Jazz Articles about Bill Evans

Bill Evans and Lee Konitz: Play the Arrangements of Jimmy Giuffre

by Matthew Miller
July 14, 2006

Merged from two brilliant 1959 studio sessions, this disc is, just as the title and artist credits suggest, a showcase for three immense talents. Those expecting to hear the snap-crackle of Roy Haynes' snare or Bob Brookmeyer's punctuated counterpoints after reading the all-star lineup may be surprised to hear them relegated to the background, but any disappointment will end there. The brilliant playing of Konitz and Evans, paired with Jimmy Giuffre's sensitive arrangements, is enough to satisfy any true jazz ...

Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings

by Victor Verney
May 19, 2006

Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings Petter Pettinger Hardcover; 346 pages ISBN: 0300097271 Yale University Press 1998

The late Bill Evans, a cerebral, classically-trained pianist, was the first of many brilliant keyboardists whose careers were launched by Miles Davis. Sometimes described as the Chopin of jazz, Evans, who died in 1980, was ethereal in his approach and esoteric in his appeal. “Bill Evans has no casual fans," wrote Adam Gopnik ...

Bill Evans: Soulgrass

by AAJ Italy Staff
February 13, 2006

Il banjo di Bela Fleck e il violino di Stuart Duncan che aprono l'album Soulgrass con l'omonimo brano, firmato dallo stesso Fleck e dal leader del progetto, il saxofonista americano Bill Evans, non lasciano spazio ad equivoci: siamo davvero in clima campagnolo. Ma dopo poco il sax pungente di Bill Evans ci scardina le fondamenta delle nostre certezze con il suo impeto carico di energia fusion e di tutta la curiosità che lega assieme due mondi che difficilmente hanno occasione ...

Bill Evans Trio: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961

by Jim Santella
December 5, 2005

With one and a half hours of material, this three-disc box set proves invaluable. It brings the classic Bill Evans Trio into focus for an evening of modern jazz that's played the way it's supposed to be played. You can relish every nuance of this session because it's not loud, forceful, flashy, or intense. No, Bill Evans didn't design his creations so that you would have your socks knocked off by dramatic intensity. He gave us something to enjoy night ...

Bill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961

by C. Andrew Hovan
November 13, 2005

Certain quintessential works of art, like Van Gogh's “Starry Night or Munch's “The Scream, have been iconic and universal in their appeal to a worldwide audience. Much in the same manner, jazz has its own share of legendary recordings that have become widely appreciated, from Benny Goodman's famous appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1938 to Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue (1959) or John Coltrane's A Love Supreme (1965). To that choice list of essential releases, few would argue that the ...

Bill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961

by Michael McCaw
November 1, 2005

Certain recordings have a sense of wonder, an overwhelming feeling that permeates everything going on and controls the listener's situation. Such is the case with Waltz for Debby and Sunday at The Village Vanguard, which have long been held in high regard as seminal recordings that nearly define the sound of the piano trio even today.These seminal recordings of Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro, and Paul Motian, the last by this trio (culled from June 25, 1961 performances) have ...

Bill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961

by C. Michael Bailey
November 1, 2005

The Wish Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you..., Matthew 7:7 (KJV) In 2001, I took a poll of All About Jazz contributors to determine the Top Ten Best Live Jazz Recordings. This poll corresponded with my previously completed series The Top Ten Best Live Rock Recordings. These two article series have recently been reformatted, archived, and republished as: Best Live Jazz Recordings (1953-65), Best ...