Bill Evans - Quiet Now: Never Let Me Go (1999/2019)

Call this Evans Lite, or the Vanillification of Bill. Following in the footsteps of the showcase treatments afforded Verve labelmates Joe Henderson and Shirley Horn, this collection culls some of the more reflective solo moments with the exception of "Turn Out the Stars" and "Angel-Face," which feature guitarist Jim Hall from post-bop pianist Evans' '60s catalog.

The usual caveat regarding thematically skewed samplings applies here, i.e., without the hard swinging yang of a One for Helen to complement the yin of the more treacly fare, the uninitiated may come away from this nine-track compilation convinced that Evans is only a gifted purveyor of pleasant, if innocuous, dinner music. Strictly for the musical dilettante for whom time, and/or interest in the genre, is at a premium.