Bill Evans – California Here I Come (2xLP, Verve Vault Series)

Bill Evans' California Here I Come captures his 1967 return to the Village Vanguard, six years after the performances that produced Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby. Issued in 1982, two years after Evans' death, it documents a rarer trio line-up: Evans with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Philly Joe Jones. That combination matters, because Jones brings a harder rhythmic push than many listeners associate with Evans, giving these Vanguard sets an extra charge.

The music balances elegance and bite. Standards such as Stella by Starlight, In a Sentimental Mood and 'Round Midnight are played with quick reflexes and real momentum, while the then-new Alfie shows how alert Evans remained to contemporary songcraft. Across the set, the appeal is in the trio's deep listening: Gomez is already a responsive, singing presence, and Evans answers with playing that is lyrical without ever turning passive.

This Verve Vault edition also makes clear why the album has stayed in circulation: it is not just another posthumous archive release, but a vivid snapshot of Evans in unusually fiery company, caught in one of the rooms most closely tied to his legacy.

Features

• 2xLP, 33RPM, 180g, Verve Vault, Black Vinyl
• Cut from the original analog tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound
• Pressed at Optimal
• Stereo

Reviews

• This two-LP set from 1982 features the pair (along with bassist Eddie Gomez who had recently started his own longtime association with Evans) in superb form. - AllMusic.com