Explorations (Bill Evans album)

Explorations is an album by jazz pianist Bill Evans that was originally released on Riverside label in 1961. The album won the Billboard Jazz Critics Best Piano LP poll for 1961.

History

Explorations was the second album Evans recorded with his trio of Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Evans considered it one of his favorites from this period. Producer Orrin Keepnews in the liner notes talks about the two extra pieces released on CD, "Beautiful Love (take 1)" and "The Boy Next Door"; the first version of "Beautiful Love" to be included in the original LP was a second take, in fact as Keepnews specifies, "it is not the usual case of a second attempt that immediately followed the first. Early in this date, he played this number once; we both approved, and he moved on to something else. Much later, he decided to try a second 'Beautiful Love', which he later preferred." "The Boy Next Door" was instead set aside, at the time, because of the limited space of LP support.

The album was remastered and reissued by Original Jazz Classics in 2011 with two previously unissued alternate takes.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
All About Jazz	(no rating) ^[2]
Allmusic	^[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[4]

The album won the Billboard Jazz Critics Best Piano LP poll for 1961.^[5]

David Rickert of All About Jazz wrote: "...Evans demands to be heard, seducing you with his indelibly emotional playing... The trio works magic here, breathing fresh air into standards such as 'How Deep Is the Ocean?' and 'Beautiful Love' and creating the illusion that these songs were written just so someone like Evans could play them. The highlight of the album is 'Elsa,' which is one of the most beautiful piano ballads on record."^[2] Writing for Allmusic, critic Thom Jurek said of the album: "Evans, with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro, was onto something as a trio, exploring the undersides of melodic and rhythmic constructions that had never been considered by most... Explorations is an extraordinary example of the reach and breadth of this trio at its peak."^[3]

Track listing

"Israel" (John Carisi) – 6:12
"Haunted Heart" (Arthur Schwartz) – 3:28
"Beautiful Love" (take 2) (Wayne King, Egbert Van Alstyne, Victor Young) – 5:07
"Beautiful Love" (take 1) – 6:04
"Elsa" (Earl Zindars) – 5:10
"Nardis" (Miles Davis) – 5:49
"How Deep Is the Ocean?" (Irving Berlin) – 3:31
"I Wish I Knew" (Harry Warren) – 4:39
"Sweet and Lovely" (Gus Arnheim, Jules LeMare, Harry Tobias) – 5:52
"The Boy Next Door" (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane) – 5:06

Tracks 4 and 10 are not part of original album.

2011 CD reissue

"Israel"
"Haunted Heart"
"Beautiful Love" [Take 2]
"Elsa"
"Nardis"
"How Deep Is the Ocean?"
"I Wish I Knew" (Harry Warren)
"Sweet and Lovely"
"The Boy Next Door"
"Beautiful Love" [Take 1]
"How Deep Is the Ocean?" [Take 2]
"I Wish I Knew" [Take 2]

Personnel

Bill Evans - Piano
Scott LaFaro - Bass
Paul Motian - Drums

Additional personnel

Orrin Keepnews - Producer
Bill Stoddard - Engineer
Shigeo Miyamoto - Mastering engineer

References

↑ "Jazz LP's", Billboard, March 27, 1961.
1 2 Rickert, David. "Explorations > Review". All About Jazz. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
1 2 Jurek, Thom. "Explorations > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
↑ Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 73. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
↑ Rolontz, Bob (1961-08-14). "Mulligan, Evans Cop Critics' Poll". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 73 (22). ISSN 0006-2510.

External links

Bill Evans

Discography	New Jazz Conceptions Tenderly: An Informal Session Everybody Digs Bill Evans On Green Dolphin Street The Ivory Hunters Portrait in Jazz Know What I Mean? Explorations Sunday at the Village Vanguard Waltz for Debby Nirvana Undercurrent Moon Beams How My Heart Sings! Interplay Empathy Loose Blues The Solo Sessions, Vol. 1 The Solo Sessions, Vol. 2 The Gary McFarland Orchestra Conversations With Myself Plays the Theme from The V.I.P.s and Other Great Songs Time Remembered At Shelly's Manne-Hole Trio 64 Stan Getz & Bill Evans The Bill Evans Trio "Live" Waltz for Debby Trio '65 Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra Bill Evans at Town Hall Intermodulation A Simple Matter of Conviction Further Conversations with Myself California Here I Come Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival Alone What's New Jazzhouse You're Gonna Hear from Me From Left to Right Quiet Now Montreux II Piano Player The Bill Evans Album Living Time The Tokyo Concert Eloquence Half Moon Bay Since We Met Re: Person I Knew Symbiosis But Beautiful Blue in Green: The Concert in Canada Intuition The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album Montreux III Alone (Again) Quintessence Together Again The Paris Concert Crosscurrents I Will Say Goodbye You Must Believe in Spring Getting Sentimental New Conversations Affinity Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz We Will Meet Again Homecoming The Paris Concert: Edition One The Paris Concert: Edition Two Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings Letter to Evan Turn Out the Stars The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2

Compositions	"Waltz for Debby" "Blue in Green" "Flamenco Sketches" "Time Remembered" "Peace Piece"

Band members	Monty Budwig Larry Bunker Jack DeJohnette Eddie Gómez Chuck Israels Marc Johnson Philly Joe Jones Sam Jones Teddy Kotick Joe LaBarbera Scott LaFaro Michael Moore Marty Morell Paul Motian Gary Peacock

Associated musicians	Cannonball Adderley Chet Baker Tony Bennett Bob Brookmeyer Kenny Burrell Ron Carter Miles Davis Stan Getz Jim Hall Freddie Hubbard Lee Konitz Harold Land Shelly Manne Warne Marsh Claus Ogerman George Russell Zoot Sims Toots Thielemans Monica Zetterlund

Related articles	Tribute albums

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