Who Wrote "Blue In Green", Evans or Miles?
evan...@my-deja.com
always been a matter of great conjecture who wrote "Blue In Green".
Although you all will say that I am biased, I will tell you definitavely
that is was my father. It is not something that I "think", or that I have
concluded, but rather it is a fact that is known to the estate of Bill
Evans, and we have put a lot of time and effort into keeping the doors
open to facts regarding this important historical discrepancy. So, how do
I know this to be a fact? Well, I will explain, but first let me also
suggest to you that at this point in time it has become clear that my
father was the primary inventor of modal jazz and more than likely turned
Davis on to it.(I can explain that at the end, but first...)
It is Earl Zindars, composer of "Mother Of Earl" and "How My Heart Sings"
among others, that is the star witness here. I will double check with him
if the melody was written by Miles (If it is, it is certainly no great
feat as it is merely a descending scale which of course is not very
radical in Jazz music) but as far as the piece is concerned it was
Bill's. Here's why:
The piece was written at 4:00 in the morning in Earl Zindars apartment
the evening before the sessions on Earl's piano. Earl was there and Bill
explained the music to him after he composed it as well as engaged him in
conversation about the idea for it before sitting down to refine and
complete it. I have Earl on tape to this affect and he can elaborate more
clearly to me about it the next time I see him. He is quite surprised
when he hears otherwise and is not even adomant to defend the point. He
simply says Bill wrote it right then and there in front of him at 4 am.
No if's and's or but's. He let's off that if someone else want's to get
in a tissy about who wrote it so be it, but he is very calm about the
fact that it is Bill's. So there you have it.
Now as far as Bill being the inventor of Modal jazz. Of course it is
entirely possible that a few others were developing it in parallel but it
is certainly not a matter of argument that Bill excelled the fastest at
the concept and I now have evidence of this of which at this point in my
private circle Harvey Pekar has backed me up on. Just click on the
following link, buy the album and you will hear for yourself my father
playing around with modal ideas more than a decade before "Kind Of Blue".
That's more than a decade. There is plenty of historical paperwork as to
his efforts on this idea and that will also be made public within the
next few years.
----------------------------------
"Very Early: Volume One - 1941-49"
by Bill Evans
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(Only available for purchase on the internet):
Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000056PGX/billevansorganiz
I hope you are all having a wonderful new year. Cheers,
Evan Evans
http://www.evanevans.org
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
crib
the way, is probably my favorite song. (just as bill evans made some of my
favorite music, in case it means anything to you. i particularly enjoy his
later work.)
i have my own reasons for believing this. suffice to say, compositionally, it's
much more logical to conclude that that tune, at that time, came from evans'
pen than davis'.
but here's my question: is this really a point of contention? i've never met
anyone who has argued that miles davis wrote "blue in green" all by himself. it
seems to me that most of the jazz community believes that story related in
ashley kahn in her recent book: davis wrote down two chords, asked evans what
he might do with them, and evans responded by writing "kind of blue." everybody
agrees that bill evans wrote the tune, everybody agrees that miles davis took
undue credit, and everybody agrees that evans didn't much object.
if there are a lot of people who really believe that miles davis is the true
composer of that tune, they've all pretty well kept away from me.
crib
Erin Evans
I have recently lurked as well as posted a few times on this ng and,
miraculously, here we meet again.
Biases also aside, I concur with your post.
My dad mentioned that Bill was experimenting w/ modal ideas in their
college days in Louisiana. I actually recall my father discussing his
chagrin back then in the fact that his brother was not following the
traditional path.
Feel free to email me.
Hope you and the "new" family are well.
Erin
Steve Smith
> it seems to me that most of the jazz community believes that story related in
> ashley kahn in her recent book:
Not "her"... his.
Steve Smith
ssmi...@sprynet.com
NP - Einojuhani Rautavaara, Symphony No. 3 - first mvt., RSNO/Lintu (Naxos)
crib
<< Not "her"... his. >>
whoops! didn't even notice that. 's what i get for being up this late, i
suppose. ;-) thanks for the catch.
crib
Jeeves2nd
the development of modal jazz is being revisited. Given the historical
significance of this era it is important to get a clear understanding of the
roles that all participants played. Irregardless of the conclusions that will
be drawn from any new evidence, Evans's and Davis's legacies will remain intact
within the history of the music. The issue is simply to view, with as much
clarity as possible, a period of great artistic achievement.
I very much agree with your first claim regarding your father's role in "Blue
in Green". Not only does it sound like his work but given that he had left the
band the preceeding year and was invited back by Davis for these sessions,
tends to at least support his critical role in this music. At the very least it
was his "sound" that Davis needed - but, as others have pointed out, Davis was
probably looking for much more in the way of contribution.
Rearding his "inventor" role:
I assume that George Russell has no qualms about yielding this role to your
father. He was doing modal work in the 40's (Intro to Cubano Be, 1947). Their
also must have been a great deal of cross-pollination when Russell and Evans
paths crossed throughout the 50's. It would seem to me that his opinion on the
topic would be critical to reaching a conclusion.
Your father's music has brought me a great deal of pleasure in my life. Best of
luck to your to you in your efforts.
Steve
Ali Berkok
the work of Russell or Evans, but weren't they just sharing from the same musical
pot that composers such as Ravel and Liszt were decades before?
Jeeves2nd
development of a rather important phase of jazz history- Evan Evan's point, as
well as how were these existing modal ideas integrated into jazz in such a
manner as to leave us with lasting art. A development which impacted subsequent
practitioners of this art. I would submit that the latter is indeed a "big
deal".
crib
<< I assume that George Russell has no qualms about yielding this role to your
father. >>
umm...i'll take that bet...
crib
DHoff56012
wrote it. His later tunes seem to be similar in the way the chords move. If
Davis wrote it, he never again wrote another tune like it.
It's a wonderful tune.
Tom Holman
>Hello All. This is Evan Evans, son of Jazz pianist Bill Evans. It has
>always been a matter of great conjecture who wrote "Blue In Green".
>Although you all will say that I am biased, I will tell you definitavely
>that is was my father. It is not something that I "think", or that I have
>concluded, but rather it is a fact that is known to the estate of Bill
>Evans, and we have put a lot of time and effort into keeping the doors
>open to facts regarding this important historical discrepancy.
I have always seen it much more as Evans than Davis. Wasn't it on the
"Blue In Green -- Concert in Canada" album that Evans is given
(perhaps gave himself?) credit as the author or at least the first
author of that tune?
Tom Holman
Joerg Walther
> Now as far as Bill being the inventor of Modal jazz. Of course it is
> entirely possible that a few others were developing it in parallel
How about Lennie Tristano, doing it about the same time you ascribe it
to your father (1940s)?
BTW: Keep on posting, here's a BIG Bill Evans fan (nearly got EVERYTHING
of him on record/CD).
- jw -
--
And now for something completely different...
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43...@my-deja.com
question. Blue in Green (and Flamenco Sketches) were written by Bill
Evans. "Kind of Blue" is, in the final analysis, not a trumpet record
nor even a horn record, it is a piano record. It is a Bill Evans
record.
Now, Mr. Evans the younger, do you have plans to release any (or do you
have access to any) footage a la documentary, regarding Bill Evans?
crib
<< Blue in Green (and Flamenco Sketches) were written by Bill Evans. >>
umm...ok. i definitely agree with regard to "blue in green" -- so for practical
purposes, i'll grant you that line.
<< "Kind of Blue" is, in the final analysis, not a trumpet record nor even a
horn record, it is a piano record. It is a Bill Evans record. >>
THIS line, however, is another matter, entirely.
you want to tell me that "know what i mean?" is a bill evans record? ok...you
could probably persuade me. but "kind of blue," a piano record -- a bill evans
record, rather than a miles davis record?
in a word: "no." in two words: "listen again."
...and that's coming from a guy who absolutely LOVES practically everything the
guy ever recorded.
crib
mark.a....@gmail.com
Miles and your father have always been a part of my life as Kind of Blue is the first album I remember ever listening to. My dad was a musician, and he played it all the time.
I've wondered about this subject for a long time and one important question that comes to mind is whether or not your father ever held any hard feelings toward Miles due to the confusion in credit where credit is due. Did this concerne your father greatly? Do you know his feelings on the subject?
Best,
Mark Blumberg