The Bill Evans Trio: Moon Beams LTD

LP Record In 1962, Bill Evans headed to the Riverside Records studio to make the first recordings with his newly formed trio. This was a major challenge for the pianist. He could still rely on drummer Paul Motian, who had been playing with him since 1959. However, the tragic death of bassist Scott LaFaro in a car accident on 6th July 1961 left a painful void in the trio. This was filled by Chuck Israels, who had previously played in George Russell's sextet and briefly in Eric Dolphy's band. The "Moon Beams" recordings reveal just how deeply Evans was shaken by LaFaro's death. It was Evans's first purely ballad album, and the musical mood reflected the pianist's sombre and melancholic state of mind.