I was fortunate enough to spend 3 hours one-on-one at Bill’s motel north of the Capitol Records Bldg. when Bill did his second stint at Shelley’s Manne Hole. Chuck Israels came to the door and said, “Who the hell are YOU?!” And then he began to slam the door in my face! Then Bill loomed over Chuck’s left shoulder said, “Let him in; I invited him.” Thus began the most meaningful event in my life at that time. Bill and I talked about all kinds of things, most of which is hazy after 58 years, but I most remember because of the kind of playing I did, what I should be aware of. He told me to work especially hard on touch. Being an introspective player, I found that advice some of the most valuable I’ve ever received. Because I’m basically a harmonic player and utilize a lot of counterpoint in my left hand, I found that, for me, touch was an essential part of bringing out inner voice lines. Bill also let me copy changes; this was before fake books. Interestingly, Bill didn’t have a book per say at the time. Everything was on menus, matchbook covers, and napkins! As I was leaving, I asked, “Bill, did you write BOTH “Blue In Green” and “Flamenco Sketches”? In those days, we weren’t sure. Bill’s one-word answer was, “Yes”. Bill died in September of 1980; I wrote him a piece that has become the fourth of my “Four Elegiac Songs”. I wish he could have heard it. Addendum: 10-16-21…. The “Four Elegiac Songs In Time Of Covid”, of which the Bill Evans tribute was the fourth, tied for 3rd prize in the massive American Prize competition’s Pop/Light Music division of composers! It was just a couple of months ago!
Yes, touch is everything--unless your recording engineer is RVG, who simply stuffed the mic into the sounding board, homogenizing the individual "voice" of each piano player (worked OK for Horace, who used single note lines like a horn in his quintet arrangements). But who could emulate Bill's touch? Have you noticed the size his hands? Not just finger length but their width and weight. That meant he never had to force the sound (like a Keith, standing up to strike the piano.) All it required was a "literal" touch of the keys, for his heavy, dead-accurate fingers to coax from the keys the full value of its corresponding strings. (As I recall, during Israels' stay with the group some of Bill['s recordings were with Verve, which meant Granz called upon RVG.)
The amazing thing about Evans (among other things) is that so many the things he says have such depth and universality. "Intuition has to lead knowledge, but it can't be out there on its own... If its on its own, you are going to flounder sooner or later." "Knowing the problem is 90% of solving it." Et cetera.
I am a drummer and drumming instructor. I play a little xylophone too (not well); so drums is my main instrument...NOT piano. And yet, ever since I was a teenager, no musician was able to put me into "orbit" the way that Bill Evans could! It's his approach, like a ballerina or a fencer, that astonishes me, and I'm sure so many of you! Marian McPartland is genuinely in awe of Bill here! She is NOT fawning or gushing over him in an obsequious way. She just can't help herself, and I love her for it! Marian was a tremendous musician, composer, and piano historian herself! She heard and understood the nuances of Bill's performance better than anyone. A great friend and bandmate of mine, Jan Stevens runs the B.E. website and is an expert on Bill. Years ago Jan performed with Marian, Dick Hyman, Bill Charlap, Jack Reilly, and Fred Hersch at the 92nd Street Y in a special memorial tribute to Bill. I got to ask Ms. McPartland about Bill at the rehearsal and she told me about this very interview. She knew that I was a student of one of her own favorite drummers Joe Morello, and she was so effusive in her admiration of Bill to me. It is so, so thrilling and pleasing to hear here how much she loved Bill. This spectacular interview sounds like it was done around 1978, just two years before the music world would lose this immortal man. Thank you for presenting this audio "oil painting."
I wanna say it was the Summer of 80 when I caught Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck & George Shearing at a Summer evening concert at the Hollywood Bowl entitled 'Piano Masters' where you could hear a pin drop from the upper Bowl Treed Section where I was seated & the Hollywood Bowl was Jam-packed that evening with Piano jazz trio lovers & it seems like Last night if you will...
I just love Marian McPartland's interviews. She has a way to get the musicians to talk about their art so that we can all get to know the artists. I always looked forward to her show Piano Jazz and was so happy when these recordings started to show up on CDs and CZcams. What a treat!
Finding this video tonight was a complete REVELATION. I've never heard Evans speak on a level like this with anyone before!! I also think Marian did a splendid job on second piano with Bill. GREAT.
That version of Waltz for Debbie was executed so well.. words fail trying to describe it.. Has any other musician been able to turn a musical composition into such an amazing work of art ? I mean Bach did, but in a different voice and genre.. Bill was such a gift to the planet of those w/ ears that can hear.. Who doesn't DIG Bill ? That album was titled so appropriately !
20:21 -This part fascinates me. I have never seen anything remotely similar to this level of communication. This small piece of audio is a source of inspiration for the level of familiarity I wish to reach with the piano. The fact that this is just him making a point makes this some of most amazing playing I’ve ever heard... and he has the audacity to say “I didn't do that too well" half way through.
He was so good, and she brought the best out in all who were lucky enough to share her space. I will repeat my earlier comments, but first must again say what a genius, Bill Evans was. Thank you both. Lovely, from another time, same place, our city of hope. Thank you, dear lady, your class, and generosity of spirit were your calling card and shine through in you playing. Thank you, David Cox
When Marian asks Bill if he's playing a certain style at 20:18 on the time bar, then Bill describes it as an 'abstract' approach and begins to play it starting with a C major chord at 20:34 then he elaborates the structure and explains to bringing in an E major chord, at 21:50 or there about, [I have to go back and check the time bar numbers to indicate exactly where you hear this change-up in chords, as Marian then compliments Bill and says that's quite advanced for a new student as to what he just played. Bill then offers a great line of wisdom by saying - "Intuition has to lead knowledge but it can't be out there on its own. If it's on its own it's going to flounder."] They talk for quite a while longer and I know she's going to work up to mentioning certain keys, and I'm so pleased to hear that she brings up the key of D, and asks Bill to play Duke Ellington's Reflections in D, at 31:20 on the time bar. As I've been sitting at the piano lately trying to find these changes, and play them but I'm not an experienced piano player. I'm just self-taught, [as an accomplished and published technical visual artist and astronomy scientist,] so I can see now that this takes a tremendous amount of practice of hundreds of hours to attain this genius level of playing that Bill Evans accomplishes. I don't know if others know this but I've studied this for 20 years about left-handed people, and if you don't know, Bill Evans was a born left hander, as many of the history books show that the geniuses in art and music and science are a higher percentage of left-handed people - Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, we're all born left-handed, as was Rachmaninoff, the famous classical pianist and child prodigy, Glenn Gould, and other great jazz pianists such as Erroll Garner, [who could not read a note on a sheet of music, as Garner played entirely by ear. Erroll Garner was also heavily criticized by his recording label supervisors, due to his general character but in those days in the 1950s it was not understood that his left handedness probably caused a common condition in left-handers as we are known to be a higher percentage of diagnosis of Asperger's, dyslexia, autism, and bipolar. Although I'm not diagnosed with any of those conditions, but it is now believed in new medical journals today that Asperger's is no longer classified as a disorder - it's redefined as a trait of left-handed people, ie; Bill Gates and Paul Allen of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple, the famous actor Tom Cruise, and the famous comedic actor director Woody Allen, and so many more untold natural born left-handers, as all these famous and genius left-handed people are diagnosed with Asperger's or other similar spectrum diagnosis.] Great left-handed artists are also known to suffer as left-handers diagnosed with Asperger's, such as Glenn Gould was diagnosed with severe Asperger's, and other famous left-handers such as The Rock guitarist and genius performer David Byrne, talks in interviews about his Asperger's as a left-hander.] Oscar Peterson is another one of the genius pianists, but I'm just rambling here now about famous left-handers, as genius pianists. There are probably many more I can't think of at the moment. But back to those timestamp numbers I listed above, if you listen to the changeup he makes from the C chord to the E major, this is classic Bill Evans signature style that everyone wishes they could imitate and there are many great imitators now with tutorials on CZcams to show you how to play some of these change-up styles or abstracts that we all hear, as Bill Evans great accomplishments of genius on the piano. Just an aside, and somewhat out of context here, I should also add there's an amazing recording coming up to be released in June of 2021 next month. It's a rare find of audio tapes in the Abbey Road studios in England that Paul McCartney of The Beatles, during the recording of the White Album in July 1968, rang up Bill Evans and asked him to come over and play as Evans and his Trio of Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJonette, played for a session of an hour or so with McCartney and they performed several of both their numbers such as McCartney sings his famous Yesterday with Bill Evans on piano and other Jazz standards such as Summertime. You can look this up, as there's only one article release so far about it in a site titled - All About Jazz . com ... which I wrote not in hyperlink form here so it doesn't cause you to jump to the wrong location. But also search this new album titled by its name which the site mentions and the rundown of the track listings and the atmosphere as others were just recently called up and spoke briefly about remembering this session such as the recording engineer at Abbey Road and some few words from Paul McCartney so far. The article indicates they gave a pre copy of the recorded session with Paul McCartney and Bill and his Trio, to Ringo and he's been listening to it for the past 6 months and totally enthralled with it, as Ringo says he listens to it everyday. The new album is titled - Bill Evans: Hey Bill It's Paul From Abbey Road [Sorry for my rambling about too many things. I'm also a born left hander and accomplished in the Arts and Sciences world more so as a semi-professional astronomer and astronomy artist published by NASA many times over the past 10 years.] At 67 years now I've been giving up somewhat on acoustic guitar jazz, if only just to concentrate more lately on doodling with piano for the past 10 years but listening to a lot of Bill Evans and other pianists, so I hope to practice more and maybe get up to just barely performance level to imitating Evan's style a little, when I sit at a piano, [if only to entertain my friends, now and then.]
This was a long standing Jazz Piano Series on NPR hosted by Jazz Pianist, Marian Mc Partland which- I looked forward to catching each week..if my memory serves me correctly, I caught this interview with Bill Evans, a musical genius in every sense of the expression!!
Transcribing his pieces note for note and memorising them is key to understanding him. The aim is not to sound like him but to have some form of understanding which will inspire you to find your own path.
I just thank the good Lord, these records still exist.What a treasure.Bill gave us so much, at great personal suffering.And MM was so wonderful in her own right
Their verbal interplay is so enjoyable. Bill seems comfortable with Marian. Both clearly admire one another as musicians. This is a great conversation, along with great music.
I understand that we are in America, and everyone has a right to their likes and dislikes, but seriously, who in their right mind would admit to not liking this?
anyone person who's tastes differ from yours. i understand, in 2018 you like to believe everyone in the world agrees with you and thinks same as you, but sorry, buddy, thats never been the case.
Without a doubt the very best jazz interview ever..revealing of a real chemistry between them and the sheer love of the music and brilliance to share with us .Timeless artistry. Bill was so animated . almost shocking but Marian brought out the best in him..wow
Please take a break, and enjoy this marvelous, and historical session. I only wished, that I had learn to play this wonderful instrument. Bill is absolutely superb.. I had purchased several of his LP's and love them all.
I'm 66, and about four months ago decided to try to teach myself some basic chords. So help me, I had trouble finding middle C for a few days. Now, I could probably figure out 150 or more chords. Everything you learn increases your chord vocabulary exponentially. I can't actually PLAY, you understand, and my lack of any music theory doesn't help, but I certainly have a lot of fun torturing a chord or two every day.
What an incredible interview. Bill Evans was always my guiding light when it came to honesty and sheer intellectual heft about music in general. He seems like the kind of person who'd share a cup of coffee with anyone and talk about music. When I was a music student in college in the early 60s my classmates introduced me to Evans and his music. He left us way too soon.
This is great! It's so wonderful to hear Bill in any interview, not only because he is incredibly articulate, but also because he never has a bad word to say about any other musicians he knew or worked with. People always describe him as gentle and kind. It seems that is true. Confidence mixed with humility is an awesome combination in a person.
Geez o Pete, I’m a dozen or so years into true maid Marion standom and this the first time hearing her with so high a regard of a guest. So very cool to hear her pleased with the level of playing and conversation. She’s low key a GOAT, mad deep knowledge, skill, and sensitivity. Could and did keep up with literally anybody for decades First time hearing Evans talk at all, and he seems wonderfully grounded and aware without more ego of your average successful 50’s-60’s dude lol
Thomas, there are a few wonderful interviews I have found.... And I agree it is something wonderful to hear his voice describing his life, times, and music.
Some nice and lean and open and free-flowing sounds and I thank Marian for conducting this session back a few years ago. I'm just now seeing their talk.
Bill's use of modal chords, soft touch, and phrasings, remain the high standard for classically trained jazz pianists yesterday and today. That distinction is what Miles focused on in giving Bill the Kind of Blue nod over Wynton Kelly. Although Wynton played on Freddie Freeloader it was his composition so it stood to reason, he'd be included. Bill only worked with Miles for a very brief stint. But his contributions during that time created a wealth of music from arguably one of the greatest jazz ensemble ever recorded. Great interview!
Marian. Thank you for including my music when you had so many genius pianists like Bill and so many others including singers such as sarah Vaughan and the underrated Chris. Connor Third stream New England Conservatory
Bill on the importance of knowing a tune well before playing it well..."Intuition has to lead knowledge, but it can't be out there on it's own." This statement pretty much sums Bill Evans up in my opinion and is just pure, simple, genius!!
not just talented on the musical level, but also talented in voicing over his mental pathway as it was developing with actual words that could usher the listeners thru that tunnel of time and emotion. Priceless. too bad is not a video... but thank God that the audio has survived.
This interview and performance are as critical as the new movie, "Bill Evans: Time Remembered" (2018), in acquiring an understanding of the complete artist, whose playing evolved from "impressionist" art (esp. with the seminal bassist Scott LaFaro) to a more direct and personal "expressionist" art. His final trio, with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera, represents an implementation of what he discusses and demonstrates with Marian McPartland during this exceptionally revealing program. Like much of the literature about Bill, the new movie concentrates on a mere several years: 1959 ("Kind of Blue" with Miles) to 1961 (the "Vanguard Sessions" with LaFaro and Paul Motian). LaFaro would die in an automobile accident less than 2 months later, and the attention would shift to younger players (Jarrett, Hancock, Corea). The assumption about Bill was that his playing was stuck in neutral or even in decline. This program, recorded just two years before Bill's passing, clearly refutes any such notions. Bill talks about, then demonstrates, a new rhythmic technique he had been "working hard on" and emphasizes his opposition to "trends" (rock, fusion, dance music) and his devotion to art as the path to truth and beauty. For me, this program was a revelation, leading me to discover an artist who left us at the height of his creative powers.
Bill might be referring to "You Must Believe in Spring" as the warner brothers record that showcases eddie's unbelievably responsible yet outstanding playing.
My old friend was a great classical player who had never listened to jazz, so he asked me to buy him some top piano jazz records, from Art Tatum, to Dave Brubeck, to Thelonious Monk, to Bill Evans. I asked him to critique all of them. He said he was "blown away" by Tatum's technique, and enjoyed Erroll Garner, but asked me, "What is that funny sound in the background??" When I told him it was Erroll actually humming along as he played, he didn't quite know what to think about it. But he immediately seemed to gravitate to Evan's playing the most. When I asked him to comment on Bill's playing he answered, "All I can say is that he's so far ahead of everyone else that he's on a whole other level. I can't exactly explain it." He didn't realize that he just did.
This astounding episode was just before Bill's last trio of Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera and his exhausting but productive world tour, ending with an 8 night stay in San Francisco with an amazing 16 CDs (in "Consecration" and "Last Waltz." My fav Evans, even more than the '61 Vanguard sessions.) I was disappointed in a recent interview of Joe, who gives the standard line on Bill, dating back to the LaFaro trio. But his last trio was different--the fullest expression of Bill's own music and its vision.
This must have been done at a time when Evans was drug free, or comparitively so. He's at his best here conversationally, it seems to me. His playing was almost always superb.
Thanks so much, George, for uploading this wonderful interview - and interplay- between Marian and Bill. Their version of "I Love You" which terminates the clip left me with moist eyes. Without insulting the rest of the material is there any way of isolating the Cole Porter tune to put on my own jazz website? I wouldn't know how to do this due to my age and technical ignorance. If not, gratitude in abundance anyway - Jamie
Ya just get those moronic types that reply to a statement of ‘Isn’t the fresh air wonderful!’ , and they’ll respond; ‘I don’t know what you’re going on about, I think oxygen is highly overrated’.
@@owennovenski4794 I have a new theory for these videos with 1k+ likes and tiny fraction of that in dislikes: it must be folks trying to hit like, but fat fingering and hitting dislike by mistake.
Thanks for uploading this enjoyable and relaxed session, and thanks for editing out those lame and annoying N.P.R. announcements with the tiddle iddle um pum pum piano licks every 10 minutes.
This interview is so good because of the mutual appreciation between these two masters. That particular response always strikes me as totally honest, and correct, in the context of the ongoing discussion in which he demonstrates such high standards. Today is Sept 15th, and I will always remember where I was on the day he ascended.
I was fortunate enough to spend 3 hours one-on-one at Bill’s motel north of the Capitol Records Bldg. when Bill did his second stint at Shelley’s Manne Hole. Chuck Israels came to the door and said, “Who the hell are YOU?!” And then he began to slam the door in my face! Then Bill loomed over Chuck’s left shoulder said, “Let him in; I invited him.” Thus began the most meaningful event in my life at that time. Bill and I talked about all kinds of things, most of which is hazy after 58 years, but I most remember because of the kind of playing I did, what I should be aware of. He told me to work especially hard on touch. Being an introspective player, I found that advice some of the most valuable I’ve ever received. Because I’m basically a harmonic player and utilize a lot of counterpoint in my left hand, I found that, for me, touch was an essential part of bringing out inner voice lines. Bill also let me copy changes; this was before fake books. Interestingly, Bill didn’t have a book per say at the time. Everything was on menus, matchbook covers, and napkins! As I was leaving, I asked, “Bill, did you write BOTH “Blue In Green” and “Flamenco Sketches”? In those days, we weren’t sure. Bill’s one-word answer was, “Yes”. Bill died in September of 1980; I wrote him a piece that has become the fourth of my “Four Elegiac Songs”. I wish he could have heard it.
Addendum: 10-16-21…. The “Four Elegiac Songs In Time Of Covid”, of which the Bill Evans tribute was the fourth, tied for 3rd prize in the massive American Prize competition’s Pop/Light Music division of composers! It was just a couple of months ago!
that’s beautiful and I always knew in my heart those were his tunes... yes touch is everything.
Yes, touch is everything--unless your recording engineer is RVG, who simply stuffed the mic into the sounding board, homogenizing the individual "voice" of each piano player (worked OK for Horace, who used single note lines like a horn in his quintet arrangements). But who could emulate Bill's touch? Have you noticed the size his hands? Not just finger length but their width and weight. That meant he never had to force the sound (like a Keith, standing up to strike the piano.) All it required was a "literal" touch of the keys, for his heavy, dead-accurate fingers to coax from the keys the full value of its corresponding strings. (As I recall, during Israels' stay with the group some of Bill['s recordings were with Verve, which meant Granz called upon RVG.)
Shelly's Manne Hole on N Cahuenga was a great jazz venue back in an era when LA & the SFV was kicking with Tasty live jazz
what a special moment! great gift you have to have met one of the greatest!
Thank you Michael Deal! Just discovered another life-long Bill Evans devotee!
Ode to a fan club trading Evans' musical philosophies... 🌝Vivien
This guy is a national treasure
And he is so humble, alll about the music
The amazing thing about Evans (among other things) is that so many the things he says have such depth and universality. "Intuition has to lead knowledge, but it can't be out there on its own... If its on its own, you are going to flounder sooner or later." "Knowing the problem is 90% of solving it." Et cetera.
Q😮😊
Miraculous!
I am a drummer and drumming instructor. I play a little xylophone too (not well); so drums is my main instrument...NOT piano. And yet, ever since I was a teenager, no musician was able to put me into "orbit" the way that Bill Evans could! It's his approach, like a ballerina or a fencer, that astonishes me, and I'm sure so many of you! Marian McPartland is genuinely in awe of Bill here! She is NOT fawning or gushing over him in an obsequious way. She just can't help herself, and I love her for it! Marian was a tremendous musician, composer, and piano historian herself! She heard and understood the nuances of Bill's performance better than anyone. A great friend and bandmate of mine, Jan Stevens runs the B.E. website and is an expert on Bill. Years ago Jan performed with Marian, Dick Hyman, Bill Charlap, Jack Reilly, and Fred Hersch at the 92nd Street Y in a special memorial tribute to Bill. I got to ask Ms. McPartland about Bill at the rehearsal and she told me about this very interview. She knew that I was a student of one of her own favorite drummers Joe Morello, and she was so effusive in her admiration of Bill to me. It is so, so thrilling and pleasing to hear here how much she loved Bill. This spectacular interview sounds like it was done around 1978, just two years before the music world would lose this immortal man. Thank you for presenting this audio "oil painting."
His playing here is as great as his late records. So glad this exists...
Well, this show started in 1978, and he died in 1980, so this was his last period.
It was fun to hear Marian McPartland's old ass get giddy talking to Bill Evans about the piano.
all art, no ego. if only more people had the mix of ability and modesty (realism) of these two.
Absolutely
It was fun to hear Marian McPartland's old ass get giddy talking to Bill Evans about the piano.
@@reggaefan2700 Stay alive! If you're lucky, your ass will be old one day.
I wanna say it was the Summer of 80 when I caught Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck & George Shearing at a Summer evening concert at the Hollywood Bowl entitled 'Piano Masters' where you could hear a pin drop from the upper Bowl Treed Section where I was seated & the Hollywood Bowl was Jam-packed that evening with Piano jazz trio lovers & it seems like Last night if you will...
This is a MUST LISTEN for all students of music. The man speaks the truth.
+JamesScottGuitar As a jazz piano student, yes. This is amazing
Yes indeed. Some kinda truth and it is deeper than we think. Thank You.
I just love Marian McPartland's interviews. She has a way to get the musicians to talk about their art so that we can all get to know the artists. I always looked forward to her show Piano Jazz and was so happy when these recordings started to show up on CDs and CZcams. What a treat!
She sowed the seeds of jazz into me as I drove from VA back to college in GA. I’d catch her in the ride on Sunday afternoon
Finding this video tonight was a complete REVELATION. I've never heard Evans speak on a level like this with anyone before!! I also think Marian did a splendid job on second piano with Bill. GREAT.
That version of Waltz for Debbie was executed so well.. words fail trying to describe it.. Has any other musician been able to turn a musical composition into such an amazing work of art ? I mean Bach did, but in a different voice and genre..
Bill was such a gift to the planet of those w/ ears that can hear..
Who doesn't DIG Bill ?
That album was titled so appropriately !
The world is a much better place because of these two.
I remember hearing this when it was first broadcast. As I listened to Reflections in D I remember imagining Duke and Ravel and Debussy all listening.
20:21 -This part fascinates me. I have never seen anything remotely similar to this level of communication. This small piece of audio is a source of inspiration for the level of familiarity I wish to reach with the piano. The fact that this is just him making a point makes this some of most amazing playing I’ve ever heard... and he has the audacity to say “I didn't do that too well" half way through.
What a humble and interesting man he was. Thank God we have his recordings forever. Life is so short...
It's a shame that I can only give this a single thumbs up.
He was so good, and she brought the best out in all who were lucky enough to share her space. I will repeat my earlier comments, but first must again say what a genius, Bill Evans was.
Thank you both.
Lovely, from another time, same place, our city of hope. Thank you, dear lady, your class, and generosity of spirit were your calling card and shine through in you playing.
Thank you,
David Cox
When Marian asks Bill if he's playing a certain style at 20:18 on the time bar, then Bill describes it as an 'abstract' approach and begins to play it starting with a C major chord at 20:34 then he elaborates the structure and explains to bringing in an E major chord, at 21:50 or there about, [I have to go back and check the time bar numbers to indicate exactly where you hear this change-up in chords, as Marian then compliments Bill and says that's quite advanced for a new student as to what he just played. Bill then offers a great line of wisdom by saying - "Intuition has to lead knowledge but it can't be out there on its own. If it's on its own it's going to flounder."] They talk for quite a while longer and I know she's going to work up to mentioning certain keys, and I'm so pleased to hear that she brings up the key of D, and asks Bill to play Duke Ellington's Reflections in D, at 31:20 on the time bar.
As I've been sitting at the piano lately trying to find these changes, and play them but I'm not an experienced piano player. I'm just self-taught, [as an accomplished and published technical visual artist and astronomy scientist,] so I can see now that this takes a tremendous amount of practice of hundreds of hours to attain this genius level of playing that Bill Evans accomplishes.
I don't know if others know this but I've studied this for 20 years about left-handed people, and if you don't know, Bill Evans was a born left hander, as many of the history books show that the geniuses in art and music and science are a higher percentage of left-handed people - Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, we're all born left-handed, as was Rachmaninoff, the famous classical pianist and child prodigy, Glenn Gould, and other great jazz pianists such as Erroll Garner, [who could not read a note on a sheet of music, as Garner played entirely by ear. Erroll Garner was also heavily criticized by his recording label supervisors, due to his general character but in those days in the 1950s it was not understood that his left handedness probably caused a common condition in left-handers as we are known to be a higher percentage of diagnosis of Asperger's, dyslexia, autism, and bipolar. Although I'm not diagnosed with any of those conditions, but it is now believed in new medical journals today that Asperger's is no longer classified as a disorder - it's redefined as a trait of left-handed people, ie; Bill Gates and Paul Allen of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple, the famous actor Tom Cruise, and the famous comedic actor director Woody Allen, and so many more untold natural born left-handers, as all these famous and genius left-handed people are diagnosed with Asperger's or other similar spectrum diagnosis.] Great left-handed artists are also known to suffer as left-handers diagnosed with Asperger's, such as Glenn Gould was diagnosed with severe Asperger's, and other famous left-handers such as The Rock guitarist and genius performer David Byrne, talks in interviews about his Asperger's as a left-hander.] Oscar Peterson is another one of the genius pianists, but I'm just rambling here now about famous left-handers, as genius pianists. There are probably many more I can't think of at the moment.
But back to those timestamp numbers I listed above, if you listen to the changeup he makes from the C chord to the E major, this is classic Bill Evans signature style that everyone wishes they could imitate and there are many great imitators now with tutorials on CZcams to show you how to play some of these change-up styles or abstracts that we all hear, as Bill Evans great accomplishments of genius on the piano.
Just an aside, and somewhat out of context here, I should also add there's an amazing recording coming up to be released in June of 2021 next month. It's a rare find of audio tapes in the Abbey Road studios in England that Paul McCartney of The Beatles, during the recording of the White Album in July 1968, rang up Bill Evans and asked him to come over and play as Evans and his Trio of Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJonette, played for a session of an hour or so with McCartney and they performed several of both their numbers such as McCartney sings his famous Yesterday with Bill Evans on piano and other Jazz standards such as Summertime. You can look this up, as there's only one article release so far about it in a site titled - All About Jazz . com ... which I wrote not in hyperlink form here so it doesn't cause you to jump to the wrong location. But also search this new album titled by its name which the site mentions and the rundown of the track listings and the atmosphere as others were just recently called up and spoke briefly about remembering this session such as the recording engineer at Abbey Road and some few words from Paul McCartney so far. The article indicates they gave a pre copy of the recorded session with Paul McCartney and Bill and his Trio, to Ringo and he's been listening to it for the past 6 months and totally enthralled with it, as Ringo says he listens to it everyday. The new album is titled -
Bill Evans: Hey Bill It's Paul From Abbey Road
[Sorry for my rambling about too many things. I'm also a born left hander and accomplished in the Arts and Sciences world more so as a semi-professional astronomer and astronomy artist published by NASA many times over the past 10 years.] At 67 years now I've been giving up somewhat on acoustic guitar jazz, if only just to concentrate more lately on doodling with piano for the past 10 years but listening to a lot of Bill Evans and other pianists, so I hope to practice more and maybe get up to just barely performance level to imitating Evan's style a little, when I sit at a piano, [if only to entertain my friends, now and then.]
Have another look at the publication date of that All About Jazz article…
The greatest artist of the 20th century..
This was a long standing Jazz Piano Series on NPR hosted by Jazz Pianist, Marian Mc Partland which- I looked forward to catching each week..if my memory serves me correctly, I caught this interview with Bill Evans, a musical genius in every sense of the expression!!
NPR has a bunch of these available for streaming, everyone from Eubie Blake to Grace Kelly...
For me, Its hard to study Bill Evans because I rather sit back and enjoy listening to him as a jazz fan
Transcribing his pieces note for note and memorising them is key to understanding him. The aim is not to sound like him but to have some form of understanding which will inspire you to find your own path.
I just thank the good Lord, these records still exist.What a treasure.Bill gave us so much, at great personal suffering.And MM was so wonderful in her own right
Their verbal interplay is so enjoyable. Bill seems comfortable with Marian. Both clearly admire one another as musicians. This is a great conversation, along with great music.
Yes ! ! It's heavenly I tell you .
holy smokes! what a great opportunity to hear bill evans talk theory, structure, fundamentals.
I understand that we are in America, and everyone has a right to their likes and dislikes, but seriously, who in their right mind would admit to not liking this?
anyone person who's tastes differ from yours. i understand, in 2018 you like to believe everyone in the world agrees with you and thinks same as you, but sorry, buddy, thats never been the case.
Caribbean i agree with Paul Kemp and its 2019 !
@@ViolentFury1 , what it means is that you have appalling taste.
@@bobtaylor170 thank you mr. worldwide minister of culture, style, taste and art.
@@lnvenum I think this happens all the time online!
Without a doubt the very best jazz interview ever..revealing of a real chemistry between them and the sheer love of the music and brilliance to share with us .Timeless artistry. Bill was so animated . almost shocking but Marian brought out the best in him..wow
This man is a great force of nature! One of outstanding genius of all time! Thanks, Bill!!
"I used to be the fastest boogie woogie player in central New Jersey" LOL.
Spenser bill was so cute
You can hear him smile as he said that with pride.
Yep, that's what a genius sounds like.
Two of my favourite people - and artists, uncommonly together making music. Thanks for this rare find!
Please take a break, and enjoy this marvelous, and historical session.
I only wished, that I had learn to play this wonderful instrument.
Bill is absolutely superb.. I had purchased several of his LP's and love them all.
It's a historic session. The posting of it here and the comments about it are historical.
I'm so sorry you never played this wonderful instrument. I'm sure you still have it all in yourself my friend.
I'm 66, and about four months ago decided to try to teach myself some basic chords. So help me, I had trouble finding middle C for a few days. Now, I could probably figure out 150 or more chords. Everything you learn increases your chord vocabulary exponentially. I can't actually PLAY, you understand, and my lack of any music theory doesn't help, but I certainly have a lot of fun torturing a chord or two every day.
What an incredible interview. Bill Evans was always my guiding light when it came to honesty and sheer intellectual heft about music in general. He seems like the kind of person who'd share a cup of coffee with anyone and talk about music. When I was a music student in college in the early 60s my classmates introduced me to Evans and his music. He left us way too soon.
Thank you for sharing this timeless interview!
What a light and inspiration Bill Evans was and will always be! Amazing soul, depth and musical talent!
Sat afternoon NPR Radio on a Los Angeles afternoon for me eons ago ' Now....... 'Love!!!!!! Thank you!!!
So wonderful. He's in absolutely top form, sounds healthy, engaged, etc. Thank you, haven't heard this for ages.
This is great! It's so wonderful to hear Bill in any interview, not only because he is incredibly articulate, but also because he never has a bad word to say about any other musicians he knew or worked with. People always describe him as gentle and kind. It seems that is true. Confidence mixed with humility is an awesome combination in a person.
I get teary-eyed whenever I tune in to Marian's interviews. Sure miss her. Thank you.
Ms. McPartland is absolutely bubbly & enchanted in this (wonderful!) interview.
Such a beautiful version of Waltz for Debby, the phrasing, articulation, coloration. His appreciation and affection for Marion are clear. 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
How many ways and in how many keys can I express, I love this!
Even a single G7 chord from Bill's playing is far better than mine.
tell me about it
I Agree X'S 20🎼🎹🔉🎶!!!
thats probably cuz its got a 9 and a 13 added to it as well. and its billy e, so of course it is amazing
yeh so funny he's like "it's just G7 and C" --- but it never sounds like that when i play it hahah
As if Gsus was playing!
Geez o Pete, I’m a dozen or so years into true maid Marion standom and this the first time hearing her with so high a regard of a guest. So very cool to hear her pleased with the level of playing and conversation. She’s low key a GOAT, mad deep knowledge, skill, and sensitivity. Could and did keep up with literally anybody for decades
First time hearing Evans talk at all, and he seems wonderfully grounded and aware without more ego of your average successful 50’s-60’s dude lol
Thomas, there are a few wonderful interviews I have found.... And I agree it is something wonderful to hear his voice describing his life, times, and music.
Some nice and lean and open and free-flowing sounds and I thank Marian for conducting this session back a few years ago. I'm just now seeing their talk.
A gem! Thanks so much for putting this online!
I was a mailman in the 80's. Marion's house was on my route. Just around the corner from Eric Boom's (Blue Oyster Cult) house.
One other thought, David Cox here. What a beautiful picture, it is interesting, creative, and so reflects the interview and music.
Lovely again, David
Bill's use of modal chords, soft touch, and phrasings, remain the high standard for classically trained jazz pianists yesterday and today. That distinction is what Miles focused on in giving Bill the Kind of Blue nod over Wynton Kelly. Although Wynton played on Freddie Freeloader it was his composition so it stood to reason, he'd be included.
Bill only worked with Miles for a very brief stint. But his contributions during that time created a wealth of music from arguably one of the greatest jazz ensemble ever recorded. Great interview!
Marian. Thank you for including my music when you had so many genius pianists like Bill and so many others including singers such as sarah Vaughan and the underrated
Chris. Connor
Third stream New England Conservatory
Absolutely wonderful.
Bill on the importance of knowing a tune well before playing it well..."Intuition has to lead knowledge, but it can't be out there on it's own." This statement pretty much sums Bill Evans up in my opinion and is just pure, simple, genius!!
Love this exchange of intelligence and musical knowledge.
I remember piano jazz program. Heard this many years ago and will keep listening to it over & over. 💜
Some of the stuff he played here sounds better to me than anything I'd heard on his albums.
Dimitri Korsakov right? It's not just me. He sounds beyond phenomenal here.
All Piano Jazz should be released on cd’s! WhAt a treasure these programs were. Marian McPartland
Was amazing on every one I’be ever heard!
This is such a great episode.
@ George Drazenovich Thank you very much for this upload. What a treasure these two together!
Our Chopin, near the end. Inspires and breaks my heart.
not just talented on the musical level, but also talented in voicing over his mental pathway as it was developing with actual words that could usher the listeners thru that tunnel of time and emotion. Priceless. too bad is not a video... but thank God that the audio has survived.
This interview and performance are as critical as the new movie, "Bill Evans: Time Remembered" (2018), in acquiring an understanding of the complete artist, whose playing evolved from "impressionist" art (esp. with the seminal bassist Scott LaFaro) to a more direct and personal "expressionist" art. His final trio, with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera, represents an implementation of what he discusses and demonstrates with Marian McPartland during this exceptionally revealing program.
Like much of the literature about Bill, the new movie concentrates on a mere several years: 1959 ("Kind of Blue" with Miles) to 1961 (the "Vanguard Sessions" with LaFaro and Paul Motian). LaFaro would die in an automobile accident less than 2 months later, and the attention would shift to younger players (Jarrett, Hancock, Corea). The assumption about Bill was that his playing was stuck in neutral or even in decline. This program, recorded just two years before Bill's passing, clearly refutes any such notions. Bill talks about, then demonstrates, a new rhythmic technique he had been "working hard on" and emphasizes his opposition to "trends" (rock, fusion, dance music) and his devotion to art as the path to truth and beauty. For me, this program was a revelation, leading me to discover an artist who left us at the height of his creative powers.
There is no movie
@@Woter_X. Ill Evans: Time Remembered (2015) on Amazon Prime on other sreams
Bill Evans.. had a typo
How cool !!!
A very great episode of piano jazz, perhaps the best!!
Bill and Marian too were both such wonderful people!
Great interaction. Love this!
increible and hearing him, listening is even more, many thanks!
This is a master piece. Thanx
That is the best recording of Your Own Sweet Way i have ever heard. Bill shines in the first chorus
I know this is a bit off topic, but I LOVE their accents!
Bill might be referring to "You Must Believe in Spring" as the warner brothers record that showcases eddie's unbelievably responsible yet outstanding playing.
Bill Evans' rhythmic displacements always jumps right out at you and may be the most distinguishing characteristic of his playing, imo.
woo hoo...thanx for this...legendary.....
Exquisite.....BEYOND Category. RESPECT!
My old friend was a great classical player who had never listened to jazz, so he asked me to buy him some top piano jazz records, from Art Tatum, to Dave Brubeck, to Thelonious Monk, to Bill Evans. I asked him to critique all of them. He said he was "blown away" by Tatum's technique, and enjoyed Erroll Garner, but asked me, "What is that funny sound in the background??" When I told him it was Erroll actually humming along as he played, he didn't quite know what to think about it. But he immediately seemed to gravitate to Evan's playing the most. When I asked him to comment on Bill's playing he answered, "All I can say is that he's so far ahead of everyone else that he's on a whole other level. I can't exactly explain it." He didn't realize that he just did.
"... I can't exactly explain it." Precisely my own reaction to Bill Evans's music. MarkT
Completely amazing, from start to finish. Bravo!!!
He was influenced by Eric Satie insofar as conjuring up the left hand voicing technique which he mastered like nobody else could.
also Marice Ravel
Debussy too
This astounding episode was just before Bill's last trio of Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera and his exhausting but productive world tour, ending with an 8 night stay in San Francisco with an amazing 16 CDs (in "Consecration" and "Last Waltz." My fav Evans, even more than the '61 Vanguard sessions.) I was disappointed in a recent interview of Joe, who gives the standard line on Bill, dating back to the LaFaro trio. But his last trio was different--the fullest expression of Bill's own music and its vision.
The then unreleased albums mentioned at 9:00 are 'I Will Say Goodbye' (Fantasy) and 'You Must Believe In Spring' (Warner), both from 1977.
I'm with you on this. Eddie's solos on you must believe in spring are beautiful. The entire record is definitely one of my favorites 😉.
Oh my god.... My heart is melted
This is so good. Thank you!
Bill Evans is an piano saint.
Excellent sound
This must have been done at a time when Evans was drug free, or comparitively so. He's at his best here conversationally, it seems to me. His playing was almost always superb.
Muchas gracias. Bendiciones
My favorite McPartland song: "Summer Song". The changes are...addictively cool.
Bill and Marian🎉 great humans!
So cool!!! Bill is the man
Recorded 11/6/1978
The Gold standard is Bill Evans.
There is so much more to Bill's music than just great musicianship. It's wonderful stories, beautifully told, and THAT SOUND, what a maestro !!!!
Thanks so much, George, for uploading this wonderful interview - and interplay- between Marian and Bill. Their version of "I Love You" which terminates the clip left me with moist eyes. Without insulting the rest of the material is there any way of isolating the Cole Porter tune to put on my own jazz website? I wouldn't know how to do this due to my age and technical ignorance. If not, gratitude in abundance anyway - Jamie
Lol, who the hell could click dislike on this!!?
Adam Kelly OMG I never heard McPartland so young!
@@ashfordp676 lol, i know!
Ya just get those moronic types that reply to a statement of ‘Isn’t the fresh air wonderful!’ , and they’ll respond; ‘I don’t know what you’re going on about, I think oxygen is highly overrated’.
@@owennovenski4794 I have a new theory for these videos with 1k+ likes and tiny fraction of that in dislikes: it must be folks trying to hit like, but fat fingering and hitting dislike by mistake.
@@adamkelly5478 yeah. Let’s go with that explanation.
I love those voicings he uses on April in Paris.
He likes E and A, Jim Hall was a big influence.
Man, cats today (myself included) wish they could be as cool as these two!
MASTER.. !!!
Set list:
www.discogs.com/Bill-Evans-Marian-McPartlands-Piano-Jazz-Radio-Broadcast/release/3701398
I think Marian interviewed Hiromi Uehara. I heard it live on radio when I was in Japan...
36:01 Real wisdom about trying to tackle jazz here.
Thanks for uploading this enjoyable and relaxed session, and thanks for editing out those lame and annoying N.P.R. announcements with the tiddle iddle um pum pum piano licks every 10 minutes.
What a gal...what a guy...we are lucky!!!
YOU DON'T HAVE THE DIMENSIONS TO BE A SOLO PIANIST? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THATS FUNNY.
This interview is so good because of the mutual appreciation between these two masters. That particular response always strikes me as totally honest, and correct, in the context of the ongoing discussion in which he demonstrates such high standards.
Today is Sept 15th, and I will always remember where I was on the day he ascended.
Right... and Picasso lacks the dimension to be a painter.
Bill Evans sounds like an orchestra.
21:20, WOW
Triple wow
That was a lot for C G7 C.
Love this! Sounds like Mr.Fred Rogers learned a thing or two from Mr.Evans. Lovely!
offisk dahl Well, they both were in the same National music fraternity lol.
His believed that jazz would work on a children's program! Genius!
Play timeline
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