Thursday, January 22, 2026

Bill Evans - Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings (Remastered 2025)

The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings (CD1)

Styles: Cool Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 83:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 191,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:22) 1. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(5:59) 2. Autumn Leaves
(4:35) 3. Witchcraft 
(4:57) 4. When I Fall In Love
(3:16) 5. Peri's Scope
(4:35) 6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(5:06) 7. Spring Is Here
(4:55) 8. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(5:26) 9. Blue In Green
(4:50) 10. Witchcraft (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 4)
(4:55) 11. Witchcraft (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 6)
(4:53) 12. Spring Is Here (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 4)
(3:30) 13. Come Rain Or Come Shine (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 2)
(3:20) 14. Come Rain Or Come Shine (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 4)
(5:24) 15. Autumn Leaves (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 9)
(4:37) 16. Blue In Green (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 1)
(4:29) 17. Blue In Green (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 2)
(5:05) 18. Some Day My Prince Will Come (Remastered Mono 2025 / Take 1)


The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings (CD2)

Styles: Cool Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 129:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 296,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:11) 1. Israel
(3:27) 2. Haunted Heart
(5:07) 3. Beautiful Love
(5:11) 4. Elsa
(5:50) 5. Nardis
(3:33) 6. How Deep Is The Ocean?
(4:41) 7. I Wish I Knew
(5:57) 8. Sweet And Lovely
(5:04) 9. Elsa (Take 4)
(4:51) 10. Elsa (Take 6)
(5:55) 11. Sweet And Lovely (Take 3)
(5:40) 12. Sweet And Lovely (Take 5)
(5:44) 13. Sweet And Lovely (Take 6)
(6:17) 14. Nardis (Take 1)
(6:07) 15. Beautiful Love (Take 1)
(5:10) 16. I Wish I Knew (Take 2)
(4:59) 17. I Wish I Knew (Take 3)
(4:51) 18. I Wish I Knew (Take 5)
(4:42) 19. Haunted Heart (Take 2)
(6:23) 20. The Boy Next Door (Take 1)
(5:06) 21. The Boy Next Door (Take 4)
(5:10) 22. The Boy Next Door (Take 6)
(5:00) 23. Walking Up 
(4:10) 24. How Deep Is The Ocean? (Take 1)
(3:46) 25. How Deep Is The Ocean? (Take 2)

The 2025 anthology Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings includes the first two influential studio albums by pianist Bill Evans' legendary trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. One of the most influential jazz groups of all time, the Evans/LaFaro/Motian lineup has taken on an almost mythic quality. Formed mere months after the pianist completed the sessions for Miles Davis' landmark 1959 album Kind of Blue, the trio was an instant sensation, their work (much like Davis' album) helping to redefine the sound of modern jazz. Much of this was due to Evans' singular approach to the piano, marked by his use of classical-influenced impressionistic harmonies, rootless voicings, and singing melodic lines. However, with LaFaro's equally distinctive melodic bass lines and Motian's elastic sense of swing, he created a new kind of trio, where each member played together in a conversational way, rather than as simple accompaniment for the pianist. Released in 1960, Portrait in Jazz introduced the trio's subtle interplay, and their renditions of standards like "Witchcraft," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "Someday My Prince Will Come" (the latter preceding Miles Davis' version by a year) remain some of the most definitive versions put to record. The same is true of 1961's Explorations, which featured their deeply romantic rendition of "Haunted Heart" (a jazz piano staple ever since) and found them putting their own stamp on Davis songs like "Nardis" and "Israel."

While completists my quibble that the trio's two live albums, 1961's Sunday at the Village Vanguard and 1962's Waltz for Debby, are not included here, the focus on the studio recordings offers some revelations. Along with both studio albums, there are 26 alternates and outtakes, 17 of which are previously unreleased. While many of Evans' outtakes are often very similar in-studio, there are some surprising moments, as in his previously unreleased "Spring Is Here" off Portrait, which features a more extended, improvised intro into the melody. Similarly, from the Explorations sessions, we get to hear each of his attempts at the dancerly ascending motif that kicks off "Sweet and Lovely," each as virtuosic and edge-of-your-seat brilliant as the next. It's also fascinating to hear how clearly worked out, if not outright arranged, the trio's interplay was. It's something that becomes ever more clear as you listen to multiple versions of "Witchcraft," where you can hear LaFaro playing similar counter melodies against Evans' lead lines again and again with minor variation. Tragically, LaFaro's death in a car crash in 1961 ended the group's brilliant run almost as soon as it started. While Evans would go on to form two more influential trios, his classic lineup with LaFaro and Motian remained indelible, and Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings underscores that lasting influence. (by Matt Collar) https://www.allmusic.com/album/haunted-heart-the-legendary-riverside-studio-recordings-

Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings CD 1 & 2 (np3 320)
Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings CD 1 & 2 (FLAC)


4 comments:

  1. A unique opportunity for completists to hear 26 alternate takes (17 previously unreleased) that offers rare insight into Bill Evans's trio innovative creative process. Thank you so very much for making this collection available.

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  2. Thanks Giullia for the two Bill Evans sets, I can never get enough of this genius who died so young. Fabulous music. Regards, Terry Peck.

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