Bill Evans

Click here to Support Jazz on the Tube

Bill Evans (1929-80) was one of the most influential pianists in jazz history both in his chord voicings and in the democratic way that he interacted with his trio.

He was so influential that one can divide pianists into those who formed their style based on earlier models and those who sound like a close relative of Evans.

Fortunately Evans was filmed often throughout his career and there are many rewarding performances of his that can be viewed, particularly quite a few live concerts that were originally aired on European television.

This collection features Evans along with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker from Sweden in 1964 (“My Foolish Heart” and “Israel”), with bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Alan Dawson (“Detour Ahead”) plus altoist Lee Konitz (“My Melancholy Baby”) from France in 1965, a 1970 concert in Denmark with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morrell (“Emily,” “Alfie,” and “Someday My Prince Will Come”), the same trio in Sweden in the same period (“If You Could See Me Now,” “’Round Midnight,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “Sleepin’ Bee,” “You’re Gonna Hear From Me,” “Re: Person I Knew”), and finally a Denmark concert in 1975 with Gomez and drummer Eliot Zigmund (“Sareen Jurer,” “Blue Serge,” ‘Up With The Lark,” “But Beautiful” and “Twelve Tone Tune Two”).

This is Bill Evans at the peak of his powers.

-Scott Yanow

Click here to Support Jazz on the Tube