Momentum
Bill Evans
Bill Evans’s Momentum is a live trio album recorded at the Stadsschouwburg in Groningen, the Netherlands, in 1972, capturing the pianist in a period his widow Nenette described as a “momentous upswing” in his personal life, health, and career. Playing with longtime associates Eddie Gómez on bass and Marty Morell on drums, Evans moves between reflective, harmonically rich ballad readings and surprisingly aggressive, hard‑swinging passages, giving the set an energy that feels more outward‑driving than his early‑’60s Village Vanguard recordings. The recording was professionally made but left unreleased for decades, which lends it the character of a newly unearthed snapshot of a mature, fully conversational trio at work.
The repertoire blends Evans originals and standards: pieces like “Re: Person I Knew,” “Turn Out the Stars,” “Sugar Plum,” and “The Two Lonely People” sit alongside “Emily,” “My Romance,” “Who Can I Turn To,” Michel Legrand’s “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” and a closing take on Miles Davis’s “Nardis” (which famously cuts off when the tape runs out). Throughout, Gómez’s virtuosic, high‑register lines and Morell’s dynamic, forward‑pushing drumming create a restless undercurrent beneath Evans’s lyrical touch, turning tunes like “Gloria’s Step” into showcases of three‑way interaction rather than simple vehicles for piano solos. Often praised as a later‑period highlight, Momentum shows Evans’ trio concept fully matured: intimate and rhapsodic, but with a drive and bite that underline just how much “quiet fire” still burned in his playing at this stage.
Momentum
Bill Evans
Bill Evans’s Momentum is a live trio album recorded at the Stadsschouwburg in Groningen, the Netherlands, in 1972, capturing the pianist in a period his widow Nenette described as a “momentous upswing” in his personal life, health, and career. Playing with longtime associates Eddie Gómez on bass and Marty Morell on drums, Evans moves between reflective, harmonically rich ballad readings and surprisingly aggressive, hard‑swinging passages, giving the set an energy that feels more outward‑driving than his early‑’60s Village Vanguard recordings. The recording was professionally made but left unreleased for decades, which lends it the character of a newly unearthed snapshot of a mature, fully conversational trio at work.
The repertoire blends Evans originals and standards: pieces like “Re: Person I Knew,” “Turn Out the Stars,” “Sugar Plum,” and “The Two Lonely People” sit alongside “Emily,” “My Romance,” “Who Can I Turn To,” Michel Legrand’s “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” and a closing take on Miles Davis’s “Nardis” (which famously cuts off when the tape runs out). Throughout, Gómez’s virtuosic, high‑register lines and Morell’s dynamic, forward‑pushing drumming create a restless undercurrent beneath Evans’s lyrical touch, turning tunes like “Gloria’s Step” into showcases of three‑way interaction rather than simple vehicles for piano solos. Often praised as a later‑period highlight, Momentum shows Evans’ trio concept fully matured: intimate and rhapsodic, but with a drive and bite that underline just how much “quiet fire” still burned in his playing at this stage.