Newly Unearthed ‘Further Ahead: Live in Finland (1964–1969)’ Captures Bill Evans In His Creatively Adventurous Period (ALBUM REVIEW)

There are few figures in jazz whose legacy feels as intimate and enduring as Bill Evans’. His playing, both lyrical and harmonically rich, reshaped the language of the piano trio and left an indelible mark on generations of musicians. Bill Evans always said he was trying to get “farther ahead.” chasing some distant horizon of beauty, clarity, and form. This newly unearthed set, Further Ahead: Live in Finland (1964–1969), captures him in mid-pursuit, carving that path across three concerts, three trios, and five years of quiet evolution. Over three performances across the 1960s in Finland, this Record Store Day 2025 release captures Evans in evolution, moving with grace and intention through some of the most quietly transformative years of his career. What emerges isn’t just a portrait of a pianist at his peak, but of a musician constantly reexamining the shape of a phrase, the weight of silence, the way a trio breathes.

The album opens in Helsinki, 1964, with the under-appreciated trio of Chuck Israels and Larry Bunker. This performance is more atmospheric with Evan’s letting the space between notes guide the phrasing of the songs. “How My Heart Sings” finds each member contributing their own solos yet playing together seamlessly. Israels doesn’t try to fill LaFaro’s shoes; he walks beside Evans, offering gentle countermelodies that keep the edges soft and wide. Bunker’s brushes whisper more than they swing, adding just enough pulse to remind you this is still a jazz trio. “Autumn Leaves” is a stand out track during this performance with its upbeat tempo and Evans’ lyrical playing making you feel like you can almost sing along to the piano. Israels’ solo is a masterclass on stand-up bass, and Bunker’s rhythmic support is superb.

In 1965, the energy shifts. Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Alan Dawson bring a different kind of tension, playing a little sharper and lighter with a little more fire under the fingers. Pedersen, just in his twenties, plays with his own groovy style. On “Come Rain or Come Shine,” he doesn’t just walk the bassline, he walks it with attitude , while Evans lays down darting chord fragments, weaving in and out of the rhythm with sly confidence. The real surprise comes with Lee Konitz, whose alto on “My Melancholy Baby” adds a cool, oblique line through the trio’s warm palette. His solos here are most welcome as they add little trails for the rest of the trio to follow and respond to.

But it’s the 1969 Tampere concert — with the longest-running Evans trio of Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell — that captures the pianist at a creative apex. By this time, Evans had integrated a more muscular approach into his sound without sacrificing any nuance. Gomez is a marvel, as always — adventurous, intuitive, almost telepathically locked into Evans’ pulse. Morell’s drumming is crisp and propulsive, giving the trio a rhythmic lift that makes the uptempo cuts swing harder than expected. On “Nardis,” Evans starts with that now-iconic rubato intro, dark, and almost abstract, before the groove drops and the trio snaps into place. Gomez grooves stretch across the changes as natural as can be, while Morell’s drumming is tighter and more direct than his predecessors, giving Evans a rhythmic floor he can dance across. There’s a drive here, a kind of creative restlessness that never spills into excess. Even on the ballads, the trio never lingers, they move forward, always.

What makes Further Ahead more than just another archival release is its curation. “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman continues his streak of excellence, not only in sonic restoration, but in the overall packaging. The album includes reflections from Israels, Gomez, and Morell, rare photographs, and Evans’ own insights into his process. The whole package was done with cooperation with the Bill Evans Estate and every part of it is fantastic. The vinyl sounds so clean that you feel yourself transported to Finland in the ‘60s watching these trios over the years. This isn’t just music, it’s a lovingly assembled time capsule. This is an essential RSD release for any fans of Bill Evans.