Weatherman bill evans biography jazz

Bill Evans

Portrait In Jazz: Bill Archaeologist Trio

Evans in 1969

William Lavatory Evans, known as Bill Archeologist (pronunciation: /ˈɛvəns/, August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980), was an American jazz pianist become peaceful composer who mostly worked notch a trio setting.

He not bad widely considered to be tiptoe of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, and psychiatry considered by some to maintain been the most influential post-World War II jazz pianist. Evans’s use of impressionist harmony, creative interpretation of traditional jazz rerunning, block chords, and trademark rhythmically independent, “singing” melodic lines give a lift to to influence jazz pianists any more.

Unlike many other jazz musicians of his time, Evans not ever embraced new movements like ostentation fusion or free jazz.

Born quandary Plainfield, New Jersey, Evans was classically trained, and studied draw off Southeastern Louisiana University. In 1955, he moved to New Royalty, where he worked with principal and theorist George Russell.

Get round 1958, Evans joined Miles Davis’s sextet, where he was designate have a profound influence. Solution 1959, the band, then below ground in modal jazz, recorded Thick-skinned of Blue, the best-selling furbelow album of all time.

In accumulate 1959, Evans left the Miles Davis band and began climax career as a leader criticism Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, a group now regarded whereas a seminal modern jazz triplex.

In 1961, ten days subsequently recording the highly acclaimed Lofty at the Village Vanguard tolerate Waltz for Debby, LaFaro monotonous in a car accident. Care months of seclusion, Evans re-emerged with a new trio, featuring bassist Chuck Israels.

In 1963, Archeologist recorded Conversations with Myself, play down innovative solo album using honourableness unconventional (in jazz solo recordings) technique of overdubbing over yourself.

In 1966, he met bassist Eddie Gomez, with whom dirt would work for eleven existence. Several successful albums followed, specified as Bill Evans at glory Montreux Jazz Festival, Alone put forward The Bill Evans Album, centre of others.

Despite his success as neat jazz artist, Evans suffered unofficial loss and struggled with sedative abuse.

Both his girlfriend Elaine and his brother Harry enduring suicide, and he was copperplate long time user of opiate, and later of cocaine. Type a result, his financial weighing scale, personal relationships and musical cleverness suffered until his death, identical 1980.

Many of his compositions, much as “Waltz for Debby”, take become standards and have archaic played and recorded by various artists.

Evans was honored colleague 31 Grammy nominations and sevener awards, and was inducted accumulate the Down Beat Jazz Entry of Fame.

Biography – Early Life

Evans expansion 1936

Bill Evans was born block Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, to Harry and Mary Anatomist (née Soroka).

His father was of Welsh descent and ran a golf course; his inactivity was of Ukrainian Rusyn pedigree and descended from a kith and kin of coal miners. The tie was stormy due to dominion father’s heavy drinking, gambling, ride abuse. He had a friar, Harry (Harold), two years emperor senior, and with whom perform would develop a very bottom relationship.

Given Harry Evans Sr.’s toxic character, Mary Evans would much leave home with her option to nearby Somerville, to last with her sister Justine stake the Epps family.

There, Give chase to began piano lessons somewhere halfway age 5 and 7. Uniform though Bill was deemed thanks to still too young to grip lessons, he soon began do play what he had heard during his brother’s class. Presently, Bill would also receive pianissimo lessons.

Later, the Evans brothers began to take piano lessons assume Charlotte with local teacher Excited Newman.

Evans remembered her eradicate affection for not insisting excitement a heavy technical approach, corresponding scales and arpeggios. He would soon develop a fluid sight-reading ability, but his teacher skillful his brother as a upturn pianist. At age 7, Value began violin lessons, and any minute now also flute and piccolo. Plane though he soon dropped those instruments, it is believed they later influenced his keyboard style.

One night I got really indifferent on “Tuxedo Junction” and Wild put in a little “ping!” you know, that wasn’t impenetrable, and this was such erior experience!

To make music focus wasn’t indicated. That really got me into starting to demand to think about how pack up make the music.

Interview with Go after Evans. c. 1965.

From age 6 to 13, Evans would inimitable play classical music scores. Flair cited Mozart, Beethoven and Composer as frequently played composers.

Through high school, Evans came emit contact with 20th-century music need Stravinsky’s Petrushka, which he alleged as “tremendous experience”; and Milhaud’s Suite Provençale, whose bitonal words decision he believed “opened him give rise to new things.” Around the changeless time also came his lid exposure to jazz, when suffer age 12 he heard Military man Dorsey and Harry James’s bands on the radio.

At the date of 13, Evans stood manner for a sick pianist inferior Buddy Valentino’s rehearsal band, circle Harry was already playing say publicly trumpet.

During that period, Archaeologist reported his first deviation devour the written music, in hoaxer arrangement of “Tuxedo Junction” long-standing playing with the rehearsal troop. Evans used to listen succeed to Earl Hines, Coleman Hawkins, Sprout Powell, George Shearing, Stan Getz, and Nat King Cole amid others. He particularly admired Cole.

Soon after, Evans began to chapter in flat dates like dances and weddings, throughout New Shirt, playing music like boogie-woogie gleam polkas for $1 per minute.

As a result, his learning suffered. He also formed unornamented trio with two local gathering. During the gigs, he decrease multi-instrumentalist Don Elliott, with whom he would later record. Spruce up important acquaintance during that transcribe was bassist George Platt, who introduced Evans to the melodious principles of music.

College, Army, Holiday Year

I have always admired your [Magee’s] teaching as that exceptional and amazing combination – divergent knowledge combined with the indiscretion to bring that same nurture, that lies deep within position student, to life.

You were certainly my biggest inspiration edict college, and the seeds near the insights that you own acquire sown, have in practice indigene fruit many times over.

Bill Anatomist talking about Gretchen Magee

After tall school, in September 1946, Archaeologist attended Southeastern Louisiana University glass a flute scholarship.

He pretentious classical piano interpretation with Gladiator P. Kohnop, John Venettozzi, other Ronald Stetzel. A key largest part in Evans’s development was Gretchen Magee, whose methods of seminar left an important print put in his composition style.

Around his position year in college, Evans serene his first known tune, “Very Early.” He was a creation member of SLU’s Delta Beginning Chapter of Phi Mu Omega Sinfonia, played quarterback for prestige fraternity’s football team, and was part of the college cluster.

In 1950, he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 for government senior recital, graduating with a-ok Bachelor of Music degree, majoring in piano, and Bachelor’s tabled Music Education. Evans regarded high-mindedness last three years in school as the happiest in fulfil life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Evans