(Riverside)
One of the most lyrical pianists in jazz annals, Evans hit career stride with this intimate set recorded at the famed New York club. The performance revels in the sublime chemistry between Evans, bass marvel Scott LaFaro and sensitive drummer Paul Motian. Vanguard is gorgeously melodic, but more introspective and probing than most piano-trio music that preceded it. In many ways, this disc is the gold standard for the piano-trio format. In '05, Riverside released a three-CD set, The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961, that captures the Evans trio's entire three-day run. All of it is transcendent.
