Bill Evans – Further Ahead (Live In Finland 1964-1969)

#653 local store, NOT on RSD which surprised the sh|t out of me. Boy is it good, best $45 paid (or part) to the Bill Evans Estate and our buddy Zev, God (yours mine whatever) bless him 👍 Who pressed it?? It's flat, quiet, pretty dynamic, maybe "some simbilane on the cymbals", say that real fast 10 times😁 and in parts, I hear the mid-range on Bill's piano drop out? Prolly just me.🙄 Just get it. Still available as of this post, on Elemental's website. Peace

Absolutely wonderful! The pressing is amazing. The sound is well balanced and full. Great record to have in a collection.

What a performance! Quiet vinyl and the packaging is wonderful, as always. I look forward to RSD soley for Bill Evans. You can’t go wrong with this one!

I'm really happy with the sound of this album. The recording was worth waiting in line for 4.5 hours on RSD.

This sounds great. Love that it is mono. To me, when mono is done right, it can feel larger and more realistic. This was recorded well and these recordings could have easily been released on an official live album years ago. Great performances. The 1965 drum solo on “My Melancholy Baby” is killer. So glad to own this.

My copy has a persistent pop starting on track 3 on side A and lasting until midway through track 4.

[reviewing copy #383]
I'm finally figuring out there's an unlimited supply of 'lost' Bill Evans trio concert tapes, scheduled to release on vinyl every 6 months for RSD. I've said before, Evans' live recordings are far superior to his more stuffy and safe played studio offerings. That is definitely the case here as well.

While both versions of "Autumn Leaves" are a highlight, be sure to stick around for the performance on Disc 2; Bill 'n the boys really shake the leaves off that autumnal tree. Likewise, the version of "Nardis" on same is stunningly beautiful, as is "Very Early", with a 1/4 point deduction for a few out of tune notes on the piano. A minor note, while I'm a huge fan of Lee Konitz, his contribution is not beneficial here, IMO.

The pressing is clean with beautiful vinyl, but I've got a few minor dropouts in audio here and there.
The gatefold jacket has some nice art and includes a color booklet.

4.5 stars. Recommended.

I was on the fence about picking this up, I have a lot of Bill Evans. So glad I did, great vibe, the band is really playing tight and in the pocket. Recording in Mono seems to give the record a bit of punchiness and drive. Really impressed on how tight the rhythm section is playing together. I'll add this to the shelf with all the Bill Evans records but this will get played. Do you need another Bill Evans in your collection? I say yes for this recording!

Great performances, recording and mastering great, particularly on 64/65 gigs, pressing quality on both lps excellent, all performances are mono, would have preferred stereo but still an excellent release.