BILL EVANS 1929 -1980 ' HERE WAS ONLY ONE Bill The last tune I wrote, I was calling for clarinetist Tony Scott. In 1956, Evans, a fact that suddenly a while — because it was untitled Mundell Lowe played a tape Tbecame clear a few weeks ago “the diddly-ah tune.” Finally I realized recording of Evans over the when we learned that he had died in it’s formed mostly of one idea, over telephone for record producer New York at the age of 51. His and over, and goes in different Orrin Keepnews. This unorthodox unfailing lyrical virtuosity had been a places. It seemed to be making more introduction led to Evans' first trio part of the musical land- scape for so and more of a statement, the more date for Riverside Records (one of long that perhaps he was taken too we played it. So I would like to do the tunes taped, “Waltz For much for granted. He had few this, which I think is a little more Debby,” would become a standard imitators but many admirers; as serious, maybe, for your audience. and the best known of Evans' Marian McPartland put it, “Indirectly I won't improvise, just play two many inspired compositions). he inspired most of the piano-playing choruses of the melody, it's now The trio session marked the populace." called “Your Story.” beginning of a long association Evans had been the subject of a * * * * with Keepnews, a sensitive man CK cover story as recently as this , The above statement, who never put pressure on Bill to June, and readers who would like a unusually voluble by Bill Evans’ “commercialize” his style. more complete picture of the man almost taciturn standards, and the According to Helen Keane, some and his artistry are invited to consult exquisite music that followed, 60 of the 90 albums on which that story (or the previous Evans would be less remarkable were it Evans played were for Keepnews; cover story in CK, March 1977). It not for the fact that an audience of Keane produced the others, for seemed appropriate, however, to millions saw and heard it eight various labels. offer some special tribute, and so we days after he died, at 51, in a New The full, definitive impact of Bill asked the great jazz record producer York hospital, One wonders Evans on ) the world scene was his Orrin Keepnews, who produced whether, in referring to the tour with the Miles Davis Sextet. He Evans' first two LPs as a leader and rareness of a chance to be heard was with Davis for less than a year, many of his other recordings over the by a mass audience, he was but during that time took part in the years, to provide us with some remi- aware that this might,, in effect, seminal album Kind Of Blue, with niscences and reflections. Another become a posthumous Davis, Cannonball Adderley and viewpoint is offered by jazz journalist performance. John Coltrane. and. CK columnist Leonard Feather. All the obituaries referred to Bill The record symbolized a The most important perspective, Evans as a loner, and perhaps that retrenchment not only from the hard however, is that found in Evans’ was a consequence of the mood bop that was then prevalent, but also music itself. His personal problems communicated by so much of his from the cycle-of-fifths chord system were never reflected in his playing; music. Yet he was in fact an and toward modality. and to the very end, though he was articulate, often very talkative and The endorsement by Davis (His obviously ill, whenever he sat down witty man, capable of engaging in comment that “Bill Eyans plays the at the piano his pain was transmuted discussions on a seemingly limit- piano the way I like to heat it plaved" to joy. Fortunately, he made a great less range of topics. There were was widely quoted over the years) many recordings during his lifetime, times in his life when he was a led to Evans’ gradual acceptance as and it is the joy in his music that will happy family man; friends a major new force In piano jazz. live on. remember his joyous mood after Students around the world became — CK his son Evan was born, five years aware of this quiet, introverted man ago. He also left an estranged wife who, at a time when so many.others and an adopted daughter. And he were attacking the keyboard, only Bill Evans: The left too much unsaid, too many caressed it. The calm, reflective new expressions of beauty waiting nature of his work was the very Gentle Giant to be stated. He and many others element that focussed attention on felt that his final trio, with him. He had something in common By Leonard Feather LaBarbera and bassist Marc with the gifted actor who, irritated by Johnson, was developing into the too much coughing in the audience, best he had ever led. begins to speak his lines so softly As I noted in my column in CK in that the audience is virtually obliged XCERPT FROM the Merv Griffin to subside into respectful silence. January 1978, Bill Evans was born EShow, Sept. 23,1980: Aug. 16, 1929, in Plainfield, N.J. In After leaving Davis, Evans Griffin: Our next guest is his youth he studied violin and flute formed a fulltime trio, and despite a considered one of the most influential as well as piano. Mundell Lowe, the number of ventures with augmented piano soloists in the jazz world today, guitarist, recalls meeting him as groups it was in that setting that he and his new album is called We Will early as 1945. “Bill was a flute major made most of his records and gained Meet Again. Would.you welcome the at Southeastern l.ouisiana College, a personal image for the rest of his great Bill Evans! playing piano on the side. Later that life. The most memorable trio, for Evans: I’m gonna change up on year I joined a band in New York, but many, was the one that recorded in you. You know, directors always after that, when Bill moved north, he June of 1961 with Paul (Motian on panic about what you’re gonna play and I had a trio, with Red Mitchell on drums and the extraordinarily subtle — “Don’t play, anything slow.’’ I don’t bass. He was only about 18, but his Scott LaFaro, who was almost an get a chance to play on shows like piano style was already years ahead Evans counterpart, on bass. But this too often, where I teach this of its time.” weeks later LaFaro, 25, was killed in many people, and I’ve been writing After an Army hitch and a an automobile crash. It took a while songs they’ve been coming out lately couple of jobs with minor bands, for Evans to recover from the shock like faying eggs. Every once in a Evans began to attract some and assemble a comparable unit. His while I’ll go [imitates chicken attention in jazz circles as a associations and rapport with squawking], and there’s a new tune! member of a quartet led by the bassists were quintessential to the success of every performance. Eddie recorded for Keep- news under Everybody Digs Bill Evans. By that Gomez, who was with him for a Evans’ previous contract with time, however, Bill had turned possi- decade beginning in the mid-1960s, Fantasy. bly the most important corner in his was perhaps closest to LaFaro in Undoubtedly the Evans memorial performing career. He had been terms of his empathy with Evans. tributes will continue, just as the discovered by Miles Davis, and had Ironically, Bill’s first major albums, old and recent, will be with spent most of 1958 out on the road success in terms of popular impact us, while Evans students all over the with the classic sextet that also was recorded with neither bass nor world will continue to mirror his included John Coltrane, Cannonball drums. The album Conversations influence. “He was a pure, beautiful Adderley, Paul Chambers, and Philly With Myself, on Verve, for which he soul,” said Helen Keane. “Even when Joe Jones. overdubbed a second and third he was in the worst private torment, In the two-years-plus between piano part, earned him a Grammy he kept on giving beauty to the world albums, Evans had blossomed award in 1963. right up to the end. That’s how we incredibly. Don’t misunderstand: On In a typically articulate statement should remember him.” that first occasion he had made a in the liner notes, Bill commented; very strong debut that stirred up “There is a viewpoint which holds much critical acclaim, and he had that any recorded music which already written the celebrated “Waltz cannot also be reproduced in natural Bill Evans: The Early For Debby” (which appears in brief, live performance is a ‘gimmick’ and almost fragmentary solo form on that therefore should not be considered Recordings first album). But then he had been a as a pure musical effort. I have a firm shy, self-deprecating, bebop- belief in the integrity of the idea upon By Orrin Keepnews influenced youngster. Actually, a lot which this album was conceived. ... of the shyness and the insistence on In my opinion the only solid and putting himself down never went interesting question that the music- FIRST HEARD Bill Evans almost away; but playing with Miles making here presents is . whether I 25 years ago, and in a most unlikely changed a lot of things.