Jazz Articles about Bill Evans

Bill Evans: You Must Believe In Spring

by Mark Corroto
April 3, 2004

Somewhere between the huge box sets of Bill Evans’ work on Verve, Riverside, Fantasy and his final works (and almost final live dates) lie some true gems. Romantics fall easily for the gritty sounds of Evans accompanying singer Tony Bennett from 1975 and his two Paris concerts from 1979, both released on Blue Note, which are indeed triumphs of his spirit. I’d put my vote in for this session released originally in 1981, a year after Evans’ passing. ...

Bill Evans: Everything Happens To Me - A Musical Biography

by C. Michael Bailey
March 8, 2004

Everything Happens To Me Keith Shadwick Backbeat Books, Music Player Network, San Francisco, 2002 ISBN 0-87930-708-0

Years before Brad Meldau thought to redefine the jazz piano trio, Bill Evans defined it in the first place. In piano jazz history, Bill Evans influenced every major pianist to come after him. Before Evans, influentially, only Bud Powell can be spoken of in the same breath. Following Peter Pettinger's 1999 Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings, British ...

Bill Evans, The Pianist as an Artist

by Kyle Simpler
March 8, 2004

The Pianist as an Artist Enrico Pieranunzi Continuum Books ISBN: 0826457967

Many professional musicians possess a great talent, but only a few achieve a level of true greatness. The legendary pianist, Bill Evans definitely fits into this second category. Evans left an indelible mark on the history of jazz. Even now, twenty-two years after his death, his recordings still influence musicians around the world. Unfortunately, his talent was counterbalanced by a dark side, which ...

Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings

by Larry Koenigsberg
March 8, 2004

Peter Pettinger Yale University Press New Haven 1998

This is an exhaustive trawl through the work of Bill Evans, with characterizations of virtually every recorded track, whether created for posterity or bootlegged from a concert or broadcast. Evans’ work schedule gets a similar treatment, although the author implies that there are quite a few more performance dates than the many which he does characterize or at least mention. There are also many quotations from Evans, who ...

Bill Evans: Getting Sentimental: Live at the Village Vanguard

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
March 5, 2004

Devotees of the immortal Bill Evans will jump at this bouquet of previously unreleased cuts, taped by fan Mike Harris at the Village Vanguard on January 15, 1978. During that week, Evans was trying out a different replacement for bassist Eddie Gomez each night, among them Rufus Reid and George Mraz. This recording was Michael Moore's “audition" for the trio, which he passed, staying with them for six months. Harris's reel-to-reel was digitally edited and mastered at Fantasy studios in ...

Bill Evans: Getting Sentimental

by Russell Moon
February 10, 2004

Getting Sentimental is a bootleg tape released with the permission of the Evans estate. Like the recordings of The Secret Sessions box, it was recorded without Evans' knowledge by a fan who was a regular customer of the Village Vanguard, in this particular case on January 15, 1978. Bassist Eddie Gomez had recently left Evans after twelve years of service, and this was the tryout for Michael Moore. Based upon his performance this night, Evans hired him. Drummer Philly Joe ...

Tony Bennett / Bill Evans: The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album

by C. Michael Bailey
May 25, 2003

I suspect it would be rank hyperbole to state that Tony Bennett and Bill Evans were soul mates. No, that would probably be inaccurate. Actually, the two artists had very little in common aside from the fact that they were both jazz musicians. Bennett--a virile, muscular jazz singer with a conservative yet extroverted style--shared few obvious things with Evans, who was painfully shy, introverted, and impressionistic. But that is the beauty of jazz. These two exceptional musicians came together at ...