This is a blindfold test with a slight twist in it. It will reveal who has been paying close attention to the Jazz press and who has a grasp of essential  Jazz history.

(1) Identity the tune, (2) The composer, (3) The original location where the recording occurred, (4) The trio members in the original album, (5) Name the original album, (6), Identify where this version was recorded, (7) Name the trio members who recorded this version, (8) Name the odd man out.

The tune was by genius bass player Scott LaFaro and titled ‘Gloria’s Step’.   It appeared on the famous ‘Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard‘ albums in the early sixties and tragically Scotty Lafaro died in a car crash within weeks of recording this masterpiece.    The third trio member was Paul Motian who became famous because of that recording.   What you are hearing is not from that album, nor from any of the hundreds of Bill Evans live or studio recordings available.

This version is by Chick Corea which I find quite amazing as it is a long way from Chick’s usual style.  He is accompanied here by Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian (both key Evans alumnae).   Chick is obviously the odd man out here (as he was never part of any Evans lineup), but he is brilliant on this two-CD tribute recording.   Eddie Gomez shows a different side as he consciously plays in a lower register than usual for him and can be heard intoning as he plays (like Slam Stewart).   The album is called ‘Further Explorations’ (Concord) after an Evans, Lafaro, Motian album called ‘Explorations’ (Riverside 1961).  Paul Motian died shortly after recording this, so his Jazz Journey began and ended playing tunes like Gloria’s Step.  It was recorded over several nights at the Blue Note in New York.