California Here I Come (Verve Vault)

Six years after the legendary live sets that yielded two of Bill Evans’ best-loved albums for Riverside, Sunday At The Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby, the influential jazz pianist returned to the same Manhattan jazz club for two nights in 1967, in a rare trio setting with Eddie Gómez on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The recordings were compiled on the perhaps confusingly-titled double album California Here I Come in 1982, issued two years after Evans’ passing. Despite the perceived coastal mix-up, one thing is clear: Evans and his rhythm section were in fine form, delivering unbridled spirit, rhythmic fire and high-energy interplay with each other on readings of standards like “Round Midnight,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” “Stella by Starlight” and the then-new Bacharach/David standout “Alfie.”

The Verve Vault series is all-analog, cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.