Bill Evans: I Should Care
Musicians:
Bill Evans (piano), Chuck Israels (bass),
Arnold Wise (drums)
.Composed by Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl & Paul Weston
.Recorded: Town Hall, New York, February 21, 1966
Rating: 93/100 (learn more)
Here Bill Evans revisits his musical ties to bop piano pioneer Bud Powell, who also liked to play (and sometimes sing) this melancholy song with its contradictory lyrics. The irony is that Evans's version sounds more like classic Powell than
Powell does himself. This track from Evans's Town Hall live recording has more bite in it than the pianist usually shows. Even his comping chords have an extra kick to them.
You know how people say "I could care less" when they really mean "I couldn't care less"? Sammy Cahn's words to this tune, with their peculiar closing line ("I should care . . and I do"), capture both meanings at once, caring and not caring. Evans's performance is much the same: on the surface it sounds tossed off without a second thought, but underneath it you can hear how much care went into this apparent indifference. This is not quite an Evans masterpiece, but it provides interesting perspective on the rougher and ruggeder side of a deep musical thinker.
Reviewer: Ted Gioia
Tags: 1960s jazz · i should care · piano trio · verve
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