Bill Evans Trio Plays "Waltz for Debby":
Bill Evans was one of the most influential pianists of the 1960s; along with McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock, he helped define the sound of modern jazz piano. Evans is probably most famous for his trio recordings live at the Village Vanguard in 1961 with drummer Paul Motian and the amazing bassist Scott LaFaro. The recordings were divided into two albums, Waltz for Debby and Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and have since been combined together with the band's introductions and informal conversation into a three-disc set, The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings. (Interestingly, Paul Motian still regularly plays at the Village Vanguard, although his style today is 180 degrees from what it was with Evans.)
YouTube doesn't have any recordings of that wonderful trio — tragically, LaFaro died in a car acccident 10 days after the Vanguard recordings were made — but it does have some terrific Bill Evans trio performances from just a few years later. My favorite is this 1965 performance of Waltz for Debby with Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. The performance is much too brief — only 4:30 — but it's still excellent.
YouTube doesn't have any recordings of that wonderful trio — tragically, LaFaro died in a car acccident 10 days after the Vanguard recordings were made — but it does have some terrific Bill Evans trio performances from just a few years later. My favorite is this 1965 performance of Waltz for Debby with Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. The performance is much too brief — only 4:30 — but it's still excellent.