Alan Pasqua has played in a variety of musical settings, including jazz, pop, soul, and movie soundtracks. Currently the Chairman of Jazz Studies at USC, he studied with noted composer George Russell and has worked with
Tony Williams Lifetime,
Paul Motian,
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra,
James Moody, and others.
Pasqua also spent time with
Bob Dylan,
Ray Charles, and
Santana. For this tribute to
Bill Evans,
Pasqua recorded two separate piano lines via overdubbing, being careful to leave enough breathing room for the listener, while also trying to incorporate the spirit of
Evans without sounding like a mere carbon copy. Six of the pieces are
Evans' originals. He captures the wistful nature of the lovely ballad "Time Remembered" in an Impressionistic manner, with a sparse, deliberate arrangement.
Evans tended to increase the tempo of "Very Early" as he aged, though
Pasqua emphasizes its lyricism by playing it as an intimate jazz waltz. The pianist also captures the playful nature of the jaunty "Walkin' Up."
Miles Davis' "Nardis" is forever associated with
Evans, as he recorded it numerous times over a two-decade stretch.
Pasqua's approach is less aggressive but still potent, though his unresolved ending is not as satisfying. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was never recorded by
Evans, though
Pasqua's witty, waltz-time arrangement shows the depth of his influence, while his haunting "Grace" could easily be considered a requiem for the jazz piano master, who died at the age of 51 in 1980. ~ Ken Dryden