Waltz
For Debby is an amazing live document of one of the best jazz trios in peak
form. The trio, consisting of Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and
Paul Motian on drums, was in the process of redefining and expanding the
language and roles of the piano trio. Traditionally the drums and the bass
would serve as a foundation for the piano to rest upon, but the trio had
evolved to a band that functioned more as a musical equals than a band that
allowed one player to monopolize the musical landscape. In a traditional piano
trio the piano is featured very prominently with the drums and bass playing a
supporting role. The drums may provide texture and comping, while the bass
provides a steady pulse and harmony. This group would redefine the jazz trio
for the genre, providing a new model of excellence and grace.
"My Foolish Heart" opens
the record with Evans’ trademark gentle touch. LaFaro plays clear and
uncluttered harmony while Motian fills the space on the cymbals and prods with
gentle brush work. Part of the magic in this recording is the stereo mix, with the
piano in the right channel and the bass and drums mostly cut to the left. When
I listen in headphones it gives the music life. There is a tiny portion of
ambient club sound but just enough to add sonic depth. The sound is immaculate
and any time LaFaro adds multiple notes to flesh out harmony the recording
captures it precisely. The clarity of interpretation that comes across in this
take speaks to the high level of mastery by the musicians. It also communicates
the intent of the ballad, which is intimacy, longing, and a warning to a
foolish heart that has been fooled before.
"Waltz For Debby," the
song, is a great illustration of the kind of innovation that the trio was
enacting. In the left speaker you can hear Scott LaFaro playing in the high
register to complement Evans' piano playing. It is not until the after the one
minute mark that he moves down to play a more traditional bass role. He is
using notes that are harmony and color tones, tones that are not the standard
designated function of bass players. Because of the range he is playing them in
they are functioning as melodic tones rather than bass fundamentals, giving a
new advanced melodic freedom and expressiveness to the bass that the instrument
had been lacking before. On Evans' part he is as ever is treating us to the
smooth voice leading that is one of the hallmarks of his style. This is to say
that within the harmony between two chords he either kept common tones or found
the shortest distances between notes so that the transition was not jarring,
and that the overall effect sounded smooth and effortless. This is especially evident
in a song like "Waltz For Debby" where the overall harmony is quite
complex but the effort that it takes to play it seems minimal and graceful. One
of the features of the song is a series of cascading chords which descends down
and then circles quickly back up to repeat the cycle. Paul Motian drops in
around 1:20 and the group starts to play more like a traditional trio. LaFaro
is still hitting all kinds of upper color notes fleshing out the harmony during
Evans' piano solo. Motian is laying down solid brushwork, and doing occasional
cymbal splashes. He switches to a light cymbal ride pattern under LaFaro’s acrobatic
solo. Evans returns to play the melody before the brief coda of the tune.
"Detour Ahead" is a ballad-ish tune. Evans and LaFaro demonstrate how
familiar they are with the song by playing spaciously around each other. LaFaro
will cover the bass harmony and dart into the high register to add some melodic
interjection over Evans’ chordal approach. Motian backs them up with stellar
brush work. Evans takes the first solo, although LaFaro is so active it might
be considered a duet. LaFaro takes the next solo, and then they return to the
melody. I think what you can glean from an interpretation of a song as
rhythmically interactive as this is how much synergy the trio was working with.
Something with as many layers as this has to be developed by working on group
interplay and communication, and this group was an amazing example of that kind
of work.
"My Romance" features a
lovely Bill Evans solo introduction. It is a simple run through the melody but
it once again gives us insight into his voice leading approach. Evans has an
economical approach that results in a gentle sound, one that utilizes common
tones and close neighboring tones to minimize unnecessary movement. Once Motian
and LaFaro enter, the song becomes a more swinging number rather than another
ballad. The group interplay displayed during Evans’ solo is hard to match, and furthermore
the bass solo might be the most virtuosic on the record, with LaFaro dazzling and
flashing unbelievable technique. Listening to the way this trio treats time -
stretching it, leaving empty spaces for other members to occupy - it is evident
just how much of the ground work they have laid for modern groups' rhythmic
concepts. Listeners can see the influence of this trio all around the jazz
genre, but you really see the influence in groups like the Keith Jarrett
Standards Trio with Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock, or Brad Mehldau’s trio.
"Some Other Time" is a
beautiful ballad with a minimal approach that lets the melodic content do the
work. Evans’ classic voicings really shine in this song. The harmony in the
first part of the tune allows LaFaro to back up Evans with harmonics, an effect
that produces a higher pitched portion of a note by partially applying pressure
on a specific part of the string. Jaco Pastorius would later become famous for
using harmonics extensively on the electric fretless bass. Scott LaFaro can be
heard using harmonics to accompany Evans all throughout the song, providing a
shimmering, high-pitched accompaniment on the double bass.
"Milestones" is a fast
uptempo tune and a real showcase for Evans and LaFaro. Although I haven’t
mentioned his name tons in this review let me take a moment to celebrate Paul Motian.
As a player, he is what the music calls for, which is the kind of egoless playing
that makes these records so great. It prevents it from being excessively technical.
Scott LaFaro was a technical master and this was balanced by Motian whose technique
was present but understated. Motian prods uptempo swing numbers like this with
crisp, light, cymbal work that keeps the song buoyant. It is light and delicate
so you can still hear the details of LaFaro's playing which is also light. It
is the opposite of a heavy thunderous drummer like Elvin Jones.
So many things about this group are
amazing. Tragically, Scott LaFaro died in a car accident in 1961 bringing this
group’s growth to an abrupt halt, and stopping Bill Evans from even playing for
a period of time. I always wonder what the group concept would have evolved
into if Scott LaFaro had not passed away. Bill Evans went on to work with a
number of great bass players that played amazing music, not confined to the rigid
structures of bebop or traditional jazz. I just happen to think that this
particular group was the pinnacle. I hope you enjoy Waltz For Debby!
- Doug Anderson
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