New Jazz Conceptions is the debut album as leader by jazz musician Bill Evans, released in 1957 on Riverside Records. History Producer Orrin Keepnews of Riverside Records first determined to record Evans after hearing a tape of his playing. Eleven songs were recorded in the first session, including Evans' own "Waltz for Debby" which would prove to be his most recognized and recorded composition. New Jazz Conceptions was reissued in 2006 with a bonus track. Reception Although a critical success that gained positive reviews in Down Beat and Metronome magazines, New Jazz Conceptions was initially a financial failure, selling only 800 copies the first year. Writing for Allmusic, music critic Scott Yanow said about the album: "Bill Evans' debut as a leader found the 27-year-old pianist already sounding much different than the usual Bud Powell-influenced keyboardists of the time... A strong start to a rather significant career."[4] David Rickert of All About Jazz noted the influence of Bud Powell and wrote "Even at this stage he had the chops to make this a good piano jazz album, but in the end it's not a very good Bill Evans album... There are glimpses of the later trademarks of Evans' style..." Track listing "I Love You" (Cole Porter) ? 3:55 "Five" (Bill Evans) ? 4:03 "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" (Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster) ? 1:39 "Conception" (George Shearing) ? 4:47 "Easy Living" (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger) ? 3:53 "Displacement" (Evans) ? 2:36 "Speak Low" (Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash) ? 5:10 "Waltz for Debby" (Evans, Gene Lees) ? 1:20 "Our Delight" (Tadd Dameron) ? 4:47 "My Romance" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) ? 2:01 "No Cover, No Minimum" [Take 1] (Evans) ? 8:14 Not part of original LP "No Cover, No Minimum" ? 7:31 Personnel Bill Evans - Piano Teddy Kotick - Bass Paul Motian - Drums Production Orrin Keepnews - Producer Bill Grauer - Producer Jack Higgins - Engineer Tamaki Beck - Mastering AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow Bill Evans' debut as a leader found the 27-year-old pianist already sounding much different than the usual Bud Powell-influenced keyboardists of the time. Even in 1956 (more than a year before he joined the Miles Davis Sextet), Evans had his own chord voicings and a lyrical yet swinging style. Three selections here are taken solo (including the original version of his classic "Waltz for Debby"), while the other eight are performed in a trio with bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Paul Motian (including his future theme "Five," "Speak Low" and "No Cover, No Minimum"). A strong start to a significant career.
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