was recorded; longtime bandmate Eddie Gomez is also featured on this album. His energetic soloing adds veracity to tunes such as "Embraceable You" and "A Sleeping Bee." DeJohnette, too, is given several opportunities to display his drumming skills. His lengthy solo on "Nardis" displays his technical prowess and four-way coordination; such acumen would later cause jazz fans and critics alike to hail DeJohnette as one of the world's premier jazz drummers. Evans, famous for a soft-spoken pianistic touch, seems driven to new vistas on this album. He experiments more with harmonic dissonance and striking rhythmical contrasts, making this his most extroverted playing since his freshman release, New Jazz Conceptions.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/20/2022
Label:	Anagram / Analogphonic
UPC:	8435395503065
Rank:	27170

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bill Evans   Primary Artist,Piano
Jack DeJohnette   Featured Artist,Drums
Eddie Gomez   Featured Artist,Bass

Technical Credits

Ray Noble   Composer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Larry Morey   Composer
Frank Churchill   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
DuBose Heyward   Composer
Dennis Drake   Digital Remastering
Richard Seidel   Preparation,CD Preparation
Pierre Grandjean   Engineer
Miles Davis   Composer
Helen Keane   Producer
Truman Capote   Composer
Bill Evans   Composer
Gene Lees   Cover Photo,Liner Notes,Photography
Denny Zeitlin   Composer
Earl Zindars   Composer
Frank E. Churchill   Composer
Gert VanHoeyen   Digital Remastering
Bob Schwartz   Editing,Remixing
Jean-Claude Martin   Engineer