Treasures - Solo, Trio & Orchestral Records from Denmark (1965-69)

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The final performance is the Evans/Gomez/Morell trio in Aarhus (November 1969), a change of drummer and a gap of three years perhaps most noticeable in how Morell sounds more to the fore than Riel – particularly on a brisk version of Autumn Leaves that has a longish bass-drums dialogue from which Evans drops out completely. Bill Evans sets such as Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) seemingly fall from the heavens on a regular basis. We start with a trio set from the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (October 1965), with Danish Niels-Henning Ørsted Pederson on bass and American Alan Dawson on drums. The first indicator that this collection is worth investing in is the packaging: either a triple-gatefold double CD with a 56-page booklet, or a limited-edition triple LP on 180g vinyl. The pieces for orchestra were arranged by trumpeter and composer Palle Mikkelborg and recorded in 1969, and included Evans compositions along with this album’s title track, written explicitly for the performance.

Mikkelborg’s string arrangements are probably too romantic (or cloying – take your pick) for modern tastes but the big-band arrangements work well, showing Mikkelborg’s indebtedness to Gil Evans – especially on the titular track Treasures, where Mikkelborg’s muted trumpet sounds like a homage to the then very recent Miles Davis / Gil Evans collaborations of 1957–68. Like NHØP, Riel was in the Montmartre Jazzhus’s house band at the time, which is bound to have created some positive chemistry between the two. As well as the usual ‘track listing, personnel and recording dates’ type information, the booklet is packed with rare photos, interviews with (or articles on) the musicians involved, and other insightful articles such as an analysis of Bill Evans’s time in Denmark. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). As a user, I have always admired Bill Evans' ability to evoke emotions through his playing, and the "Treasures" album is a testament to this prowess.

On listening, it seems that Evans regarded the orchestra no different than his trio – they were fellow musicians to hear, listen to, and respond to. But while the earlier trio work here is good and the latter is great, the more tantalizing Treasures sessions are those with the Royal Danish Symphony Orchestra and the Danish Radio Big Band, and those that feature Evans alone. An official Elemental Music release in collaboration with the Bill Evans Estate, 'Treasures' is a 'holy grail' discovery culled from the private collection of Norwegian jazz musician Ole Matthiessenand released for the very first time as a 2CD limited-edition in deluxe packaging. The trio keeps up and decorates and never gets in the way, and the song ends as beautifully as it begins.

The performances also sound more expansive, this trio’s take on Nardis (again, closing the set) a lengthy 8:06 versus the 3:35 of the previous set.The latest of these, Treasures, is a collection of previously unissued performances—over two hours of music, 2xCD or 3xLP—made for Danish radio and cut between 1965 and 1969. Listening to the trio on this version, Evan’s playing responds by adding more bounce, which speaks to bass and drums and takes nothing away from the emotion he displayed in his solo version of the song. There’s a lot of music too, with plenty of variety: two hours and 18 minutes comprising one solo set, four pure trio performances with varying bassists and drummers, and a trio augmented by a symphony orchestra and big band. If anybody has information on this album and if it’s worth getting or maybe get waltz for Debby or portrait in jazz.

Evans’s piano playing explores an inner world where everything makes sense and is pristine and beautiful. An official Elemental Music release in collaboration with the Bill Evans Estate, Treasures is truly a ’holy grail’ discovery culled from the private collection of Danish jazz musician Ole Matthiessen and being released for the very first time as a deluxe 2-CD set (A limited edition 180-gram 3-LP set released as an RSD exclusive on April 22nd, 2023). Tracks A1 to A3 recorded at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen, October 31, 1965. The artifact-laden, heavy application of 'No Noise'-style filters make this almost a chore for me to listen to in places, in spite of how good the performances may be. Next up is a trio set recorded in Holbæk (November 1965) comprising Evans and NHØP again but with Alex Riel on drums.

Treasures is truly a ’holy grail’ discovery being released for the very first time as a limited-edition, 180g 3LP set. The beautifully designed packageshowcases previously unpublished photos by Jan Perssonfrom Evans' Danish tours, as well as insightful liner notes by acclaimed author, journalist and Evans scholar, Marc Myers, plus interviews and statements from Danish drummer Alex Riel, music journalist, Danish producer and Evans discographer Peter Larsen, Palle Mikkelborg, Evans' long-time trio-mates - bassist Eddie Gomezand drummer Marty Morell, and pianists Ran Blakeand Matthew Shipp.

Dawson too played for many greats but isn’t nearly as well known as he deserved to be (perhaps because a back injury in his forties forced him to give up performing), and delivers a strong performance. For me, there’s something slightly vexing about hearing a jazz pianist backed by an orchestra of this size, if only because I struggle to hear the loose interplay to which I’m accustomed.This even though Evans probably didn’t give these sessions much thought once they were over—he was a busy man during these years, always on the way to the next gig.