This is my favorite ballad of all time. It's amazing how Evans can make his piano sound so sad and introverted yet simultaneously sound so beautiful. It really does sound like he's painting a portrait of himself.
Many years ago when I was a young man I spent a winter in Copenhagen Denmark. My plans for the 2 months kinda went astray so I decided to just try and fit in and enjoy being a Texas kid spending a winter in a foreign land. Being a early riser I would have everything I needed to do done by mid morning then back to my flat turn on the coffee pot dial in some Bill Evans and have a couple Christiania smokes and stare out the window. I did not socialize very much but did meet a Danish girl who would stop by often. One day she told me...I am fascinated by your Texas accent but the fact you like this type of music is even better....
Bills version reminds me of a rainy day on the central coast of California, in a living room with a big window that looks out to the ocean while the ships pass by. Miles version reminds me of a late, warm, rainy night in NYC, on the fourth floor of an apartment building, with the windows open, while the neon light down stairs crackles with electricity from a loose wire.
this was a magical time for jazz ..so MANY wonderful musicians. sorry their pain has produced so much incredible music. i'm amazed that I still love it after sooooo many years.. a tribute to them all...
If I haven't heard him in awhile the first chords make tears shoot out of my eyes for a few seconds.
It's just the response to the chords he chooses, every time.
I find it his most beautiful composition, and I must say I prefer the rendition with Miles Davis. There's something about the mood of that version that is simply sublime. Here Bill does something rare, he overplays a bit, one thing about Davis, he knew that less is more...and so did Bill Evans.
Love listening to jazz while watching snow fall onto the ground. Can't wait for winter. So relaxing. Stress melts away. Who needs drugs when you have jazz.
Bill Evans brought something that few jazz musicians can possibly bring to their music -- a powerful introspective mood and feeling sense. He also has a way of being both a foreground and a background pianist. Bill may not have possessed the raw technical virtuosity of Oscar Petersen, but you can listen to Bill -- hour-after-hour -- without his music intruding too heavily on your concentration...