Paul Motian

Bill Evans, Winter & Winter *****

Motian was the drummer in Evans's first great trio and Marc Johnson was bassist in the pianist's last, while Joe Lovano (tenor) and Bill Frisell (guitar) completed the pedigree quartet that made this just-reissued classic two decades ago. And though master colourists Motian and Frisell, in particular, are accomplished rubato players as are the others), they mostly settled on a superbly judged, straight-ahead approach to Evans's originals, in the process taking full possession of the music and making it their own. Underlining Lovano's and Frisell's expressive gifts as ballad players are wonderful performances of such beauties as Turn Out the Stars, Very Early, Re: Person I Knewand Time Remembered, while Show-Type Tuneand 3/4 Skidoobuild and swing with the understated power of a quartet much more than the total of its magnificent constituents. An album to light up bleak times.

See winterandwinter.com