Welcome to billevanswebpages.com
Dedicated
to the life and music of pianist and composer BILL EVANS (1929-1980),
one of the most important and influential musicians in all of
jazz history. News, CD and DVD reviews, essays and articles, recording
catalog, interviews, sidemen info, sound samples, biography, etc. . We try to update at least once every few weeks,
as circumstances warrant, so come by again soon. If you're new to Bill Evans, you can start your journey HERE.
We
welcome you to send email with
your comments or questions...or any reviews or articles you may
want us to consider for inclusion on this website. All will be
read and be answered as time permits. Thank you!
"BILL EVANS: ALONE" and "ALONE (AGAIN)" -Jazzwax.com - Marc Myers discusses these two solo albums in this new post on his always intriguing jazz blog from Oct. 6. Check it out! Marc is a knowledgeable jazz critic and a fine writer whose (perhaps controversial) new piece on Miles' "KIND OF BLUE" album is published in JAZZIZ magazine.
Recent Evans videos on YOUTUBE :
"After You" from the 1978 "New Conversations" album
"Blue Serge (Bill Evans-Eddie Gomez) in STEREO [YouTube]
"Jade Visions" -Vanguard track from 1961, with photos of the trio
European vocalist Hilda Hefte sings a lovely version of Evans' "My Bells"
 D V D: "JAZZ ICONS: BILL EVANS" -- WITH RARE AND PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED VIDEO |
 September 30th: Reelin' in the Years Productions is releasing this excellent DVD as part of its highly acclaimed "Jazz Icons" series. (the six other releases in the series include Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Nina Simone, Lionel Hampton and Rahsaan Roland Kirk -- all are sold separately, of course.)
There are five filmed Evans trio performances (including a tune with jazz legend Lee Konitz sitting in) from between 1964 and 1975. Two of these (the longer ones!) have rarely been seen, as far I know -- and we finally get to see drummer Eliot Zigmund with the trio. The whole package is beautifully done, and jazz fans will be quite pleased with the attention to detail and the obvious care that went into this effort. The set includes a 23-page booklet with rare photos and essays, including a new interview wirth Chuck Israels. (see the "Jazz Icons"dedicated site for the Bill Evans DVD here, for extensive details, and preview - it's quite a treat!)
Below is a list of the performances and the what, where and who. I've seen the DVD and the visual quality and sound are terrific. We will discuss the music in an upcomg review.
Order it now, you don't want to be without this one.
THE PERFORMANCES:
1. My Foolish Heart
2. Israel
Sweden September 29, 1964 - with Chuck Israels (bass) , Larry Bunker (drums)
3. Detour Ahead
4. My Melancholy Baby (featuring Lee Konitz -alto sax)
France 1965 - with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass), Alan Dawson (drums)
5. Emily
6. Alfie
7. Someday My Prince Will Come
Denmark 1970 - with Eddie Gomez (bass), Marty Morrell (drums)
8. If You Could See Me Now
9. 'Round Midnight
10. Someday My Prince Will Come
11. Sleepin' Bee
12. You're Gonna Hear From Me
13. Re: Person I Knew
Sweden, February 20, 1970 -with Eddie Gomez (bass) , Marty Morrell (drums)
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14. Sareen Jurer
15. Blue Serge
16. Up With The Lark
17. But Beautiful
18. Twelve Tone Tune Two
Denmark 1975 (in studio) -with Eddie Gomez (bass) , Eliot Zigmund (drums)
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(Images courtesy of Reelin in the Years Productions, LLC and Naxos. All rights reserved.
ALBUM OF THE MONTH - "SYMBIOSIS" (1974)
Review by Jan Stevens
Last month's CD review: "Moonbeams" by John Varrallo
July edition:"Bill
Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival by Jan Stevens
Have an "Album of the Month"review YOU'D like to write for this site? Email us!IE
| JAZZ.COM FEATURE: THE ESSENTIAL BILL EVANS - "THE DOZENS" |
 Jazz writer Ted Gioia runs a feature at his jazz.com site called "The Dozens", in which he (or a guest writer) picks essential tracks from albums by major jazz figures. This time it's dedicated to Bill Evans, and his picks and their commentaries are really quite good. (I agree with 9 out of 12, which of course, is entirely subjective) He makes some pretty cool observations, but I don't want to give anything away, so be sure and check it out for yourself.
| "SUNDAY AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD" - NEW KEEPNEWS VIDEO INTERVIEW |
 Our friend Bret Primack, web video producer and broadcaster, has completed the latest ORRIN KEEPNEWS interview feature for Concord Records - a look back by the producer at the Bill Evans Trio's landmark 1961 Sunday at the Village Vanguard album with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. IIf you saw the last video interview on Evans' "Portrait in Jazz", you know this is great stuff. We thank Bret for not only his consistently fine work, but also for his acknowlegement in the credits on the video to this website and its author (for some very minimal assistance provided).
While you're at it, check out Bret's YouTube page and his own website for other jazz "treats" -- he's done nice projects for Joe Lovano, Sonny Rollins, Billy Taylor and others that definitely merit your attention.
| COLUMBIA RECORDS AD FOR "LIVING TIME" ALBUM (1972) |
A little piece of history: This is something you don't see too often. This Columbia Records advertisement for the "Bill Evans -George Russell Orchestra: Living Time" album originally appeared in Downbeat and other magazines in 1972. Read this curious ad carefully and notice how the world's most powerful recording company tried to sell Bill as part of the the then emerging jazz-rock phenomenon. "Few performances have ever captured the fusion of Rock and New Music..." Indeed. Once George Russell showed up with the score (commissioned by Evans) it was all they could do to record the ambitious and difficult project. Listeners have to decide for themselves -- but the fact is that Evans received a load of mail from fans threatening to never buy his albums again. He was taken aback, yet seemed to remain proud of the work, doing it mlive once or twice in Europe, but acquiesced to its challenging effect on listeners...
When I asked Bill about it in 1979, I recall him saying "that was 'George's album, really". The record did rather poorly, Columbia decided not to exercise their option, and Evans was dropped from the label -- apparently along with a few other jazz notables who did not agree with label prez Clive Davis' persuasions to persue the fusion route. (See the book "The Label" by Gary Marmorstein.) Evans biographer Keith Shadwick loved the album, and his often problematic book makes several interesting, though arguable points. The CD is currently out-of-print, (LP copies are floating around here and there on the Web) but it deserves to be reissued, at least for jazz history's sake -- and perhaps for a look back in hindsight at what worked, what didn't work, and why.
"Those two guys brought tears to my eyes."
-- PAUL MOTIAN, on Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro
| NEW LINK -- DOWNLOAD BILL EVANS NEWSLETTER - "LETTER FROM EVANS" |
[Aug.'08 -NEW LINK - You can now download the "Letter From Evans" series hereAn
incrdible resource: : between autumn 1989 -1994, a (hard copy) newsletter dedicated solely to the music and
the life of Bill Evans was
published by well-known Evans historian and bassist Win
Hinkle. (Those who have appreciated Bill's work since that
time may have seen references about Win and his published materials
included in both the Peter Pettinger and Keith Shadwick books)
"Letter From Evans" was available by subscription
only back then, but now Win has made all twenty-six issues available
online in .pdf files-- and it's all free! During
it's five-year run, LFE featured Evans news, album reviews,
commentary, analysis, transcriptions and many exclusive interviews done mostly by Win with some folks you just
might have heard of: Keith Jarrett, Marc Johnson, Steve Allen,
Earl Zindars, Joe LaBarbera, Henry Mancini, Chuck Israels, Mundell
Lowe, Jimmy Rowles, Denny Zeitlin and many others!
Some rare interviews with Bill himself from various sources
appeared in LFE too, as did a number of nifty transcrptions of
Evans solos -- many that were not available elsewhere. Just a
few of those who contributed articles or reviews included musicians
like Jack
Reilly, Hal Galper, Kenny Werner, Richie Bierach, Evans
archivist Ron Nethercutt and, in fact, yours truly (Jan Stevens). For
those Bill Evans fans and jazz listeners who haven't seen any
issues of "Letter From Evans", you're in for
quite a treat. They are all filled with loads of unique material--
and some related jazz reviews and comentaries from that time -
that you just won't find anywhere else. Once again, the files
of all issues are now free (though Win has mentioned at his blog
that those who may wish to can contribute, just to help defray
all the expense).
Obviously,
if you're an Evans aficianado, or even a casual fan, this is big
news. Since I was a subscriber myself then, of course, I have
all these issues -- but honestly, I couldn't be more thrilled,
just thinking about all the good stuff some of you will soon be
reading.
OUR
NEW DVD and VIDEO PAGE - and BILL "AT THE MOVIES"
MIKE HARRIS -
("Secret Sessions" CD boxset) profile article
"BILL EVANS" - our DVD review of the
rare Italian documentary from 1996
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NOTES
AND DISCLAIMERS:
This
tribute website is intended for educational and informational
purposes only. It
is a not-for-profit endeavor and we do not solicit nor accept
any contributions, nor do we sell any products, music transcriptions,
ad space, or other Bill Evans- related or jazz-related services
whatsoever. This website is not affiliated with any record company or
publisher, nor with the Estate of Bill Evans. Any ads
or logos to featured jazz sites are purely promotional as a
recommended site, and are unsolicited and done for free.
Also: many musicians and fans have contacted us and asked
about obtaining Bill Evans piano transcriptions. Sorry, but
we do not provide these for various copyright reasons. The webmaster
(a pianist) has studied many Evans solo transcriptions, and
various transcriptions by both amateurs and professionals are
available on the Web. Though we do not endorse or specifically
recommend these, you can see a few links to transcriptions on
our LINKS page and for info on where to
purchase music books of various Evans collections. Many are
able to be obtained from TRO Music, Inc., distributed by Hal Leonard, Inc., and other authorized companies which pay licensing fees and
have permissions to reproduce original musical compositions
and transcriptions.
We kindly ask that you please
do not email to ask "What album is "[whatever song]
on?". Our discography of
Bill Evans' recording history (1956 through 1980) --though in
need of some updating for recent reissues -- gives as much detailed
and complete information as possible. Thank you
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