Known for his sophisticated use of harmony and his highly lyrical playing, Bill Evans created work with an extraordinary emotional depth. His career that saw him play with Miles Davis on the most iconic jazz album of all time, “Kind of Blue”, define what a piano trio could be, as well taking extraordinary and innovative risks with albums such as “Conversations With Myself”.  Evans was a player with a singular vision and a restless innovator who also had a passion and reverence for jazz tradition.

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Evans in the history of jazz. One of the finest descriptions of him as a player came from Miles Davis, who stated that “Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes, or sparkling water cascading down from some waterfall”. Being more direct, he also said simply that Evans “plays the piano the way it should be played”.

Despite his extraordinary successes and continuing legacy and influence, Evans’ life and career were far from plain sailing. Battling with heroin and later cocaine addiction for decades, Evans would sadly die before his time, aged 51 in 1980 due to complications arising from his years of substance abuse. His career, achievements and impact stand as a testament to his tenacity and ability as a player in the face of significant personal challenges.

Throughout his career, Evans repeatedly innovated, challenging orthodoxies and making new approaches possible. He was an exceptional composer and player as well as an exceptional interpreter of standards. Other legendary figures of jazz piano from Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea to Lyle Mays, who often used Evans inspired voicings, are all hugely indebted to the man.

The following albums demonstrate the range, development and impact of Evans as a player – a troubled genius who battled adversity to shape jazz history. 

Everybody Digs Bill Evans (1959)

Released in a vintage year for classic jazz albums, “Everybody Digs Bill Evans” is a perfect showcase of the virtuoso’s lyrical style that went on to be so influential. Not only that, but it’s built around an extraordinary musical dialogue between Evans and his band mates, bassist Sam Jones and Drummer Philly Joe Jones. The album is a perfect starting point for anyone new to the discography of Evans. A true classic of the piano trio form.

Waltz for Debby (1962)

A storming live performance from 1961, “Waltz for Debby” is the companion album to the storied “Sunday at the Village Vanguard” and is its absolute equal for quality and emotional depth. The album captures the classic line-up of the Bill Evans trio, consisting of the man himself, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motion at the absolute height of their powers. It would however be marked by sadness as it went on to become their last recording together, when LaFaro tragically died in a car crash aged just 25 in July 1962. Despite his tragically short life and career, LaFaro had a big impact, developing a ‘countermelodic’ style of bass playing, which is in full effect here.  

Conversations With Myself (1964)

When Evans recorded “Conversations With Myself” in 1963 he was struggling. He’d recorded landmark albums as a bandleader and of course played on Kind of Blue among other achievements, but his addiction and personal challenges were holding him back and his career was stagnating. He then took an enormous risk recording an album that made heavy use of overdubbing. Now taken for granted, at the time, the technique was seen as manipulation and even fakery.

Across a set consisting of one original, “N.Y.C’s No Lark” and the rest covers, Evans created extraordinary musical dialogue between three separate parts on each piece. He reflects different aspects of his personality through the various piano lines, which push and pull against each other. A sceptical press and public soon warmed to the pioneering album, on its release in 1964

Bill Evans Trio Live at Town Hall (1966)

The greatest live albums freeze a moment in time, allowing future generations to experience something fleeting and past. That is exactly what this potent recording of the Bill Evans Trio does. Notable for many reasons, the album showcases Evans’ great improvisational ability and lyrical style of playing to its fullest. It’s also the only time a commercial release by the trio would feature the drummer, Arnold Wise. The most memorable part of the set however is the thirteen minute “In Memory of His Father” – a sprawling and mesmerising solo exploration of the theme that would go on to become the Evans signature “Turn Out the Stars”.

---

Andrew Taylor-Dawson is an Essex based writer and marketer. His music writing has been featured in UK Jazz News, The Quietus and Songlines. Outside music, he has written for The Ecologist, Byline Times and more.

---

_{Header image: Bill Evans. Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.}