Bill Evans reshaped jazz in the late 1950s with his introspective style, a departure from the dominant hard bop of the era. Born in New Jersey, Evans studied music, served in the Army, and moved to New York in 1955. He gained recognition for his nuanced solos with Tony Scott and George Russell, and his time with Miles Davis in 1958 helped him develop a groundbreaking trio. This trio consisted of bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Their interactive approach imbued each instrument with melodic meaning and influenced generations of musicians.

Moon Beams, originally released in 1962, is the first Bill Evans Trio album to feature Chuck Israel on bass, following the death of Scott LaFaro. On the tracks "Re: Person I Knew" and "Very Early," the trio of Evans (piano) and Israel (bass) is completed by Paul Motion (drums). This new edition of the album is being released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series on 180-gram vinyl pressed by RTI with a fully analog mastering of the original tapes by Coherent Audio and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.