In the end, Bill Evans would be enough. It would be enough, to satisfy the curiosity and passion of those who approach jazz, his parable in the world of music, a thirty-year period, from 1950 to 1980 of his farewell, in which his art is concentrated, the stylistic innovations on the great book of American song, the encounters with other stars, starting with that of Davis, the affirmation / revolution of the piano trio formula.
I was thinking about this in view of the concert “Kind of Bill”, scheduled for Sunday 14 July in Genoa, hoping that a bit of the spirit of Bill Evans could be recreated between the notes of Dado Moroni’s piano, the strings of Eddie Gomez’s double bass and the skins of Joe La Barbera’s drums, the latter part, in different periods, of formations created by the American pianist.
A very strong suggestion, combined with Moroni’s propensity towards a good part of Bill Evans’ world, at least that of the standards, and towards a vision of jazz deeply anchored to its history.
At Parchi di Nervi, in the suggestive setting that uses natural elements to create original chromatic effects, Paolo Fresu was also a guest, which slightly unbalanced the dynamics of the trio, focusing attention on the very famous trumpeter, here engaged mainly on the flugelhorn.
In any case, in the space of barely ninety minutes, we heard some excellent music, with some tributes to Evans’ repertoire, original compositions and a “Retracto em canzone e preto” by Antonio Carlos Jobim that is almost never missing when Fresu is involved. It appears in third place on the setlist, after the first two songs performed in trio, “Kind of Bill” composed by La Barbera and “I’m getting sentimental over you” and before “Stella by starlight” in which Fresu takes out the muted trumpet.
The quartet navigates without difficulty in the vast sea of Evans, with La Barbera keeping an impeccable rhythmic scansion, Gomez dispensing elasticity and inventions even in the few solos he allows himself, the piano of Dado Moroni that wisely avoids the replication of Evansian ways to offer a personal and dynamic interpretation, with Fresu’s well-known poses and sound at the center of the scene.
“Solar” is one of the most convulsive and rhythmically lively moments of the concert, while “Bella Luce” is a graceful melody composed by Joe La Barbera for the birthday of Conte Candoli, a regular musician in the orchestras of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton and at the end of his career also in the groups of Shelly Manne, who passed away in 2001.
It closes with “Everything happens to me” and with the encore “My foolish heart“. And to all the suggestions evoked by the evening, that of Chet Baker is also added.
Kind of Bill, homage to Bill Evans with the extraordinary participation of Paolo Fresu, is a musical project aimed at celebrating one of the most fascinating aspects of the great jazz musician’s music: the immortality of his message. The title Kind of Bill captures the spirit of the project created by pianist Dado Moroni, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Joe La Barbera, musicians who over time have made an enormous contribution to Evans’ music, bringing new life to the great pianist’s ideas. A tribute to Evans’ repertoire, but also to the world of jazz, Kind of Bill includes compositions by Bill, standards that have become almost completely new and original pieces under his fingers, and compositions written by Moroni, Gomez and La Barbera.
Dado Moroni is one of the most sought-after Italian jazz pianists in Europe and America. He made his debut at 17 with Tullio de Piscopo and Franco Ambrosetti, with whom he still collaborates today. In 1987, he was invited, as the only European, together with pianists Hank Jones, Barry Harris and Roland Hanna, to serve on the jury of the Thelonious Monk International Piano Prize, held in Washington. Dado Moroni is one of the very few Italian musicians whose biography is included in the important ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Jazz’ by Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler. He boasts prestigious and ongoing collaborations with the great stars of world jazz.
Eddie Gomez is one of the most brilliant double bassists in the history of jazz. After studying at Juilliard, Gomez played with Gary McFarland, Gerry Mulligan, Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Rufus Jones’ sextet, Marian McPartland, Paul Bley and Giuseppi Logan, among others. International notoriety came during his long stint in Bill Evans’ trio, with whom he collaborated from 1966 to 1977, taking part in several major recordings by the great pianist, including two Grammy Award-winning ones. Subsequently, Gomez collaborated in an infinity of contexts including Steps Ahead, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Hank Jones, Nancy Wilson, Tania Maria and Ray Barretto, as well as on a large number of recordings.
Joe La Barbera has played all over the world with some of the best names in jazz since his debut on the scene. From his first performance as a professional at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with Frankie Randall and Buddy Rich’s band in 1968, to his work with Bill Evans, he has always been in demand among world-class jazz musicians. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and after his first professional experiences as a musician he moved to New York, where he played as with several great artists. In 1978, Joe received an offer to play with Bill Evans. Performing regularly all over the world, this year his tour will take him to New Zealand, Japan, China and all over Europe.
Paolo Fresu, born in Berchidda (Sardinia), he began studying the trumpet at the age of eleven in the band of his home town. After various experiences in pop music, he discovered jazz in 1980 and began his professional activity in 1982, first attending the Seminari Senesi and then recording for RAI-Radio Televisione Italiana under the direction of Bruno Tommaso. In 1984, he graduated in trumpet at the Cagliari Conservatory with Enzo Morandini and subsequently attended the DAMS – music section at the University of Bologna. In 2003, he received an Honorary Degree from the Bicocca University in Milan in Psychology of Social Processes, Decision Making and Economic Behaviour, in 2015 from the Berklee School in Boston and in 2017 the ‘Nettuno d’Oro’ in Bologna. He has been a UNESCO Youth Ambassador for Italy since 2016.
