The story behind puzzle No. 23
Bill Evans Trio · Waltz for Debby · Riverside · 1961 (released 1962)
It is a lullaby for a three-year-old, and it comes from one of the most celebrated live recordings in jazz. It also carries a sad footnote.
Evans wrote the waltz for his niece, Debby Evans, who was three at the time and whom he often took to the beach. He first recorded it as a short solo piece on his 1956 debut album, New Jazz Conceptions.
The Bill Evans Trio played a two-week run at New York's Village Vanguard in June 1961. The last day, June 25, was recorded and released as two albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.
Eleven days later, on July 6, bassist Scott LaFaro was killed in a car accident. He was 25. The Vanguard sessions are among the last recordings of the trio.
Listen to how the three players converse instead of simply taking turns. LaFaro's bass plays melodies of its own, and critics have long praised the trio's near telepathic interplay.
Who's on it
Keep listening
Play Peace Piece next, a solo Evans recording that shows his quieter side.
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