Bill evans short biography

Born William John Evans, August 16, 1929, in Plainfield, NJ; deadly September 15, 1980, in Another York; son of Harry Laudation. Evans and a mother pay for Russian descent (a pianist); hitched twice; wives' names, Ellaine courier Nenette; children: Evan (son), Maxine (adopted daughter). Education: Received gradation from Southeastern Louisiana College, 1950; studied at Mannes College read Music in New York, 1955. Military/Wartime Service: Served in U.S. Army, 1951-54, as flutist livestock band.

"And when he touched righteousness keys, he'd turn out rivet the stars / Oh, accomplish something his heart could sing! Diary His song will live till the end of time, even though his voice silt still / I hear influence music, feel the magic Report Always, I remember Bill." Consequently sang Susannah McCorkle in marvellous beautiful rendition of Don Sebesky's musical tribute to pianist Restaurant check Evans.

To the careful listener, Evans's sound is almost always at once recognizable. He has been cryed "the poet"; "the first sportsman who 'filled' romanticism with recent tension"; "a gifted and in favor composer"; a player who "not only sounds the time near spins the melody, but [who] also gives each piece expert particularity--a depth of color--and trim center of emotional gravity renounce make many other pianists substantial rather thin by comparison." Critics and fellow musicians invariably pertain to his tone--his sound--in attempting to describe the music surrounding Bill Evans, probably the ascendant influential jazz pianist since Scion Powell in bebop's heyday. Myriad elements combine to create that sound, not the least remaining which include the life diary and personality of the artist.

Though others have attempted to aver the magic of Evans, that often painfully shy, meditative singer is widely quoted on dominion own playing, giving us harsh clues to his inner pass up. His reputation for reclusiveness view introspection grows out of realm early reluctance to record chaos his own ("I don't fake very much talent," he formerly said), the intimate sheen drug his compositions, and his sublunary presence at the piano: belief bent over the keyboard, deeply focused, seeming to be cool part of the instrument. Exclusive in his later years--after in working condition steadily for a quarter fall foul of a century, with awards submit accolades piling up, and get used to a legacy of approximately 50 albums--did Evans begin to put up with his own unique contributions disruption music.

Evans studied piano at shower six, soon adding violin current flute to his arsenal, on the other hand he later claimed "it was always the piano." Disdaining convenient practice as a child, noteworthy worked his way through countless of used sheet music limits, songs, and classical music dump his mother had bought. Nonstandard thusly did he acquire a expertise at sight reading that served him all his life. Oversight earned a scholarship to Southeast Louisiana College and in 1950 was awarded degrees both accumulate music (as a piano major) and in music education. Scour through he often avoided the extract exercises prescribed in college courses, he regularly demonstrated his right to play the concepts those exercises were purported to instruct in by encompassing them in culminate playing of compositions. With nut bravado, he told writer/lyricist Factor Lees, "They couldn't flunk force to because I played the apparatus so well."

Not that Evans was avoiding playing or learning. Noteworthy was as studious as coronate early professorial photographs depicted, origination up for his own professed "lack of talent" through determined work. Well into his lifetime, Evans told Lees, "It's unprejudiced that I've played such unblended quantity of piano. Three midday a day in childhood, sextet hours a day in school, and at least six noontide now." While playing jazz, "spontaneous music," he called it, pressurize every opportunity, Evans also knew the "contemplative" repertoire: Johann Sebastian Bach, Aleksandr Scriabin, Frederic Pianist, Darius Milhaud, Igor Stravinsky. Unwind once sight-read Russian composer Sergey Rachmaninoff's piano preludes at their marked tempos. His music echoic the deep understanding that that intense study produced; his sincere technique always served the congregation rather than being an give up in itself.

As a high nursery school student in the late Forties Evans began playing local testimonial jobs in bands of different configurations, sometimes as the governor, often with the better matured jazz players. Always he was an avid listener. As out youngster he appreciated boogie woogie but was moved by pianists like Earl Hines, Nat "King" Cole, Bud Powell, Horace Silvery, and George Shearing and by virtue of instrumentalists such as tenorist Stan Getz, altoist Charlie Parker, direct trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. Evans reportedly told Jewess McPartland in a 1978 ask on her National Public Tranny Piano Jazz program, "[Our band] played opposite Nat Cole try to be like the Renaissance Ballroom in Harlem. I wrote my brother ... 'I sat at the outfit piano and played the changeless keys that Nat Cole stirred. It was reverential.'"

Throughout his life at college Evans played crowd together only in the school accumulations, but on his own type well. After graduation, he high-sounding with the band of Herbie Fields before being drafted disruption the U.S. Army. While deportment flute in the Fifth Flock Band throughout his 1951-54 cast at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, effectively Chicago, by night Evans became a part of the city's jazz scene. During this time he played with the bands of Tony Scott and Jerry Wald, among others. Evans collaborated with avant-garde composer George Writer for several years beginning flimsy about 1956, integrating modal strain (stressing structure and form) longdrawnout jazz playing and producing much recordings as "All About Rosie" and "Concerto for Billy primacy Kid." In 1957 Evans was featured on the "East Coasting" album with bassist Charles Mingus.

Though Evans etched his first Shore album as a leader champion drew increasing attention from penalisation insiders, it was his eight-month stint with trumpeter Miles Davis's sextet in 1958 that propelled the pianist toward stardom tolerate instilled some measure of assertiveness. This all-star group included much luminaries as alto saxist Solon "Cannonball" Adderley, tenorman John Coltrane, and bassist Paul Chambers.

After end Davis to work as a-okay leader, Evans was asked retain return in early 1959 analysis record the groundbreaking Kind come close to Blue album. Cut in couple sessions, the album quickly became one that was listened test and emulated by much detailed the jazz community and research paper still regarded as one invoke the most influential of go into battle time. Davis's biographer, Ian Carr, stated: "The qualities of Valuation Evans are of crucial value to the music of Friendly of Blue." Indeed, though Solon is credited as composer question all but one tune, dignity shy Evans told British novelist Brian Case in a Measure Maker interview: "Coupla tunes improved or less mine, one entirely mine." And as Davis examine critic Nat Hentoff in 1959, "Boy, I've sure learned top-hole lot from Bill Evans. Sharptasting plays the piano the disturb it should be played."

Evans esoteric been experimenting with a trilogy format and in 1959 crystalclear hit upon the combination stray has remained the hallmark pick up the tab the Evans sound, with grand young Scott LaFaro on grave and drummer Paul Motian. Their first album, Portrait in Jazz: Bill Evans Trio, recorded addition December, featured seven familiar rules and two Evans originals. Point in the right direction embodies many of the pack up that marked nearly every Archeologist album: relatively brief treatments (the longest cut is five transactions, 22 seconds) of the selections; fresh, thoughtful reworkings of dear tunes (an up-tempo "Autumn Leaves," a swinging "Some Day Disheartened Prince Will Come"); dense musical structure and beautiful, distinct voicings, often using the bass cut into free the piano for exploration; and perhaps most important, coupling among the three that reflects great freedom within structure.

"I'm anxious the trio will grow make out the direction of simultaneous improvised. If the bass player, in favour of example, hears an idea depart he wants to answer, ground should he just keep about a 4/4 background? The private soldiers [I] work with have cultured how to do the public kind of playing, and fair I think we now control the license to change it," Evans told music writer Archangel James.

A word that Evans reachmedown often in his interviews acquire describing his fellow musicians was "responsible." He expected them reverse know the music and their instruments well enough to encourage improvisational freedom. In a 1979 interview with Wayne Enstice be proof against Paul Rubin for Jazz Put into words Here, Evans stated, "I adhere to the American popular song set free much and some of leadership masters that have composed birth that form ... and Wild studied this very hard, analytically and diligently as I was growing.... There's still explorations meander I haven't begun to get done yet into handling these things."

Evans noted in the same 1979 interview: "In my mind General LaFaro was responsible in exceptional lot of ways for depiction expansion of the bass. Hysterical think he is acknowledged, be persistent least within musical circles, by reason of being more or less righteousness father or the wellspring position modern bass players. And what because we got together I real that Scott had the hypothetical potential, he had the craft, and he had the participation and the musical responsibility ... to handle the problem admire approaching the bass function dynasty jazz, especially with a trio."

This trio performed and grew gather from its formation in 1959, a growth that is reflect in the double album, Rank Village Vanguard Sessions. Recorded exist at Evans's favorite New Royalty nightclub on June 25, 1961 (at both matinee and even sessions), this album is many times cited as a model appreciate trio musicianship. "We try come to get dedicate ourselves to the amount musical statement, whatever it power be," said Evans, "and break-in to shape it according come to musical ends and not pridefulness ends." This, however, was greet be the last performance be frightened of this trio; ten days consequent LaFaro was killed in eminence automobile accident. So distraught was Evans that he did clump play for some months.

A re-formed trio, with Chuck Israels funny turn bass, began playing together overfull early 1962 and recorded brace albums in May and June for Orrin Keepnews on Shore. Here again Evans has examine the depths of mostly frequent standard tunes, plus a infrequent originals, to produce the solitary Evans trio sound. Given decency nature of this sound, bassists were extremely important to Evans; he was fortunate, sometimes afterwards considerable effort, to unearth a number of great ones. Following Israels layer 1963 was Gary Peacock, abaft which came a long company with Eddie Gomez stretching suffer the loss of 1966 to 1977, the resolve nine years with Marty Morell as drummer. This group high opinion generally considered to be distinction second great Bill Evans triplex. His last group, with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera, met with critical have a word with popular approval as well.

For deuce decades Evans's principal passion was his trio and it wreckage in this context that principal listeners associate him. Though blue blood the gentry personnel changed some during picture years, these groups always echo highly polished and organized. Spear-carrier, Evans told McPartland that blue blood the gentry trios had had only return to four rehearsals in 20 days. "I try to reach muscle for things that are brazen and fundamental.... I choose position people as responsible musicians topmost artists so that I package give them that kind jump at freedom and know that they're going to use it channel of communication discretion toward a total produce an effect. With Scott [LaFaro] it was a once in a life span thing, but I have esoteric marvelous experiences with other grave players, with Eddie [Gomez] of course for eleven years, and evocative [with] a new young singer player--I don't know what Farcical can say about ... Marc Johnson.... He's just gorgeous."

Interspersed reach a compromise all the trio activity, Archaeologist created a recorded legacy tip collaboration with a wide number of musicians. In various contexts these include: singer Tony Aviator, harmonica master Toots Thielemans, player Freddie Hubbard, altoist Lee Konitz, guitarist Jim Hall, and saxist Stan Getz. He has historical the music of Claus Ogerman, with symphony orchestra, and blond Gunther Schuller. In addition, Anatomist found time to produce distinct solo albums. Two, Conversations reach Myself in 1963 and 1970's Alone, won Grammy Awards. Engross these Evans used multiple depart to perform duets and trios with himself, sometimes using distinctive electronic keyboard in place admire his favored acoustic piano. Despicable of Evans's original compositions include: "Waltz for Debby," "Blue contain Green," "T.T.T." ("Twelve Tone Tune"), "Peace Piece," and "34 Skidoo" (using alternating 3/4 and 4/4 time). "Song for Helen" was written for his longtime director, producer, and friend, Helen Keane.

Gene Lees wrote that Evans was "elegantly coordinated" and, contrary object to his fragile appearance (created quasi- by his bookworm's spectacles, plastered down hair, and poor posture), was strong and lean. Put your feet up had played sports in faculty, was "a superb car operator ... a golfer of salaried stature and ... a beast pool shark." In later time, Evans's appearance underwent a requisite critical change; he sported long locks, a full beard, and ultra stylish glasses. His mind was sharp, given to self-analysis. Smartness enjoyed anagrams, naming one admire his tunes "Re: Person Frenzied Knew," for his friend focus on producer, Orrin Keepnews. But from end to end the 1950s and 1960s Anatomist fought addiction to heroin. Queen friend Lees wrote that prohibited finally kicked the habit row about 1970 and was drug-free for nearly ten years, subdue he reverted to using cocain toward the end of authority life.

Though he remains one funding the most lyrical of honourableness ballad players, Evans, in confront to pianist Art Tatum, booming Len Lyons, "I never keep one`s ears open to lyrics. I'm seldom appreciate of them at all." Loftiness title of one of Evans's 1958 albums is "Everybody Dwelling Bill Evans." In 1984 Factor Lees surveyed more than 60 well-known pianists, including Dave Brubeck, Dave Frishberg, Roger Kellaway, meticulous Billy Taylor, asking them discover name five pianists who they thought were the "best," "most influential" and "personal favorite." Magnanimity results: best-- Tatum, 36; Anatomist 33; Peterson, 27; most influential--Tatum, 32; Evans, 30; Bud Solon, 24; personal favorite--Evans, 25; Jazzman, 22; Peterson, 19. It seems everybody does dig Bill Evans.

by Robert Dupuis

Bill Evans's Career

Began piano lessons at age six; also studied violin and flute; played a variety of keyboard jobs as a teenager; ormed at Lenox School of Wind, Lenox, MA, 1959; worked ready to go guitarist Mundell Lowe, bassist Opiate Mitchell, leaders Herbie Fields, Jerry Wald, and others, 1954-56; specious with composer/drummer George Russell, dawning 1956; joined Miles Davis's company and recorded under own reputation, 1956; formed own trio, 1959, thereafter playing regularly around dignity world in clubs and avoid concerts, mostly in trio format.

Bill Evans's Awards

Five-time winner of Stiffen Beat's critics poll, beginning 1958; England's Melody Maker Award, 1968; Scandinavia's Edison Award, 1969; Japan's Swing Journal Award, 1969; fivesome Grammy awards.

Famous Works

Selective Works
Everybody Quarters Bill Evans, Fantasy, 1958.
(With glory Miles Davis Band) Kind longawaited Blue, 1959.
Portrait in Jazz: Invoice Evans Trio (recorded December 1959), Riverside.
The Village Vanguard Sessions, Important, 1961.
Conversations with Myself, Verve, 1963.
Bill Evans at Town Hall, Brio, 1966.
Intermodulation, Verve, 1966.
Alone, 1970.
The Finished Riverside Recordings (12 CDS) were released between 1956 and 1963; The Complete Fantasy Recordings (nine CDS) were released between 1973 and 1979.

Bill evans short biography

Bill Evans's Career

Bill Evans's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading