Audiophile ears listening to these nine tracks will be surprised by the unique musical empathy of this piano, bass and percussion trio. All of the songs are full of fire and elegance, rich in harmony, surprising twists and turns of rhythm and complicated changes of tempo. The aggressiveness of the bass sound leads the introverted Bill Evans to new exuberant and joyful territories.

• Limited Edition
• 2LP 45rpm 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl
• Mastered by Matthew Lutthans
• Cut From the Original Analog Tapes
• Mastered at The Mastering Lab By Acoustic Sounds
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings, QRP USA
• Old Style Tip-On Gatefold Cover by Stoughton Printing

Winner of the 1969 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group!

180-gram pressing by Quality Record Pressings! Now at 45 RPM! Cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab by Acoustic Sounds. Old-style tip-on gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing.

For the 45 RPM 2LP edition of this sparkling Bill Evans piano performance, we turned to mastering engineer Matthew Lutthans, who cut the sides at The Mastering Lab by Acoustic Sounds.

For this edition only the best vinyl pressing would do — a 180-gram super-silent luxurious-sounding platter from Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. And Stoughton Printing old-style tip-on cardboard gatefold jacket with vibrantly reproduced original artwork. How does it get any better? Well, we've cut this edition at 45 RPM! The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. First-rate and top-notch, this album will make a superb addition to your record collection.

As others have noted, this album occupies a unique place in the Bill Evans discography. It's the only album to document drummer Jack deJohnette's too-short stay in the trio. The trio's performance on this album won them the 1969 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.

By the time this set was recorded, live in Montreux on June 15, 1968, Eddie Gomez and Evans had been playing together for two years. Gomez provided a different brand of virtuosity to that offered by Scott LaFaro in Evans's classic trio of five years earlier but he was clearly the best bass player Evans had worked with since LaFaro's tragic death. The groove between the two was deep and comfortable, so comfortable that in this set, Evans did something he hadn't done before, at least on a recording: he showcased Gomez for an entire piece, the almost seven minute long "Embraceable You."

As the liner notes by Gene Lees reveal, Evan's performance at the renowned jazz festival in the nightclub of the Montreux Casino, one of the most fashionable resorts in Switzerland, was one of his best. He and Gomez played with more exuberance, more happiness and more drive. Evans' brooding, introspective musical side has been represented well on records before; the bright side has been too-little heard, but it's here in this album.

At the end of each number the audience exploded in applause so stormy and extended that it had to be heavily edited for the album. Enjoy this sparkling Bill Evans piano performance, made sweeter by the expert mastering by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tape. For this edition only the best vinyl pressing would do — a 200-gram super-silent luxurious-sounding platter from Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. First-rate and top-notch, this album will make a superb addition to your record collection.

"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." - Rovi Staff, All Music

Audiophile ears listening to these nine titles will be surprised by the unique musical empathy of this piano/bass/percussion trio. This is also unusual given the fact that the Casino in Montreux is not exactly famous for its acoustics. All of the songs are full of fire and elegance, are rich in harmony, surprising twists and turns of rhythm and complicated changes of tempo. Eddie Gomez, who had been a member of the trio for two years at the time of recording, is far more than just a new face; and the drummer Jack DeJohnette, who often seems surprised by the changes, is an ideal partner for Bill Evans. The aggressiveness of the bass sound leads the introverted Bill Evans to new pastures: sometimes his playing is even full of exuberance and joy, as is particularly apparent in the "children's song" "Someday My Prince Will Come," where he creates a more mellow mood than is found on other recordings.

Musicians:

Bill Evans, piano
Eddie Gomez, bass
Jack DeJohnette, drums

Track Listing:

1. One For Helen
2. A Sleepin' Bee
3. Mother Of Earl
4. Nardis
5. I Loves You Porgy
6. The Touch Of Your Lips
7. Embraceable You
8. Someday My Prince Will Come
9. Walkin' Up

Recorded June 1968, at the Casino de Montreux, Switzerland.

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