| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Bill Evans: Solo Piano Master | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/05/2004, 10:22:53 -- #6274 | |
| Bill Evans was a very modest man despite his enormous talent and the influence that he had over many jazz pianists of his time and the legions that would follow thereafter. In this episode of Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" series, recorded on November 6, 1978, we get a glimpse of Evans' musical mind and his self-deprecating assessment of his own capabilities. The show opens with Bill Evans playing his best-known composition, "Waltz for Debbie," which he wrote when he was about twenty-four years old. The interview begins with the influential pianist saying that his left hand "is a little more confident." He then goes on to explain his approach to playing jazz. Marian McPartland does a good job of coaxing Evans out of his quiet shell but is wise enough to steer clear of him when he starts to improvise. On Cole Porter's "All of You," Evans illustrates his approach, particularly the 'displacement of notes and phrases.' After the exhilarating solos, McPartland quips, "That was wild! You displaced it so much I couldn't find a place to come in... I was afraid, if I come in wrong, I'm gonna throw this whole thing off!" Evans laughs humbly to McPartland's reaction. To anyone who plays even passable jazz piano, Evans' step-by-step demonstration of his approach on the Ray Noble composition, "The Touch Of Your Lips" is a rare, hands-on lesson. He explains in detail his use of the pedal point on 'G', the chord progressions, the modulation to E Major, and other nuances of his interpretation. At one point, McPartland exclaims, "Whew!" as Evans twists and turns the song. When asked whether he prefers to play with the trio or solo, Evans picks the latter but modestly admits, "I don't have the dimension to really be a solo pianist entirely..." Come to think of it, Evans recorded the Grammy-award winner solo piano album, "Alone" ten years earlier. The two pianists play together on Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" and Gordon Jenkins' "This Is All I Ask." One interesting song is Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses." Both play the first chorus in F Major and then modulate the second in A-Flat, and then back to F Major again. It's a beautiful transition. The highlight of the album features Evans playing the Duke Ellington composition, "Reflections in D." Evans' bell-like harmonies and long melodic lines lend a sublime characteristic to the song. I held my breath as I listened to it for the first time. Towards the end of the show, Evans asks his host to play for him, a request that McPartland finds rather flattering, coming from a great jazz pianist. She obliges with a beautiful interpretation of "While We're Young" which impresses Evans so much. They end the show with a duet of Cole Porter's "I Love You." Evan's producer Helen Keane considers this album the best interview that Bill ever did. She's right. Hearing him play the piano is a delight. Listening to him explain his craft is a humbling experience. | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/05/2004, 10:29:11 -- #6275 | |
| "Alone" Bill Evans, solo piano This is excellent solo playing by the great Bill Evans. Bill Evans' playing is much more than just beautiful harmonies and pretty improvised melodic lines. He can truly tell you a story with his playing. That is what music is all about. This is Bill swinging and romancing on the piano as only he can. This is Evans doing what he does best, playing music that makes us think, cry, reflect, and smile. It's hard to put into words the qualities of Bill Evans solo piano playing. Some people come close with poetic, elegiac, impressionistic, lyrical, softly swinging, Some critics have claimed that Bill Evans was not a good solo pianist, to say such shows no understanding at all for Bill's most extraordinary strength: his complete mastery of keyboard harmony. His voicings range from minimal to dense, but they're always spot-on for their musical context. I would call his playing on this recording not flaccid at all, but harmonically quite muscular, even where the result seems quiet or reticent. In any case, every track is beautifully conceived and sounds quite beautiful. | |
| Mike -- 08/05/2004, 14:54:35 -- #6288 | |
| You can have a complete understanding of Bill Evans extroaordinary stength and his complete mastery of keyboard harmony and still find him lacking as a solo jazz pianist. Bill Evans himself knew well his harmonic knowledge and strength as a pianist and still found himself lacking as a solo jazz pianist. | |
| Peteboypete -- 08/05/2004, 18:35:31 -- #6297 | |
| This question has absolutely nothing to do with Evans' solo playing. Did he ever have horn players on any of his solo albums? I know he played with them on other peoples albums, but I haven't heard of any where Evans did some arranging for horns. It seems like an idea that would have been interesting. Just wondering if any of you Evans' experts know the answer. Peter | |
| Mike -- 08/05/2004, 23:52:16 -- #6300 | |
| I am not sure what you are asking. Literally the question has a contradiction. Solo means to play by ones self. If you had horns playing with you it would no longer be solo. So it is impossable to have horns on a solo recording. If you have horns it is no longer solo. I do not consider my self an expert. But I have been told I am a Master of the Obvious. | |
| hepcatmonk -- 08/07/2004, 03:14:16 -- #6334 | |
| well...two things to be said here. Mike, about Peteboypete's question: I think he knows what solo piano is, but i think by "solo albums" he meant albums where Bill Evans was a bandleader, rather than supporting member in another's band; he meant solo albums in the more pop-rock sense than in the jazz sense, which i think confused you since this was a discussion of solo piano technique. About this....Bill Evans is one of my favorite pianists to listen to play solo piano. My favorite parts of his trio recordings are his exquisite solo piano introductions, particularly his Waltz for Debby introduction. His voicings are gorgeous, and his touch and tone are AMAZING on the piano...i am most impressed by how the combinations of beautiful and singing tone and a huge vocabulary of harmonic color allow him to paint beautiful colors in his solo piano improvistions, particularly on ballads. I would like to point to Bill Evans' amazing playing on Here's That Rainy Day. I can't remember, but i think it starts in B (rather than the book F), then, it is taken to G and Eflat (a homage to the tonal centers of Giant Steps? hmm) which is gorgeous. His voicings...they just KILL me, they fit perfectly. Anyways, all that what i have to say was stated much more articulately by Jazz+. About the issue of skill as a solo pianist: I read an interview in Keyboard magazine in an issue back in the 80s when Evans was interviewed. When Evans spoke about his feelings about lack of skill in solo playing (in his typical self-critical manner) he didn't talk about lack of ideas, originality, creativity, or technical skill. He said that his solo playing could not capture audiences the way Art Tatum's could. Tatum's playing is explosive, highly flashy and technical, and easily pulls in audiences faster than Evans' more introspective style. Evans went on to say something about how no player except Tatum could take solo jazz piano from a background music in a situation to an event that demands silence, attention and study. Unfortunately, i'm on the wrong end of an 8 hour shift right now, so this was very convoluted and probably didn't make sense. But just hoped to provide some more insight into what Bill Evans thought of his own playing. If I recall correctly, he also mentioned the fact that at the time Oscar Peterson was playing solo, but Bill Evans didn't have the confidence that he could draw in crowds the way Tatum's style and approach could. | |
| hepcatmonk -- 08/07/2004, 03:15:27 -- #6335 | |
| oh, and Jazz+...where can one go about getting that Bill Evans interview with McPartland? It sounds fascinating. | |
| Peteboypete -- 08/08/2004, 12:25:18 -- #6361 | |
| I realized the problem with my question but chose not to fix it because the first line says my question is way off topic. I meant albums as a leader. Anyway, I looked it up on www.allmusic.com and found to albums with a horn player. One featured Harold Land on tenor sax and another had some flute player whose name I've forgotten. Hepcatmonk - most (if not all) of the Marian McPartland Piano Jazz radio shows have been issued on CD. I have seen a number of them (including the Evans one) at a good used record store. So, if you are into the hunt (as I am) check the stores, but you can probably find them on Amazon.com or some similar site. | |
| Seaside_Lee -- 08/09/2004, 02:53:26 -- #6387 | |
| Hi hepcatmonk think this may be what you are looking for... http://www.ejazzlines.com/store.cfm?d=3017&c=0&p=30119&do=detail on DVD ...cool regards Lee | |
| hepcatmonk -- 08/10/2004, 01:44:16 -- #6415 | |
| lee, that is absolutely perfect. thank you, i just ordered it. | |
| harveyebrink -- 08/10/2004, 02:45:32 -- #6416 | |
| That link is for "The Universal Mind Of Bill Evans" which is a cool DVD but he is interviewed by his brother Harry Evans not Marian McPartland. | |
| pianogirl -- 08/10/2004, 04:41:53 -- #6419 | |
| I love that videotape of the two Evans brothers. Harry could also play jazz piano and I think taught at a university. As an aside, the two of them golfed well. It is such a sixties set with the two of them sitting in chairs smoking and chatting. Periodically Bill would go to the piano and play a bit. Introduced by Steve Martin. What I find amusing about it as well is Harry's attempt to get Bill to show him things and Bill in essence saying "figure it out yourself". A little sibling rivalry. Just a bit. | |
| Mike -- 08/10/2004, 05:15:42 -- #6420 | |
| you may be right, but Bill also believed that a large part of the joy from music was not in the ability to play things, but in the figuring out how and what to play... So he told his brother... I would not want to spoil your fun in figuring it out for yourself. | |
| pianogirl -- 08/10/2004, 08:25:18 -- #6422 | |
| Yup, in this video as well as text interviews, he was always mentioning how he thought it was better for him to have to wrestle with things and think them through rather having them come automatically. It is a short video but has a lot of meat in it. And that was Steve "ALLEN" not Martin! Freudian slip and all. | |
| jmjelder -- 08/10/2004, 21:16:03 -- #6433 | |
| Peteboypete, Check out "We Will Meet Again", Bill Evans with trumpet, sax, bass and drums, Warner Bros. CD 3411-2. Seven of Bill's tunes and one standard. Beautiful work by all. Joe | |
| Seaside_Lee -- 08/11/2004, 06:35:49 -- #6436 | |
| Oh gosh harveye you are right it is not Marian McPartland ...oops... and I have ordered it aswell ...sounds like its a goodie though ;-) Are the McPartland interviews available anywhere?...anyone? And I agree with Bill... he would be spoiling his brothers fun by not letting him figure it for himself! regards Lee | |
| Peteboypete -- 08/11/2004, 09:59:06 -- #6438 | |
| Most (if not all) of the McPartland shows have been issued on CD. Check used record stores of online places (like Amazon.com). | |
| hepcatmonk -- 08/11/2004, 12:21:41 -- #6443 | |
| i downloaded it as mp3. anyone interested, email me | |
| hepcatmonk -- 08/11/2004, 12:22:05 -- #6444 | |
| (zlapidus@indiana.edu) | |
| LarryC -- 08/20/2004, 12:57:14 -- #6620 | |
| The CD has been reissued... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006EXDN/qid=1093031498/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/102-4814055-4701700?v=glance&s=music&n=507846 | |
| Dr. Whack -- 08/20/2004, 15:20:27 -- #6621 | |
| you da man Larry...I heard she did one with Ray too...have you seen it or heard it? | |
| Dr. Whack -- 08/20/2004, 15:26:57 -- #6622 | |
| well I found this... http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/previousguests/summer2002/kennedy.html | |
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