By Way Of Contrast

Like (I suspect) most people, my first exposure to Bill Evans was on Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue. He quit the band soon after that recording, crumbling under the pressure from the rest of the band who didn’t take well to Davis introducing a white piano player. History has passed judgement on that. This recording dates from a couple of years later, a day’s recording at the Village Vanguard. Aside from being Evans’ best known, the two albums* cut from that session were the last recordings of Scott LaFaro (also of Ornette Coleman’s quartet) who died in a car crash shortly afterwards. LaFaro’s bass solos across the session are brilliant but it’s Bill Evans’ light, chiming touch that keeps me coming back to it.

Bill Evans Trio - Gloria’s Step (take 2)

*Sunday At The Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby but if you’re likely to buy them both, don’t piss about - just get the three disc set of The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961

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Italo Links

Phew! now that Don Rosco has gone on his holliers, I can safely get away with posting some italo disco. ;)

It’s pretty old news by now, but a few years back, I was trawling around the French music site D-I-R-T-Y looking for good mixes (they have an insanely good mix of Air playing country and western tunes up there btw, even if it is in RealAMRadio format). I gave I-F’s Mixed Up In The Hague a go, and as soon as Track 3 — Pluton and the Humanoids, ‘World Invasion’ — came on, I was blown away.

I-F’s still plugging away, and every year runs a top 100 vote on his site, cbs.nu, which is a fantastic way to hear the italo classics (and, in my experience, drive girlfriends nuts). You can download the lot here, as a ZIP of MP3s.

For a more reasonably-sized taster, check out the KRLX link and pick up Pluton and the Humanoids - ‘World Invasion’, Mr. Flagio - ‘Take a Chance’, and Charlie - ‘Spacer Woman’ — those are the three tracks that really top the lot.

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