Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Figure:1
Source: Bill Evans Biography newjazz.blogspot.com
Early Life
Figure: 2
Source: Bill Evans Biography newjazz.blogspot.com
He settled in New York City and began playing with local bands in the
area
Creative Process
In 1966, Bill Evans sat down with his brother Harry Evans to talk about his
creative process
The whole process of learning the facility of being able to play jazz is to
take these problems from the outer level in, one by one, and to stay with it
at a very intense, conscious-concentration level until that process becomes
secondary and subconscious. Now, when that becomes subconscious, then
you can begin concentrating on that next problem, which will allow you to do
a little bit more. Bill Evans
I dont consider myself as talented as many people but in some ways that
was an advantage because I didnt have a great facility immediately so I had
to be more analytical and in a way that forced me to build something.
Bill Evans
One of Bill Evans most famous compositions was called Peace Piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spa5wWFYJqc
The recording was unrehearsed and uses a distinct two chord vamp
with a lyrical improvisation style only Evans could pull of
Waltz for Debby was one of Bill Evans first songs after he got out of
the Miles Davis Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Qz6BPPnto
Evans brought his usual emotion and lyrical style to this song that
only he could captue
Blue in Green was written while Evans was in the Miles Davis
Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW_7gRH7ASE
Many still today attribute it to Miles Davis and in the 70s he was
receiving royalties from the piece
Evans knew that Miles was getting the royalties but ultimately he
cared more about creating good music than making money
Critics
Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on the piano. The way he
approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling
water cascading down from some clear waterfall. Miles Davis
Legacy
Figure: 12
Source: allaboutjazz.com
Figure: 11
Source: thegaurdian.com
Work Cited
Popova, Maria. "Jazz Legend Bill Evans on the Creative Process, SelfTeaching, and Balancing Clarity with Spontaneity in Problem-Solving."
Brainpickings.org. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
Ramsey, Doug. "The Bill Evans Legacy." Wall Street Journal. 3 Feb. 2015.
Web. 21 Mar. 2016.