JIM WITZEL QUARTET, Very Early: Remembering Bill Evans

Emmy winning pianist Phil Aaron, longtime collaborator and compatriot of veteran jazz guitarist Jim Witzel, says it all in his liner notes to Very Early: Remembering Bill Evans, about their desire to make Witzel’s fourth album as a leader (and second with the dynamic rhythm section of bassist Dan Feiszli and drummer Jason Lewish) an adventurous, guitar centered tribute to the legendary pianist. Aaron calls Evans “The Mount Rushmore of Jazz,” praising “All that color and beauty!” and adding “What touch! What tone! What harmony!”

The two bring all that to their adventurous, alternately swinging/bopping and lyrical/graceful twists on brilliantly chosen repertoire from Evans’ seminal years of 1959-62 (after leaving Miles Davis’ sextet) with his trios featuring drummer Paul Motian and bassists Scott LaFaro and Chuck Israels. The nine song journeys from a bustling swirl through Victor Young’s “Beautiful Love” through the high spirited, Latin-spiced “Peri’s Scope,” with engaging stops along the way for Evans-related classics like “How My Heart Sings,” “Falling Grace” (originally composed for vibes great Gary Burton), the playful minor blues “Israel” and, best showcasing Witzel and Aaron’s sensitive sides, Leonard Bernstein’s classic reflective ballad “Some Other Time.”