William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, and trademark rhythmically independent "singing" melodic lines continue to influence jazz pianists today.
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, he studied classical music at Southeastern Louisiana College and the Mannes School of Music, in New York City, where he majored in composition and received an artist diploma. In 1955, he moved to New York City, where he worked with bandleader and theorist George Russell. In 1958, Evans joined Miles Davis's sextet, which in 1959, then immersed in modal jazz, recorded Kind of Blue, the best-selling jazz album of all time
00:00Bill Evans, born in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1926, was one of the leading figures in the cool jazz movement that flourished in the late 1950s and early 60s.
00:15Bill Evans' career began quietly, recording sporadically before joining Miles Davis' Sextet in 1958. He contributed his distinctive piano to Davis' masterpiece, Kind of Blue, one of the classics of modern jazz, and an album which predicted the cool jazz movement.
00:41Evans then left Davis' band to focus on his own solo work. Evans' favorite setting was the trio, an ensemble which permitted his understated piano style to come to the fore.
00:56Evans would make a name for himself on recordings of performances at the Village Vanguard in 1961, featuring Scott Laferro on bass and Paul Motion on drums.
01:09The recordings have been lauded by critics for the sheer brilliance of the musical execution displayed by Evans. These recordings are collected on the album Sunday at the Village Vanguard from 1961, one of the classics of early 60s jazz.
01:27Evans also made his mark in a quintet setting with the acclaimed album Interplay from 1962. Evans also dabbled in studio experimentation with overdubbing on Conversations with Myself from 1963.
01:45Addictions and subsequent financial troubles led to Evans' recording in subsequent years with often mixed results.
01:55Evans' peak years. Evans' peak years were certainly the late 1950s and early 1960s, and several classic Evans albums from that period must be mentioned.
02:05Everybody digs Bill Evans from 1959, Portrait in Jazz from 1960, Explorations from 1961, and Waltz for Debbie also from 1961.
02:19The latter album is another live performance, and is often cited as a masterpiece.
