LearnJazzPiano.com archives: What Bill Evans music to listen to?
FransE -- 09/11/2006, 03:24:02 -- #29739
Many find Bill Evans' music central. I probably haven't fully grasped him, so what do people think I should listen to? What albums?

Walts for Debby with Monica Zetterlund is one of the best albums I know, but other than that I'm heavily into Keith Jarrett.

Adam1226 -- 09/11/2006, 08:15:41 -- #29739
Listen to "Alone."  Fantastic solo jazz piano.  Also, "Conversations with Myself."

-AA

CynBad -- 09/11/2006, 08:33:48 -- #29739
"Everybody Digs Bill Evans"

asteffen -- 09/11/2006, 10:32:57 -- #29739
Portrait in Jazz
Saturday night at the Village Vanguard
Duos with Tony Bennett
record with Toots Thielemanns

jmkarns -- 09/11/2006, 12:33:01 -- #29739
Come Rain or Come Shine, I love the introduction to that song!

charlp88 -- 09/12/2006, 05:29:28 -- #29739
New to me is the Eddie Costa Bill Evans album  GUYS and dolls recorded in 1959. it is a great album with Wendell Marshall on bass and Paul Motian on Drums. Montreaux jazz festival one  1968 the va guard sessions with Scott La Faro

groyann -- 09/13/2006, 03:33:40 -- #29739
The duo album with Jim Hall. Great version of My Funny Valentine (the alternate take). I'm currently transcribing it, it takes me a lot of time.

JHMurray -- 09/13/2006, 23:25:38 -- #29739
I wonder if the reason you haven't grasped the significance of Bill Evans could be the same as when I first heard him. I was a little disappointed at first because I heard he was supposed to be so great, but to me he didn't sound much different than everyone else. Later I figured out that Bill Evans doesn't sound like everyone else, but everyone else sounds like Bill Evans. If I'd first heard his music in the context of the time when he first came on the scene I'd have been blown away. The more I learn about piano, the more I realize how unique his music is. It grows on you.

ronnie -- 09/14/2006, 15:59:29 -- #29739
I'm listening to one of the CD's from the live box set "The Last Waltz" as I type this. If you haven't heard this phase of Evans' career, you're in for a treat - very different from early Evans. He plays with a fire and intensity here that counter his image as a shy, introverted player. Highly recommended! If you don't want to spring for one these box sets, I would suggest Best of Turn Out the Stars or something like that which is a distillation of the music from that box set.

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