Bill Evans - Half Moon Bay

1998 European CD reissue.

Yet more Bill Evans live dates continue to flood the landscape posthumously, but this one was recorded under most inviting and unusual conditions. The locale was Pete Douglas' Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, a second-floor, 250-seat rumpus room overlooking the Pacific near Half Moon Bay, CA, whose wood-paneled ambience and nine-foot Steinway D piano inspired some of the better live work from Evans during this period of his life.

Again in his favored trio format, with bassist Eddie Gómez (who gets ample solo room) and drummer Marty Morell in totally simpatico communication, Evans gives himself opportunities to swing hard as well as traffic in his patented mode of harmonically complex introspection.

Included are an excellent take on "Waltz for Debby" and a couple of contemporary pop near-standards, "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" and "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)," and the set peaks with a closing pair of elegantly swinging waltzes, "How My Heart Sings" and "Someday My Prince Will Come." The aging tape has dropouts, but the sound quality is quite acceptable in true stereo and superior to that of The Secret Sessions from this period.