Craft Small Batch Recordings—Explorations: Bill Evans Trio 180g vinyl 33RPM reissue [2024]

I’ve only reviewed one Craft Recordings “Small Batch” vinyl reissue, a fabulous recut of Theolonius Monk’s Brilliant Corners. I gave it a very positive review in Audiophilia. Some enthusiasts in the “vinyl community” pronounced the recut “bright,” which, under my reference system’s scrutiny, it certainly was not. If you know the “VC” on YouTube and social media, any “vinyl drama” is magnified ten-fold. If you have a well-set-up, balanced system, the Monk Small Batch is a superb release and played well above the performance of my previous benchmark Japanese pressing. Also, my Audiophilia colleague, Scott Wilson, has reviewed other Craft Small Batch releases for his outstanding YouTube channel, The Pressing Matters, with very positive commentary.

So, how does this very exciting Bill Evans release sound under the auspices of remastering engineer Bernie Grundman?

First, I’d like to thank Jacob Mask of Craft Recordings for providing a press copy for our readers before the release date of Dec 13.

Craft explains their process: “Mastered from the original analog tapes (AAA) by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, Explorations uses Neotech’s VR900-D2 "super vinyl" compound with a one-step lacquer process. This exacting process allows for the utmost level of musical detail, clarity and dynamics while reducing the amount of surface noise on the record to ensure that each pressing is a true representation of the original lacquer and is as close as the listener can get to the original”.

Explorations was the final recording of what many consider Bill Evans’ finest trio and I consider the greatest jazz piano trio ever assembled. With Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Evans fixed several iterations of his famous trio, including with Eddie Gomez or Chuck Israels on bass and Marty Morell, Philly Joe Jones and others on drums. Each trio made legendary recordings, but this group on Explorations is considered the Rolls Royce of jazz piano trios.

The recording was originally released on Riverside in 1961. The sessions were engineered by Bill Stoddard at Bell Sound, NYC.

By many accounts, the recording sessions were not happy affairs. Considering the outstanding, stress-free musicianship displayed, it’s hard to fathom. Studio work is exacting, and you must be in sync with your colleagues if you want a good result. As they say, leave the attitude at the door.

The problem was said to be Evans’ heroin dependency. Young phenom bass player Scott LaFaro was not a happy camper and hated anything drug-related. Evans had just returned to performing/recording after two years trying to sort himself out and fighting Hepatitis. So, lots of tension. As you listen to this fabulous music-making, I don’t think you’ll hear any degradation of performance or inspiration. As such, Explorations is a brilliant follow-up album to their first album together, Portrait in Jazz (1959).

The trio backstage at the Village Vanguard in New York (1961) during the live recordings of Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby. L to R: Scott Lafaro, Bill Evans and Paul Motian.

Explorations features music-making of the highest quality, with Evans’ treble poetry infused with rhythmic drive and sophisticated chordal accompaniment. This typical Evans playing begins on the opening track “Israel,” complete with virtuoso bass and drum breaks. The recording is so clear it picks up Evans’ noodling while LaFaro is soloing. Later in the track, Motian’s two-bar brush breaks sound as rhythmically magical as ever.

And when we get to ballad territory, as in “Haunted Heart,” Evans weaves his magical spell while LaFaro adds gentle root chord underpinnings. So tasteful, so beautiful. In “Elsa,” we get a taste of more elegance in style and delivery in an Evans specialty, the jazz waltz. And no one’s better at keeping the slow 3/4 groove going than LaFaro and Motian.

Yes, it’s happy, genius music-making from start to finish and a worthy companion to all of Evans’ recordings, live and in the studio.

Stoddard records the guys in typical Gelder fashion: drums rear left, bass left, piano center/right. But there’s no large hole in the centre; it feels like you’re listening from a good seat in a small club. Timbrally, the instruments are fleshed out accurately, as on so many jazz trio reissues. However, the clarity and spatial cues add much to the presentation. It’s pretty luxurious. So, we get almost tactile scratching from Motian’s legendary brushwork. It darts in and out, emphasizing Evans and LaFaro’s rhythmic impetus. Then, when he gets a full-on stick solo in “Sweet and Lovely, “ he’s pushed to the foreground, and the sound is dynamic as hell with amazing timbral accuracy. And for a change of dynamic pace, check out the final bars of the record. It is so clear, transparent and with a tactile delicacy.

Even with the apparent stress, the playing is refined and shows no signs of wear and tear. Utter professionalism. Plus, the musical telepathy between these three is astonishing.

Many Evans tapes in the here and now suffer a little degradation, especially when Evans hammers his high treble. There’s a smidgen of that here, but you’ve got to listen hard for it. Evans and his compadres sound their brilliant selves. It’s music-making and audiophile sound of the very highest quality.

Except for a quick stream before the new vinyl arrived, I had not heard Explorations. Like all Bill Evans recordings, it’s had a ton of reissues, both vinyl and CD. Two vinyl reissues stood out on Discogs: a 1982 OJC reissue and Kevin Gray’s recut for Analogue Productions’ Bill Evans Riverside box set from 2004. Both the OJC and AP are big bucks used. I’m sure both sound wonderful, and if you have them, I’m not sure you’ll need to spend USD 99 for the new Craft Small Batch.

But, if you do, you will not be disappointed.

So if Explorations is new to you, you need to update an inferior pressing, or you are an Evans completist, go ahead and purchase this superb reissue. USD 99 well-spent. Very highly recommended.

Craft Recordings (no financial affiliation). Ships today (Dec 13, 2024).

My copy was flat and silent, with centred labels and correctly sized spindle holes. The record comes in luxury packaging. A class release in every way.

• Pressed using a one-step lacquer process at RTI utilizing Neotech’s VR900-D2 “super vinyl” compound
• All-analog mastering (AAA) by Bernie Grundman from the original master tapes
• Housed in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped slipcase
• Numbered and limited to 2,500
• New liner notes by Syd Schwartz

Tracklist

Side A:
1. Israel
2. Haunted Heart
3. Beautiful Love
4. Elsa

Side B:
1. Nardis
2. How Deep Is The Ocean?
3. I Wish I Knew
4. Sweet And Lovely