Portrait In Jazz (Green Multi-Coloured Splatter Vinyl)

Every note on Portrait in Jazz feels like it’s holding its breath; poised between elegance and experimentation, restraint and revelation. Released in 1960, this landmark recording marked the beginning of what would become one of jazz’s most revered trios: Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. It’s the sound of three musicians stepping into each other’s shadows and then stepping out again, redefining the possibilities of the piano trio in real time.

While Evans’s lyrical, impressionistic style had already earned him acclaim, most notably as a contributor to Kind of Blue, Portrait in Jazz established a new group dynamic. LaFaro’s bass isn’t tethered to the piano; it soars alongside it, conversational and daring. Motian, too, resists strict timekeeping in favour of intuitive response. The trio doesn’t so much play together as breathe together. “Autumn Leaves” swings with surprising bite, “Someday My Prince Will Come” shimmers with gentle irony, and the reprise of “Blue in Green” reclaims authorship with haunting grace.

Evans’s original compositions, particularly “Peri’s Scope,” hint at the introspective tenderness that would characterise his later work. But there’s also a sense of lightness here, a willingness to explore and push the structure without sacrificing lyricism. Critics at the time couldn’t quite grasp how radical it was, a rhythm section operating with such equal footing, but history has caught up. Portrait in Jazz laid the foundation for decades of modern jazz trio interplay, and still sounds quietly revolutionary.