Music

Jim Witzel / VERY EARLY Reviews

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October 12, 2025
All About Jazz by Pierre Giroux

“Guitarist Jim Witzel's Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans) serves as both a heartfelt homage and a
poetic reinterpretation of the pianist's timeless work. Witzel approaches this project with the qualities
that define Evans'; artistry: lyricism, subtle interplay, and harmonic sophistication, all while maintaining
his own voice at the forefront. Evans' legacy continues to inspire new, forward-looking interpretations.”

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/very-early-remembering-bill-evans-jim-witzel-quartet-joplin-and-
sweeney__862

September 26, 2025

Making a Scene by Dee Dee McNeil

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“Very Early is a heartfelt tribute to a jazz icon and a splendid representation of the band’s own individual
talents. “Falling Grace” has been recorded by Pat Metheny, Jim Hall and John Scofield.  Now we can add
Jim Witzel’s name to the list.”

https://www.makingascene.org/jim-witzel-quartet-very-early-remembering-bill-evans/

September 21, 2025

Bebop Spoken Here by Lance Liddle

“Highly recommended. Aarons, bassist Feiszli and drummer Lewis slot easily into Evans'; musical world as
if to the manor born. The first time I heard Bill Evans recording of Some Other Time I remember thinking
that this is now 'his' (Evans'). It probably still is but Witzel, Aaron and company come close - almost too
close to call.”
https://lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.com/2025/09/album-review-jim-witzel-quartet-very.html

September 15, 2025

La Habitacion del Jazz (The Jazz Room) by Jose Ramon

“A beautiful tribute to one of the most influential jazz pianists of all time. An album that Evans fans will
enjoy listening to his music from a new perspective, and fans of Witzel and the guitar in general will also
enjoy.”
https://lahabitaciondeljazz.blogspot.com/2025/09/jim-witzel-quartet-cd-very-early.html?m=1

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September 6, 2025

All About Jazz by Troy Dostert

“Witzel and colleagues are to be commended for recognizing the pianist's artistry with such dedication
and integrity. A subtle muscularity anchors much of the quartet's work with plenty of savory moments
for both Evans afficionados and casual fans alike.”
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/very-early-remembering-bill-evans-jim-witzel-quartet-joplin-and-
sweeney

September 2, 2025

The Jazz Page by Glenn Daniels

“The quartet interprets Evans’s repertoire with a clear respect for the original material while also
highlighting the group’s cohesive interplay. Witzel’s guitar leads the conversation, buoyed by
outstanding performances from his collaborators. The result is an album that honors Evans’s legacy
while providing a fresh perspective through the voice of this ensemble.”
 
https://thejazzpage.com/album/jim-witzel-very-early/

August 25, 2025
The Jersey Sound by Mike Greenblatt

“Many tributes have been recorded, including solo piano, small group, big-band, but this one is
different. Jim Witzel is a guitarist and approaches these selections from a different perspective. He’s got
Emmy Award-winning pianist Phil Aaron to play the role of Bill Evans. And the bass-drums tandem of
Dan Feiszli-Jason Lewis sticks to them like a second skin.”

https://thejerseysound.com/news/the-legend-of-bill-evans-grows-45-years-after-his-death

August 25, 2025

Jersey Jazz by Joe Lang

“Very Early: Remembering Bill Evans by the Jim Witzel Quartet is a unique Evans tribute. Witzel and his
bandmates have produced a fitting nod in the direction of Evans.”

https://njjs.org/magazine/

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August 15, 2025

Jazz Views (UK) by Tim Larsen

“Jim Witzel has found genuinely fresh territory with Very Early, Remembering Bill Evans, creating
something that works both as homage and as a damn good jazz album on its own. It’s a recording that
succeeds precisely because it doesn’t try to be a Bill Evans album. Instead, it’s a Jim Witzel album that
happens to explore Evans’s repertoire, with Aaron’s contrasting non-Evans piano approach providing the
perfect foil for Witzel’s more introspective guitar work. The result honors Evans’s legacy while
establishing its own musical identity.”

https://jazzviews.net/jim-witzel-quartet-very-early-remembering-bill-evans/