Moon Beams
| Moon Beams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | Mid December 1962[1] | |||
| Recorded | May 17, 1962 (#5,9) May 29, 1962 (#1, 8) June 2, 1962 (#2-4, 6-7) June 5, 1962 (#10-11) | |||
| Studio | Sound Makers Studio, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 39:00 (original LP) 49:30 (2012 CD reissue) | |||
| Label | Riverside RLP-428 | |||
| Producer | Orrin Keepnews | |||
| Bill Evans chronology | ||||
| ||||
Moon Beams is a 1962 album by jazz musician Bill Evans, and the first trio album recorded by Evans after the death of Scott LaFaro.
Music and releases[edit]
With Chuck Israels on bass taking the place of LaFaro, Evans recorded several songs during these May and June 1962 sessions. Moon Beams contains a collection of ballads recorded during this period. The more uptempo tunes were put on How My Heart Sings! In 2012, Riverside released a new remastered edition which includes three previously unreleased alternative takes. Moon Beams and How My Heart Sings! were also released combined as the double album The Second Trio.
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Down Beat (Original Lp release) |    [3] |
| Allmusic | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [6] |
Writing for Allmusic, music critic Thom Jurek wrote of the album "...selections are so well paced and sequenced the record feels like a dream... Moonbeams was a startling return to the recording sphere and a major advancement in his development as a leader."[4]
Track listing[edit]
- "Re: Person I Knew" (Bill Evans) – 5:44
- "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 5:01
- "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:42
- "Stairway to the Stars" (Matty Malneck, Mitchell Parish) – 4:53
- "If You Could See Me Now" (Tadd Dameron) – 4:29
- "It Might as Well Be Spring" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 6:05
- "In Love in Vain" (Leo Robin, Jerome Kern) – 5:00
- "Very Early" (Bill Evans) – 5:06
Bonus tracks on 2012 CD reissue:
- "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" [Alternate Take] - 4:17
- "I Fall in Love Too Easily" [Alternate Take] - 2:38
- "Very Early" [Alternate Take] - 3:35
Personnel[edit]
- Bill Evans - piano
- Chuck Israels - bass
- Paul Motian - drums
Production[edit]
- Orrin Keepnews - producer
- Pete Sahula - photographer
- Nico - photographic model
- Ken Deardoff - album design
References[edit]
- ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (December 22, 1962). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
- ^ "Bill Evans Trio LP 1962". smironne.free.fr.
- ^ Down Beat: January 31, 1963 Vol. 30, No.3
- ^ a b Jurek, Tom. "Moon Beams: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 74. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 456. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
