Waltz For Debby

Bill Evans

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Waltz for Debby was recorded June 25, 1961 live at the Village Vanguard jazz club. The place acoustics played a big role: the small, triangular basement club naturally produced a warm, close-up sound. They were used portable Ampex tape machines with relatively few microphones - one near the piano, one for bass, one for drums, plus a room mic to capture the club's natural ambiance. This minimalist setup is part of why the recording still sounds intimate and natural. Bill Evans (that had a two-week engagement at the Village Vanguard with his trio) and producer Orrin Keepnews (Riverside Records co-founder) decided to capture a single Sunday of live performances in afternoon and evening sets. Result was high-quality material for two albums: "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" released first, 1961 and "Waltz for Debby" released the next year, 1962. The title track is a gentle, lyrical waltz Evans originally composed in 1956 as a musical portrait of his young niece, Debby. All compositions included feels Evans transforms them into deeply personal statements, with the the title track serving as the emotional centerpiece. A fantastic trio's telepathic communication, especially between Evans and bassist Scott LaFaro that tragically died in a car accident just 10 days after the recording at age 25. Widely regarded as one of the greatest piano trio albums of all time, "Waltz for Debby" showcases Evans' approach to the trio format, where bass and drums are not just accompaniment but equal partners in dialogue and these show how fluid and spontaneous was the trio himself.