Bill Evans Trio – Explorations [Stereo] (Craft Recordings Small Batch One-Step Series Box Set Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

Announcing the latest installment in Craft Recordings’ acclaimed Small Batch series—a meticulously crafted, audiophile-grade reissue of the Bill Evans Trio’s final studio LP, Explorations. Limited to 2,500 copies worldwide, this one-step lacquer pressing highlights every nuance of the original recording session.

Explorations captures the pioneering spirit of jazz interplay as Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian breathe new life into jazz standards and modern compositions. Recorded in 1961, the album showcases the trio’s conversational approach, dissolving traditional roles to create an "elegant, democratic exchange of ideas." Highlights include the modal journey of "Israel," the haunting "Nardis," and an intricate take on "Beautiful Love." Praised for its innovation and cohesion, Explorations remains a milestone in jazz trio artistry.

Mastered from the original analog tapes (AAA) by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, Explorations uses Neotech’s VR900-D2 "super vinyl" compound with a one-step lacquer process. This exacting process allows for the utmost level of musical detail, clarity and dynamics while reducing the amount of surface noise on the record to ensure that each pressing is a true representation of the original lacquer and is as close as the listener can get to the original recording.

As with all Small Batch editions, Explorations arrives in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped, individually numbered slipcase. The vinyl—extractable through a frictionless ribbon pull tab—is housed in a reproduction of the original tip-on jacket from Riverside Records, protected by an archival-quality, anti-static inner sleeve. Completing the set are new liner notes by Syd Schwartz, a longtime writer, music marketing executive, and author of the popular Jazz and Coffee Substack.

(Above description from CraftRecordings.com)