Undercurrent

Product Information

Whether it owes to the intimate pairing, he and Hall’s brotherly chemistry, or the exquisite selection of program material, the results consistently come across as the equivalent of a private meditation – such is the level of introspective depth and quietly shaded interplay throughout. I simply can't stop playing this disc and have made a copy for the car and also put it on my iPad, sitting, walking or driving I'm thrilled by it and always hear something new.

It gets all the stars because is is a great modern jazz album performed as only the late, lamented Mr Evans could arrange and do.The results of these sessions were quite the opposite, though, thanks to the tranquil and poetic use of space which gives Undercurrent its uniquely relaxed, and relaxing, quality. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

Dream Gypsy shows them separating again, fashioning fragments and jigsaw puzzle-pieces of a tune, scattering them for the listener to assemble. There is more variety than expected on the fine set with some cookers, ballads, waltzes, and even some hints at classical music. Some reissues include four bonus tracks, including two alternate takes and previously unheard versions of "Stairway to the Stars" and "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You. Audio Venue Ltd, t/a Audio Venue is a credit broker, not a lender and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 738562). I can not fathom why a label which is considered to be an audiophile label would put out such a bad sounding record.Neither musician is trying to dominate the conversation but just attempting to enhance each others playing in a quiet sensitive way.

For me it's up there with the Hall, Baker, Desmond recordings, my all time favourite before Undercurrent. As Hall's solo gets under way Evans provides a pointillistic background that grows in intensity, urging on the guitarist, who replies with increasing heat before passing things off to Evans and getting into some spirited comping of his own. In his November 26, 1962 review for DownBeat magazine jazz critic Pete Welding states: "This collaboration between Evans and Hall has resulted in some of the most beautiful, thoroughly ingratiating music it has been my pleasure to hear. The record is noise free, but does an impressive job of capturing musical nuance and delivering a deep emotional experience.At the time it was as distinctive as the record it contained, indicating — as far as jazz was concerned — we really were no longer in Kansas. Già la perfetta fattura e la cura nel dettaglio dell'intera copertina lascia presagire qualcosa di eccellente che si comprende appieno dopo aver ascolto anche solo il primo brano del side 1.

In tackling standards such as Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine” and the Broadway classic “Darn That Dream,” as well as the Hall original “Romain,” the pair traverses complex harmonies with the astute elegance of a figure skater. No other version outside of this analogue copy brings you face-to-face with these two jazz giants’ sonic communion, a kind of spiritual musical summit on which Evans’ deft keyboard touches and Hall’s reliably subtle phrasings seamlessly mesh and wonderfully dance, the compositions streaked with natural instrumental decay, full-frequency extensions, and poignant emotionalism that, on this LP, you can feel. The execution of these tunes couldn't be more minimal - just Evans' piano and Hall's guitar vibing off each other. Here, as elsewhere on the album, it is often difficult to believe there are only two musicians at work. If not for an inspirational collaboration of tremendous creative outpouring, one wonders what fate may have befallen Evans.For Evans, the duet clearly functions as therapy, a healing episode in which his partner patiently lays back, shadowing moves and suggesting others, neither musician interested in the spotlight but each striving for (and achieving) transcendent beauty. The pleasure of these eight cuts (two of them previously unreleased, all of them recorded over two days in the spring of 1962 in New York) lies in the sense of overhearing a private conversation between two particularly thoughtful people. I have a nearly perfect copy except for smudges and I don't know how to clean it, or if that is possible. While Evans managed to sit down for a few one-off takes between LaFaro’s passing and these April-May 1962 dates, he largely remained on hiatus and abstained from recording. I think I can safely say, though, that UNDERCURRENT is the current "hot ticket" out of all my jazz discs.