Formed and led by Bill Evans, the Bill Evans Trio, with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, is one of the most celebrated piano trios in jazz. The group’s “concentration was on traditional jazz standards and original compositions, resulting in a sound that involved interplay among the band members and quite often approached collective improvisation, blurring the line between accompanist and solo artist.” Simply put, this jazz trio raised the bar.

Lafaro’s death in a 1961 car accident ended the band, however their albums, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debbie (both recorded live) are still considered to be among the greatest jazz trio recordings of all time.