"Just think truth and beauty." Bill Evans
Watching film noir gems has led this scribe to gems of jazz yet again - and, as fate would have it, jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans was born on this day in 1929.
As fellow pianists and geniuses Bud Powell and Art Tatum did, Bill Evans featured an original blend of protean elements from classical music and improvisational jazz. A cornerstone among many in the 20th century modern compositions of jazz giants and music innovators Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Cecil Taylor, this quality is especially notable with Bill's first trio, which featured bassist Scott LaFaro and percussionist Paul Motian.
Bill periodically worked with vocalists and his albums with Monica Zetterlund and Tony Bennett remain among the most memorable.
Bill usually recorded and performed with his trio, but also periodically expanded his group to quartets and quintets. Here's Bill with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz.
The concert Bill did with Stan Getz at the Montreux Jazz Festival is amazing as well.
Bill led several trios between the 1950s and his passing in 1980, each one of them musically different from the other. All feature an interplay between the upright bass and the piano which is frequently on a telepathic level.
In addition to Sir Duke, Bill Evans is right up there with those jazz composer-pianists (the aforementioned Art Tatum and Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Lennie Tristano, Elmo Hope, Herbie Nichols, Andrew Hill) who can send this music aficionado over the moon and back.
Something indescribable about Evans' harmonies and melodies resonates with this listener on a deep and profound level. No matter how many times I hear "Waltz For Debby" and "Emily," the songs tear me up in their own sweet way.
Bill plays on the best selling and arguably the best known jazz record ever waxed, Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis and changed the Davis group's style and approach by his presence.
Almost 40 years after his death, the response to Bill Evans' name around the world remains LOVE - as it does when I listen to his appearance on the following exceptional episode of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz.
In this particularly wonderful Piano Jazz show, the dynamic duo of pianists talk music and, when playing duets, express the "truth and beauty" Bill spoke of to Tony Bennett.
Photo: David Redfern/Redferns
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