Credits:Bill Evans TrioDescription:WhenthisalbumwasrecordedinFebruaryof1961,ithadbeenmorethanyearsincethePortraitinJazzwasissued,thediscthatwonthecriticsover.Bythetimeofthisissue,Evanshadreleasedfouralbumsinsixyears,apaceunheardofduringthattime.Mostmusicianswereissuingtwo,three,andevenfourrecordsayearduringthesameera.ManyspeculateonEvans'personalproblemsatthetime,butthetruthofthematterliesintherecordingsthemselves,andExplorationsprovesthattheartistwasworthwaitingfornomatterwhatelsewasgoingonoutthere.Evans,withPaulMotianandScottLaFaro,wasontosomethingasatrio,exploringtheundersidesofmelodicandrhythmicconstructionsthathadneverbeenconsideredbymost.Foronething,Evansresurrectsanumberoftunesthathadbeenconsideredhopelesslyplayedout,andliterallyreinventsthem--"HowDeepIstheOcean"and"SweetandLovely."Hisharmonicrichnessthatextendsthemelodicandcolorpaletteofthesenumbersliterallyrevivedthemfromobscurityandbroughtthembackintothecanon.Healso