The playlist for the week of August 18, 2019, is The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Playlist. It’s our humble tribute to Bill Evans, a jazz pianist that we love and not just because he made those two albums with Tony Bennett.
Today’s playlist consists of some of the songs the two recorded plus recordings of those same songs made by Bill Evans. I’m also starting off the playlist with one of my favorite of Bill’s recordings: “Alice in Wonderland.” It was recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1961 and features the brilliant bass of Scott LaFaro, who died at the age of 25 in an automobile accident just a few weeks after this live performance. It was a horrific blow to Bill Evans, who stopped performing for several months after LaFaro’s death. I’m ending the playlist with another song from the Village Vanguard sessions that also features Scott LaFaro: “I Loves You Porgy.”
Alice in Wonderland from The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961
Some Other Time from The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album
Some Other Time from Everybody Digs Bill Evans
But Beautiful from The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album
But Beautiful from Bill Evans For Lovers
Waltz for Debby from Together Again
Waltz for Debby from The Last Waltz
The Two Lonely People from Together Again
The Two Lonely People from The Last Waltz
You Must Believe in Spring from Together Again
You Must Believe in Spring from You Must Believe in Spring
Days of Wine and Roses from The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album
Days of Wine and Roses from The Last Waltz
Who Can I Turn To from Together Again
Who Can I Turn To from Bill Evans at Town Hall
I Loves You, Porgy from The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961
Notes
Links to albums and songs from The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album and Together Again link to The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.
Links to albums and songs performed by Bill Evans are to Spotify and Wikipedia, respectively.