GENRE; Jazz
RELEASE DATE ; 21 November , 2025
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This new Craft Recordings set reunites two of the most luminous studio documents of Bill Evans’ early trio — Portrait in Jazz and Explorations and frames them with 26 alternate takes (17 previously unreleased), new remasters and generous packaging. The result is less a bland reissue than a tasteful excavation: listeners get both the familiar poetry of Evans’ touch and new angles on the trio’s conversational interplay.
Sonically the remastering is a clear win. The new transfers give Evans’ pedal-soft phrasing and LaFaro’s incisive bass lines a surprising immediacy: piano tone blossoms without bloom, and the drum kit sits airy and alive around the edges. Audiophile writeups praising the pressing and the quiet black vinyl are justified — these editions reward critical listening.
Musically, the trio’s telepathy remains the set’s most haunting feature. Scott LaFaro’s melodic bass redefines the rhythm section’s role — frequently answering and advancing Evans rather than merely underpinning him — while Paul Motian’s loose, coloristic drumming creates an elastic frame that lets the music breathe. Across standards like “Autumn Leaves” and rarer takes such as “Haunted Heart,” those small, conversational moments keep revealing new details on repeat listens.
Is this box essential? For completists and audiophiles it’s a strong yes: previously unreleased takes and a handsome booklet (photos, new liner notes) make it more than a repackaging. For casual listeners, the original albums still stand as compact masterpieces — but the box offers a deeper, richer portrait of one of jazz’s most empathetic trios. In short: a lovingly curated reminder of why Bill Evans’ trios continue to feel alive, intimate and, yes, a little haunted.
