Bill Evans Trio: Live in Buenos Aires (1979)

This 2CD set features the brilliant pianist Bill Evans with bassist Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera on drums live in concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 27, 1979.

A great deal of music by this trio has been released and I am not familiar with most of it, but the music on this CD is so good that I doubt there are many recordings of this group that are significantly better. If you like the 2 volumes of the Paris Concert you will like this. In fact I think it is a bit superior to those recordings. But for one item: on some tracks there is an audible 60 hertz hum on one channel. This is annoying when listening through headphones with good bass response, but almost unnoticeable through average speakers. If you have a subwoofer and like to crank it up, this hum (not always present) probably will bother you.

Tracklist:

CD1

1. Stella By Starlight

2. Laurie

3. Theme From MASH

4. Turn Out The Stars

5. I Do It For Your Love

6. My Romance

7. Letter To Evan

CD2

1. I Loves You Porgy

2. Up With The Lark

3. Minha

4. Someday My Prince Will Come

5. If You Could See Me Now

6. Nardis

Live in Buenos Aires 1979

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Marc Johnson: Shade of Jade (2005)

Marc Johnson doesn't take a bass solo on Shades of Jade until "Snow," track six of the 10-song album. Until then, the emphasis stays on tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist John Scofield and pianist Eliane Elias, the last serving as the album's coproducer (with Manfred Eicher) and author or coauthor of half the album. In fact, Elias could almost be the de facto leader of the session.

But regardless of whose name comes first on the cover, everyone matches wits on "Ton Sur Ton," with tenor and guitar harmonizing deftly on the melody. The front end of the disc finds the group in a gentle mood that sometimes gets too languid (the title track) but often brings out the delicacy of the setting ("Apareceu"). "Blue Nefertiti" gets the second part of its name from a sideways quote of a certain Wayne Shorter tune.

Beginning with "Snow," Johnson asserts himself more, following that track with the solo "Since You Asked" exemplifying his vast melodic skills. In the closing "Don't Ask of Me," a drone accompanies a bowed solo where his impeccable tone could easily be mistaken for a cello. In between, "Raise" gives the group a medium hard-bop groove, and drummer Joey Baron, up to this point filling out the sound with subtle nuances, gets a chance to light a fire under the band, particularly Lovano.

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Shade of Jade (RS) / Shade of Jade (HF) @ 320K

Mike Mainieri: An American Diary - The Dreaming (1999)

The Dreamings is the second volume of Mike Mainieri's An American Diary project. The vibraphonist and leader appears primarily with saxophonist George Garzone, bassist Marc Johnson, and drummer Peter Erskine. But thanks to the rotating cast of guest musicians, each track is a wholly new experience, distinguished by unexpected timbres and colors. Especially noteworthy are George Garzone's clarinet on "One Night in Paradise," Erik Friedlander's cello on "Planting Rice Is Never Fun," Simon Seven's didgeridoo on "The Dreamings," and Arto Tuncboyan's sazabo on "Dear, My Friend (The Gift)." Mainieri's goal was to explore his musical upbringing in an American immigrant family, as well as his later experiences as a traveling musician. His first American Diary record included music by composers as far apart as Aaron Copland and Frank Zappa. This diary entry has an even broader scope, including folk material from the Philippines and Yemen, as well as original pieces inspired by Australian aborigines, gypsies, and the Navajo and Apache tribes. Mainieri's use of the term "American" is therefore expansive, and subtly provocative. But the session never comes across as stilted political correctness or contrived world music. It swings. And in the process, it communicates with the listener in a genuine, unaffected way.

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The Dreaming (RS) / The Dreaming (MU)

Marc Johnson: Secong Sight (1987)

The second release by Bass Desires (a quartet consisting of leader/bassist Marc Johnson, drummer Peter Erskine, and the guitars of Bill Frisell and John Scofield) is almost the equal of the first. This advanced unit performs eight group originals that cover a wide variety of moods, from introspective, spacy pieces to ones emphasizing fire and passion.
Marc Johnson - bass
Bill Frisell - guitar
John Scofield - guitar
Peter Erskine - drums
Recorded March 1987/Rainbow Studio Oslo
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Second Sight

[by-request] Marc Johnson: The Sound of Summer Running (1997) mp3 @ 320K

This date is a surprisingly mellow and melodic affair, particularly when one considers the personnel (bassist Marc Johnson, both Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny on guitars and drummer Joey Baron). Much of the music is comprised of unclassifiable, folkish melodies filled with lyrical guitar solos. Frisell is quite restrained throughout (adding a country feel to many of the songs) and Metheny is less distinctive than usual, alternating between his electric and acoustic guitars, as well as his 42-string pikasso guitar. The quartet performs seven Johnson originals (most memorable is "Union Pacific"), two by Frisell and one from Metheny. The overall results are pleasing and relaxed music that falls a little bit short of being the classic date one might expect; more fire was needed.

Enrico Pieranunzi Trio: No Man's Land (1989) mp3 @ 320K

Enrico Pieranunzi is a talented pianist greatly influenced by Bill Evans. His sensitive interpay with bassist Marc Johnson (an alumnus of Evans' trio) is impressive while drummer Steve Houghton plays quietly and with great subtlety throughout the fine trio set. Pieranunzi has a romantic streak in his style (best displayed on the classical-oriented "No Man's Land") but he can also cook and swing hard; "Land Breeze" and "If I Should Lose You" are good examples of that side of his personality. The five originals and three standards cover a wide area of emotional ground. Enrico Pieranunzi may not be an innovative pianist but listeners who enjoy Bill Evans' music will certainly like this release.