Recorded live at the Village Vanguard on June 25, 1961, the same night as Sunday At The Village Vanguard, Waltz For Debby helps complete an early full portrait of Bill Evans. It captures one of jazz’s most deeply connected piano trios on superb form, playing with remarkable instinct and balance.

Listening back, the rapport between Evans and bassist Scott LaFaro is unmistakable. Alongside them, drummer Paul Motian brings subtle, improvised accompaniment and a quietly off-centre swing that fits Evans perfectly. There is real beauty in the gentle My Foolish Heart, plenty of lift in Milestones, and the title track Waltz For Debby remains a standout for good reason.

Very little in piano trio jazz has matched the clarity and sensitivity Evans achieved on the recordings from this single date. With Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, he found a musical language that feels whisper-intimate, moving from soft cascades into sharp rhythmic turns with total ease.

At the piano, Evans sounds both inward and completely exposed on My Foolish Heart and the title melody. The chord voicings feel unusual and finely shaded, and the same can be said for the bass and drums. Arriving several months after the successful first chapter in Evans’s Vanguard story, Waltz For Debby made it even clearer just how special this trio, and its leader, really were.