Bill Evans (Piano, not Sax)
Marc Sabatella
>I've never ventured beyond his early trio recordings with Scott LaFaro
>and Paul Motian and a couple of late fifties sessions with Sam Jones
>and Philly Joe Jones.
Well you certainly started out at the right place.
>Now I'm looking for recommendations on Evans'
>later work (later, in my case, meaning post-1960 :-)).
When LaFaro died (after the Holocaust, this ranks as the single biggest tragedy
of the 20th century, IMHO), Evans continued playing in a trio format, playing
the same kind of music, with shifting personnel. Some of the recordings with
Eddie Gomez (whom I do not particularly like) and Marty Morrell are unusually
fiery for Bill - you might want to check out "Live At Montreaux" (vol. 1 or 2)
or "Jazz House".
Bill Evans' solo playing is beautiful as well. See if you can find a recording
of "Peace Piece" (which you should recognize as an extrapolation of the intro
to "Some Other Time" from "Waltz For Debby"). Just for fun, you may wish to
check out one of the albums he did with Tony Bennett. Maybe two or three cuts
above the "standard lounge act". What really bugs me is, when they do Michel
Legrand's "You Must Believe In Spring", I *do*; when I try to play it, it
is the shallowest sounding garbage I've ever heard.
Bill also appeared as a sideman on lots of albums, including an otherwise
fairly weak album co-led by Stan Getz. Of course, Miles' "Kind Of Blue" is an
essential part of any collection. Other than those two, though, there is
nothing I can think of offhand to recommend, as Bill's genius was in self-led
trios. Not that there's anything wrong with "Blues And The Abstract Truth",
mind you; it's just that I wouldn't buy just it to hear Bill Evans.
Marc
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Jim Sheppard
> I would welcome any recommendations on Evans' later work, especially
> in a trio setting. Thanks.
I would suggest _Conversations with Myself_ (piano duos & trios with
Bill on all parts), _Bill Evans at Town Hall_ (mostly trio), _Alone_ (solo),
_Symbiosis_ (with symphony orchestra) and _Quintessence_ (quintet).
Obviously your tastes might not overlap here with mine.
Jim Sheppard (ji...@hpfcmgw.FC.HP.com)
The Hewlett-Packard Company
Fort Collins, Colorado USA
Bob Frank
Bill Evans' solo album "Alone" is pretty good fare. There are a bunch
of nice ballads - including a particularly nice version of Joe
Zawinul's "Midnight Mood" and the tune "A Time for Love". The CD
version includes a couple of extra cuts including half of a recording
of "All the Things You Are" - the only recording of Bill playing this,
I believe.
I'd avoid Evans' other solo album "Alone Again" which was recorded
some years later (late 70's, I believe). To me it seems rather trite
(expecially in song selection) and not particularly adventurous. The
albums "Conversations with Myself" and "Further Conversations ..."
don't do anything for me. These 2 albums are Evans playing multiple
tracks of piano (sometimes even Fender Rhodes) on each tune. Some
people really like them, but I haven't yet been bitten by them.
It's a real shame that such a talented pianist did so little solo
recording.
Good Luck.
Bob
Charles E Stjohn
Here's a question I hope someone can answer- I've wondered about it for a few
years and haven't come across an answer in my reading. How did Bill Evans
die? And when, for that matter? I think it was late '79 but that's just a
guess. I've heard a lot of jazz people lament the fact that such a talented
artist passed away (and I agree), but no details. Help, anyone?
Chuck St. John
Tektronix
Beaverton, Or
Don Steiny
I live the title cut on "Interplay" with Jim Hall. I also
think that "Blues and the Abstract Truth" must be more Bill Evans
than Oliver Nelson in the sense that I have many many other Oliver
Nelson albums and none sound anything like Blues and the Abstract
Truth. However, Blues and the Abstract Truth has that wonderful
harmonic quality that seems to me to be characteristic of Bill
Evans.
I forget the titles, but Bill did some albums with Philly Joe
Jones that I like.
Jim Sheppard
> How did Bill Evans die? And when, for that matter? I think it was late
> '79 but that's just a guess.
Bill Evans was born August 16, 1929 and died September 15, 1980. I'm not
sure of the exact cause of death but I seem to remember it was pnemonia
and its complications.
Jim McCrae
Jim McCrae -> San Carlos CA
Rini Dumbhead
>>> How did Bill Evans die?
Bill Henry responds:
>In spite of what the death ceritficate might have said, the true cause of
>death was, once again, drugs.
Do you have any evidence for this, or are you just making it up? Why are
you a more superior authority than the death certificate?
Ben.