Undercurrent

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Evans performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival with his trio consisting of Marc Johnson, bass, and Philly Joe Jones, drums, July 13, 1978. By 1961, pianist Bill Evans had been rolling with his classic trio for a couple of years; this short-lived group, featuring drummer Paul Motian and bassist Scott LaFaro, was the same trio that recorded his much-celebrated Sunday at the Village Vanguard set, which continues to be cited as a highlight of Evans' career and live jazz records as a whole. This trio would be cut short, however, with the death of LaFaro just ten days after the Village Vanguard set was recorded, subsequently causing Evans to cease performing for several months in mourning. Persuaded to return to music by Riverside record producer Orrin Keepnews, Evans appeared on vocalist Mark Murphy’s 1961 album Rah, as well as a short solo piano session, and Evans' work in music continued long after that. This duo recording with guitarist Jim Hall, Undercurrent, was also one of these first albums Evans made following his period of mourning – recorded over two dates in spring of 1962. Cramer, Alfred W. (May 2009). Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century-Volume 2. Salem Press. p.423. ISBN 978-1-58765-514-2 . Retrieved August 10, 2012.

Bill Evans is credited with influencing the harmonic language of jazz piano. [14] [65] Evans's harmony was itself influenced by impressionist composers such as Claude Debussy [66] and Maurice Ravel. [67] a b Light, Alan (November 2, 2006). "The All-Time 100 Albums". Time. Archived from the original on November 17, 2006 . Retrieved August 19, 2008. Evans also performed on albums by Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, Tony Scott, Eddie Costa and Art Farmer.

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Many of his tunes, such as " Waltz for Debby", " Turn Out the Stars", " Very Early", and " Funkallero", have become often-recorded jazz standards.

It was Tony Bennett who initiated the collaboration with Bill Evans. The two musicians had mutual respect for each other's talent. Bennett and Evans performed together for about two years. Although Evans was using cocaine regularly during this period, he was reported sober when recording the albums with Bennett. [58] Tiegel, Eliot (October 4, 1980). "New Names Join 23rd Monterey Jazz Festival". Billboard. p.47 . Retrieved May 9, 2023– via Google Books. a b c d Petrik, Hanns E. (1989). Bill Evans – Sein Leben, Seine Musik, Seine Schallplatten. OREOS Verlag. ISBN 978-3-923657-23-0. The quotes extracted from this book have been re-translated into English from the German original.

Many of Evans's compositions, such as " Waltz for Debby" and " Time Remembered", have become standards, played and recorded by many artists. Evans received 31 Grammy nominations and seven awards, and was inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame. [4] Biography [ edit ] Early life [ edit ]

When you pair Evans’ endlessly listenable style with a seemingly bottomless well of recorded gigs, you get a reissue cottage industry boosted further by the vinyl revival. Every Record Store Day seems to bring a new Evans release or two. The latest of these, Treasures, is a collection of previously unissued performances—over two hours of music, 2xCD or 3xLP—made for Danish radio and cut between 1965 and 1969. It runs counter to some recent Evans reissues by featuring an array of instrumental configurations, and it’s a strong showcase of how he adapted his playing to reflect the settings. In April 1979, Evans met Laurie Verchomin, a Canadian waitress (later, a writer) with whom he had a relationship until his death. Verchomin was 28 years younger. [48] Interview: Laurie Verchomin (Pt. 5)". JazzWax. August 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014 . Retrieved June 11, 2014. Forte, Allen (2000). "Harmonic Relations: American Popular Harmonies (1925–1950) and Their European Kin", pp. 5–36, Traditions, Institutions, and American Popular Music (Contemporary Music Review , Vol. 19, Part 1), p. 7. Covach, John and Everett, Walter; eds. Routledge. ISBN 90-5755-120-9.Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall. I had to change the way the band sounded again for Bill's style by playing different tunes, softer ones at first.

In August 1979, Evans recorded his last studio album, We Will Meet Again, featuring a composition of the same name written for his brother. The album won a Grammy award posthumously in 1981, along with I Will Say Goodbye. [53] Drug addiction and death [ edit ] Evans is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Section 161, Plot K. A performance of the Ballets Africains from Guinea in 1958 sparked Davis' interest in modal music. This music stayed for long periods of time on a single chord, weaving in and out of consonance and dissonance. [39] Another influence was George Russell's treatise. Both influences coalesced in Davis' conception of modal jazz offering an alternative to chord changes and major/minor key relationships, relying instead on a series of modal scales. He realized that Evans, who had worked with Russell, could follow him into modal music. At the same time, Evans introduced Davis to twentieth-century classical composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, and Aram Khachaturian. [14] Bailey, C. Michael. "Best Live Jazz Recordings (1953–65)". All About Jazz . Retrieved July 27, 2008. Other highlights from this period include "Solo – In Memory of His Father" from Bill Evans at Town Hall (1966), which also introduced "Turn Out the Stars"; a second pairing with guitarist Jim Hall, Intermodulation (1966); and the solo album Alone (1968, featuring a 14-minute version of "Never Let Me Go"), that won his third Grammy award. [53] SPELLMAN: Yes, it was Murray. After the success of the Modern Jazz Quartet, who made a concert jazz. That jazz had less emphasis on hard-driving drum and more on the interplay of the instruments, which liberated a lot of musicians. They could float the rhythm. In fact, Evans' piano style on Undercurrent really reminds me of John Lewis, who was, of course, the founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

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Deluke, J. R. (January 29, 2008). "Eliane Elias: Something for Bill (Evans)". All About Jazz . Retrieved July 28, 2012. LaFaro-Fernández, Helene (2009). Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro. University of North Texas Press. p.102. The death of 25-year-old LaFaro in a car accident, ten days after the Vanguard performances, devastated Evans. He did not record or perform in public again for several months. When Ken Burns' television miniseries Jazz was released in 2001, it was criticised for neglecting Evans's work after his departure from the Miles Davis' sextet. [9] Legacy and influence [ edit ]