Craft Recordings isn’t just dipping its toes into jazz reissues in 2025—they’re running the table. Between Riverside, OJC, and a steady stream of heavy-hitting archival projects, the label has been setting the pace for how this music should be preserved and presented. Their latest statement, Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings from the Bill Evans Trio Featuring Scott LaFaro & Paul Motian, is a 5-LP/3-CD/digital deep dive into the trio’s complete studio output, including Portrait in Jazz (1960), Explorations (1961), and a cache of previously unreleased recordings that underline why this lineup is still regarded as Evans’ “classic” trio.
In 1959, pianist Bill Evans pulled off what most musicians only dream of—he built a trio so perfectly attuned to one another that they rewrote the rules of modern jazz. With Scott LaFaro’s fearless bass lines and Paul Motian’s subtle, elastic drumming, Evans found partners who could match his instinct for interplay and space. Together, they pioneered an improvisational language that pushed beyond traditional roles, creating a sound that was as conversational as it was groundbreaking. Their time as a unit was painfully short, but the two live albums and two studio recordings they left behind remain touchstones for generations of musicians and listeners.
Now, Craft Recordings pays tribute to this iconic lineup with Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings—a definitive collection that, for the first time, gathers the complete studio legacy of Evans’ “Classic Trio.”
Central to the 5-LP, 180-gram vinyl box (also available as a 3-CD set and in standard/hi-res digital) are the landmark albums Portrait in Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961), newly restored with precision by Plangent Processes. Expanding on those sessions are three more LPs packed with 26 alternate takes and outtakes—17 previously unheard—that pull back the curtain on the trio’s creative process in the studio.
Arriving November 21st and available now for pre-order and pre-save, the set was produced by Nick Phillips and mastered by GRAMMY Award-winner Paul Blakemore, with lacquers for the vinyl cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The deluxe packaging includes rare photographs and a fold-out poster with newly commissioned artwork on one side, plus fresh perspectives from The Doors’ John Densmore—who recalls sneaking into Shelly’s Manne-Hole to catch the trio—and new liner notes by writer Eugene Holley Jr.
Bill Evans (1929–1980) remains one of the most influential voices in jazz, known for his lyrical touch, inventive harmonies, and the conversational trio style he forged with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Though their collaboration lasted less than two years, this “Classic Trio” permanently altered the language of modern jazz.
By the time they formed in 1959, Evans was already gaining recognition through his work with Miles Davis on Kind of Blue and his own early recordings. LaFaro, newly arrived in New York, brought a guitar-like fluency to the bass, while Motian broke free from strict timekeeping to create fluid textures. Together, they pioneered a new model of improvisation built on interaction rather than hierarchy.
In their brief window, the trio recorded two studio albums—Portrait in Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961)—and two iconic live sessions at the Village Vanguard. Just ten days after those performances, LaFaro was killed in a car accident at age 25. Though Evans would rebuild his trio with other musicians, the music created in that short span continues to shape jazz to this day, inspiring generations of pianists and beyond.
Where to buy: $149 at Amazon (available November 21, 2025)
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