BILL EVANS AT THE TOP OF THE GATE VOL. 1 vinyl

BILL EVANS AT THE TOP OF THE GATE VOL. 1 vinyl

Bill Evans Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate… rivals Evans’s revered Village Vanguard recordings for Riverside in June ’61. The music is frighteningly vivid – like being seated at a table on stage amid the musicians.” — Wall Street Journal.

The two volumes capture two complete sets of the Bill Evans trio with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell on October 23, 1968, at Art D’Lugoff’s legendary Village Gate club in New York City. It’s the only Evans recording released from The Village Gate. The trio had been together only for several weeks when these recordings were made. The leader’s playing remains a wonder to behold. The quality of the ideas that flowed from his brain to his hands is unmatched in the history of jazz piano. Never the flashiest nor the loudest player, Evans had a quiet grace and an exquisite impressionistic touch that to this day remain unequaled.