About

Individual title from The Bill Evans Riverside Recordings Box Set
45 RPM, 2LP reissued on 180g black vinyl
Mastered by Kevin Gray & Steve Hoffman at AcousTech Mastering AAA analog from original master tapes

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For jazz collectors, At Shelly's Manne-Hole isn't just another Bill Evans record — it's a landmark. This was Evans' final album for Riverside, the label that first brought his genius to light, and his last chapter in one of the most creative partnerships in modern jazz recording.

Captured live at drummer Shelly Manne's famous Hollywood club in 1963, the album finds Evans in rare form — intimate, reflective, yet full of quiet fire. It's only the second time Riverside ever caught him in a live setting (the first being the legendary Village Vanguard sessions), and it documents a fleeting but brilliant trio: Evans with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker.

The sound is wonderfully alive — you can feel the room, the energy, the warmth of an audience hanging on every note. For collectors, this is the bridge between Evans' early introspection and the confident, searching tone of his later work. — (via Label)

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Although the Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian lineup of the Bill Evans Trio is generally considered to be the strongest, Chuck Israels and Larry Bunker make a strong case of their own on At Shelly's Manne-Hole, a 1964 release that finds the entire band in classic form. This particular trio may lack some of the sheer combustive force of the better-known lineup, but it is, if possible, even more sensitive, melancholic, and nostalgic than the previous band.

The leadoff track, "Isn't It Romantic," is one of Evans' finest moments, with the gently swinging theme leading into a strong, if restrained, solo from Israels. Over Bunker's sensitive brush work, Evans comments briefly and beautifully on the theme before returning to the head. The band's readings of such classics as "'Round Midnight," "Stella By Starlight," and "All the Things You Are" are wonderful, but it is the lesser-known tracks, such as "Swedish Pastry" and the aforementioned "Isn't It Romantic," that makes this recording so valuable. Jazz is rarely as sensitive or as melodic as this. Another classic from Bill Evans and company. – (via All Music)

Vinyl Tracklist
A1 Isn't It Romantic
A2 The Boy Next Door
A3 Wonder Why
A4 Swedish Pastry
B1 Our Love Is Here To Stay
B2 'Round Midnight
B3 Stella By Starlight
B4 Blues In "F"

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Label: Analogue Productions // Riverside Records
Format: 2 x Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g
Reissued: 2025 / Originally Released: 1966
Genre: Jazz
Style: Cool Jazz, Modal, Post Bop

File under: Bill Evans
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