The Life And Music Of Bill Evans: Time Remembered (2015 Documentary) , Sheet Music Library (PDF)

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The Life and Music of Bill Evans: Time Remembered (documentary, 2015)

The Life and Music of Bill Evans.

A biographical film featuring the music and times of Bill Evans with interviews from Tony Bennett, Jack Dejohnette, Billy Taylor, Paul Motian, Jon Hendricks, Orin Keepnews, Bobby Brookmeyer, Pat Evans….

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Bruce Spiegel has produced a complete documentary, giving you insights into Bill Evans; not just the musician, but also the person. The film moves chronologically starting with Bill’s childhood in New Jersey and culminating with details about his death.

“The film Bill Evans, Time Remembered, took me 8 years to make. Eight years of tracking down anybody who knew Bill and who played with him, to try and find out as much as I could about the illusive and not easy to understand Bill Evans. I feel very honored to have had the chance to interview and get to know good guys that spent a lot of time with Bill: Billy Taylor, Gene Lees, Tony Bennett, Jack DeJohnette, Jon Hendricks, Jim Hall, Bobby Brookmeyer, Chuck Israels, Paul Motian, Gary Peacock, Joe LaBarbera. It was a once in a lifetime experience talking to these gifted, talented guys about their time in jazz music, about their “Time Remembered“ with Bill Evans. – Bruce Spiegel”

“The film was a bull’s eye at capturing as much as one can capture of someone’s music, pain, and life story. My family is forever grateful to your outstanding work.” – Debby Evans (Waltz for Debby)”

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“The film is musically intriguing and sensitively crafted. Not soppy, with just the right amount of honesty regarding his personal life.” – Nenette Evans

Bill Evans: The Poet of the Piano and Architect of Modern Jazz Harmony

Bill Evans (1929-1980) stands as one of the most influential and revered figures in the history of jazz. More than just a pianist and composer, he was a profound musical thinker who reshaped the harmonic and textural landscape of the genre. His introspective lyricism, unparalleled harmonic sophistication, and revolutionary approach to ensemble playing, particularly within the piano trio format, left an indelible mark that continues to resonate deeply with musicians and listeners alike. To delve into Bill Evans is to explore the very essence of modern jazz piano and composition.

I. Biography: The Quiet Revolutionary

Early Life and Roots (1929-1950s): Born William John Evans on August 16, 1929, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Bill was immersed in music from a young age. He began classical piano lessons at six, later studying flute and violin. His older brother Harry, also a pianist, was an early influence. Evans displayed exceptional talent early on, winning local competitions. He attended Southeastern Louisiana University on a flute scholarship but quickly focused on piano, graduating with a degree in piano performance and music education in 1950. After a stint in the army (1951-1954), he pursued graduate studies at the Mannes School of Music in New York City, delving deep into composers like Debussy, Ravel, Scriabin, and Bach – influences that would profoundly shape his harmonic language.
New York Apprenticeship and Breakthrough (1955-1958): Evans immersed himself in the vibrant New York jazz scene, playing with established figures like clarinetist Tony Scott (recording his first significant album, Everybody Digs Bill Evans, in 1958), guitarist Mundell Lowe, and bandleader/orchestrator George Russell. Russell’s work on modal jazz and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization was particularly influential, expanding Evans’s harmonic thinking beyond traditional functional harmony. He also played briefly with Charles Mingus in 1958, further honing his skills in complex ensemble settings.
The Miles Davis Crucible (1958-1959): Evans’s career trajectory changed dramatically when Miles Davis invited him to join his sextet in early 1958, replacing Red Garland. Though his tenure was relatively short (less than a year initially, with a brief return in 1959), its impact was seismic. Evans became an integral part of Davis’s exploration of modal jazz, contributing significantly to the landmark albums Milestones (1958) and, most famously, Kind of Blue (1959). Evans’s harmonic subtlety, introspective touch, and ability to create atmosphere were crucial to the album’s unique, spacious, and profoundly influential sound. His introductory piano chords on “So What” remain iconic. He also contributed the hauntingly beautiful composition “Blue in Green.”
The First Trio: Revolutionizing the Format (1959-1961): Leaving Davis, Evans formed what many consider the most influential piano trio in jazz history with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. This group didn’t just play together; they conversed. LaFaro’s unprecedented melodic and contrapuntal approach to the bass, Motian’s textural and interactive drumming, and Evans’s harmonically rich piano created an egalitarian interplay where roles constantly shifted. They achieved a level of collective improvisation and telepathic communication rarely heard before. Albums like Portrait in Jazz (1959), Explorations (1961), and especially the live recordings Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby (both 1961) captured this magic. Tragically, LaFaro was killed in a car accident just ten days after the Vanguard recordings, devastating Evans and abruptly ending this revolutionary phase.
Rebuilding and Refinement (1962-1970s): Deeply affected by LaFaro’s death, Evans retreated for almost a year. He eventually returned, working initially with bassist Chuck Israels and later forming a long-lasting and highly successful trio with bassist Eddie Gómez (1966-1977) and drummers including Marty Morell, Philly Joe Jones, Jack DeJohnette, and Eliot Zigmund. While the LaFaro trio’s explosive interactivity was unique, the Gómez trios focused on a different kind of perfection: lush harmonies, intricate counterpoint, and a deep, singing lyricism. Gómez’s virtuosity and profound musical empathy made him Evans’s longest-serving bassist. This period produced a vast and consistently high-quality discography for Riverside, Verve, and later Warner Bros. and Fantasy.
Later Years and Decline (Late 1970s-1980): The final phase of Evans’s career saw him grappling increasingly with health problems, exacerbated by a long-standing struggle with drug addiction (primarily heroin, later cocaine). Despite this, his musical commitment remained unwavering. His last trio featured bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera, capturing a renewed spark and introspective depth on albums like We Will Meet Again (1979, Grammy winner) and The Paris Concert (1979). Bill Evans passed away on September 15, 1980, from a combination of cirrhosis, bronchial pneumonia, and untreated hepatitis, complications stemming from his addiction.

II. Music Style: Impressionism Meets Bebop

Evans’s style is a unique and instantly recognizable synthesis:

Harmonic Genius: This is his defining legacy. He moved far beyond standard bebop chord changes:
- Modal Harmony & Pedal Points: Deeply influenced by Kind of Blue and his classical studies, he often suspended traditional chord progressions, dwelling on single modes or using pedal points (sustained bass notes) over which rich harmonies could shift kaleidoscopically (e.g., “Peace Piece,” “Time Remembered”).
- Non-Tertian Harmony: Moving beyond chords built solely in thirds. He incorporated:
  - Fourth-based Chords: Stacking fourths created open, ambiguous, modern sounds (e.g., the intro to “So What”).
  - Cluster Chords: Tightly spaced notes creating complex, often dissonant, sonorities used for color and tension.
  - Rootless Voicings: A revolutionary technique where the bass note (root) of the chord is omitted by the pianist, played instead by the bassist. This freed Evans’s left hand to play richer, more complex harmonic structures (often including the 3rd, 7th, extensions like 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, and alterations like #11ths, b9ths) higher on the keyboard, creating a luminous, floating quality. This defined the sound of his trios.
- Reharmonization: Masterfully substituting complex, unexpected chords for standard ones within a tune’s progression, constantly refreshing familiar standards.
- Impressionist Influence: The lush, ambiguous harmonies and focus on color and texture directly echoed Debussy and Ravel.
Lyricism and Touch: Evans possessed a remarkably beautiful, singing tone. His touch was delicate, nuanced, and expressive, capable of profound introspection and tender melancholy. Even at faster tempos, a sense of lyricism pervaded his lines.
Rhythmic Sophistication: While not a hard-swinging pianist in the tradition of Oscar Peterson or Bud Powell, Evans’s rhythm was deeply sophisticated:
- Displaced Time: Playing phrases that start or end slightly before or after the beat, creating a subtle tension and release.
- Polyrhythms: Layering different rhythmic feels simultaneously.
- Rubato & Elastic Time: Freely stretching and contracting tempo for expressive effect, particularly in ballads.
- Interaction: His trios were masters of implied pulse and collective rhythmic flow rather than explicit time-keeping.
Contrapuntal Improvisation: Evans thought orchestrally. His improvisations often involved interweaving melodic lines in both hands, creating a rich tapestry of sound. He wasn’t just playing single-note lines over chords; he was constantly building harmonic and melodic structures simultaneously.

III. Improvisational Vocabulary: Beyond “Licks”

Evans disliked the concept of pre-learned “licks.” His improvisation stemmed from deep harmonic understanding and melodic invention in the moment. However, characteristic elements emerge:

Motivic Development: Taking a small melodic fragment (a motif) and developing it through repetition, variation, sequence (moving it up/down in pitch), and fragmentation throughout his solo.
Scalar Fluidity: Seamless blending of scales, particularly major, melodic minor, harmonic minor, and various modes. He used scales not just linearly but harmonically, implying chords within scalar passages.
Chromatic Embellishment: Using notes outside the prevailing harmony for color and tension, often as passing tones or appoggiaturas, always resolving convincingly.
Voice Leading: A core principle. Every note in his chords and lines moved smoothly and logically to the next note, creating a sense of inevitability and flow, even through complex harmonies. This stemmed directly from his classical training.
Block Chord Style: Occasionally using thick, moving chords in both hands for dramatic effect or climactic moments, though less frequently than players like Red Garland or George Shearing.

IV. Groups: The Trio as Chamber Ensemble

The piano trio was Evans’s primary vehicle, and he revolutionized it:

The First Great Trio (Evans/LaFaro/Motian, 1959-1961): The benchmark for interactive trio playing. LaFaro’s melodic bass liberated the piano’s left hand (enabling rootless voicings) and created true counterpoint. Motian focused on texture, color, and dialogue rather than mere timekeeping. They played as one mind. (Landmark Recordings: Sunday at the Village Vanguard, Waltz for Debby).
The Eddie Gómez Era (1966-1977): The longest-lasting and most prolific trio. Gómez, a virtuoso with a huge sound and deep musicality, provided a powerful yet flexible foundation. Drummers Marty Morell (longest tenure) and later Eliot Zigmund offered strong, interactive support. The focus shifted slightly towards Evans’s harmonic explorations and Gómez’s formidable solo voice, still maintaining incredible interplay but perhaps less of the radical democracy of the first trio. (Landmark Recordings: Montreux II, The Bill Evans Album, Since We Met, You Must Believe in Spring).
The Final Trio (Evans/Johnson/LaBarbera, 1978-1980): A remarkable late resurgence. Johnson’s lyrical bass and LaBarbera’s sensitive, orchestral drumming inspired Evans to some of his most profound and emotionally direct playing. (Landmark Recordings: We Will Meet Again, The Paris Concert: Edition One & Two, Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings).

V. Collaborations: Beyond the Trio

While the trio defined him, Evans collaborated significantly:

Miles Davis: As discussed, pivotal. Milestones, Kind of Blue. His influence permeates Davis’s sound during that era.
George Russell: Early and crucial exposure to advanced harmonic concepts. Recorded on Jazz Workshop (1956) and Russell’s masterpiece All About Rosie.
Cannonball Adderley: Co-led the album Know What I Mean? (1961), a superb meeting of Evans’s lyricism and Adderley’s bluesy soul.
Jim Hall: A legendary partnership defined by mutual sensitivity and harmonic exploration. The album Undercurrent (1962) is a duet masterpiece of chamber-like intimacy.
Tony Bennett: Evans was Bennett’s preferred accompanist for a sublime series of albums in the 1970s (The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, Together Again), showcasing Evans’s unparalleled skill as an accompanist and interpreter of song.
Stan Getz: Recorded the acclaimed but often overlooked But Beautiful (1974 live) and Stan Getz & Bill Evans (1964 studio).
Others: Significant recordings with Lee Konitz (Live at the Half Note), Freddie Hubbard, Shelly Manne, Jeremy Steig, Toots Thielemans, and singer Monica Zetterlund.

VI. Harmony and Chord Progressions: The Evansian Language

Evans’s harmonic language is endlessly studied:

Modal Interchange (Borrowing Chords): Freely mixing chords from parallel major and minor keys (e.g., using a chord from C minor in the key of C major) for rich color.
Altered Dominants: Extensively using dominant 7th chords with flattened or sharpened 5ths and 9ths (e.g., G7b9#5, G7#11) for heightened tension and sophisticated resolution.
Tritone Substitution: Replacing a dominant 7th chord with another dominant 7th chord a tritone (augmented 4th/diminished 5th) away, creating a chromatic bass line and complex voice leading (e.g., substituting Db7 for G7 before resolving to C).
Planing: Moving a chord shape (voicing) up or down diatonically or chromatically, creating striking harmonic shifts.
Pedal Point: Sustaining a single note (often in the bass) while harmonies change above it, creating harmonic ambiguity and tension/release.
Evans’s Reharmonizations: His versions of standards like “Stella by Starlight,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “My Romance,” and “Autumn Leaves” are considered definitive due to his radical and beautiful chord substitutions.

VII. Influences: The Wellspring

Evans synthesized diverse influences:

Jazz: Bud Powell (bebop fluency), Nat King Cole (touch, trio concept), Lennie Tristano (counterpoint, linear sophistication), Horace Silver (blues feeling), Ahmad Jamal (space, dynamics).
Classical: Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Alexander Scriabin, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, J.S. Bach (counterpoint, voice leading).
Popular Song: The Great American Songbook (Gershwin, Kern, Rodgers, etc.) provided his core repertoire; he revered its melodic and harmonic craftsmanship.

VIII. Legacy: The Enduring Shadow

Evans’s influence is immeasurable and pervasive:

Pianists: Virtually every significant jazz pianist since 1960 bears his influence: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, Michel Petrucciani, Lyle Mays, Alan Broadbent, Bill Charlap, and countless others. His harmonic concepts and trio approach are foundational.
Harmony: His sophisticated harmonic language – rootless voicings, modal interchange, altered dominants, cluster chords – became standard vocabulary in jazz and influenced harmony in pop, film scoring, and beyond.
Trio Concept: He redefined the piano trio as an interactive chamber group rather than piano plus rhythm section. This model dominates modern jazz trio playing.
Composition: His originals (“Waltz for Debby,” “Very Early,” “Time Remembered,” “Turn Out the Stars,” “Peri’s Scope”) are modern standards, admired for their beauty and harmonic depth.
Sensitivity and Lyricism: He proved that profound emotional depth and intellectual rigor could coexist, elevating introspection and lyricism to central positions in jazz expression.

IX. Major Works: Compositions

Evans was a masterful composer, though his output was relatively modest compared to his interpretive genius. Key originals include:

Waltz for Debby
Very Early
Time Remembered
Turn Out the Stars
Peri’s Scope
Re: Person I Knew (anagram for producer Orrin Keepnews)
Funkallero
Show-Type Tune
The Two Lonely People
We Will Meet Again
B Minor Waltz (For Ellaine) (dedicated to his partner during his final years)
Peace Piece (largely an improvisation)
Laurie (dedicated to his niece)
T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune)

X. Filmography: Capturing the Essence

Documenting Evans visually is relatively scarce but precious:

The Universal Mind of Bill Evans (1966): An essential documentary featuring Evans discussing his musical philosophy and demonstrating concepts at the piano. Unique insight into his mind.
Bill Evans Trio: Live in Norway, 1966 (Black & White footage with Eddie Gómez & Alex Riel)
Bill Evans: The Oslo Concerts (1970s footage)
Bill Evans: On a Friday Evening (1975, NYC)
Bill Evans: The Last Waltz (1980, footage from his final performance in Switzerland)
Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends (2007 documentary featuring segments with Evans)
Numerous short clips exist on YouTube from TV appearances (e.g., Jazz 625, Swinging in the 70s).

XI. Discography: A Vast Ocean of Genius

Evans recorded prolifically. Key albums representing different eras:

Early Sideman/Leader: New Jazz Conceptions (1956), Everybody Digs Bill Evans (1958), Green Dolphin Street (with Cannonball Adderley, 1958).
With Miles Davis: Milestones (1958), Kind of Blue (1959).
The First Trio: Portrait in Jazz (1959), Explorations (1961), Sunday at the Village Vanguard (1961), Waltz for Debby (1961).
Post-LaFaro: Moon Beams (1962), How My Heart Sings! (1962), Undercurrent (with Jim Hall, 1962), Conversations With Myself (1963 – Solo overdubbed piano), Trio 64 (1963).
Eddie Gómez Era: Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival (1968), Alone (1968 – Solo), From Left to Right (1969 – with orchestra), The Bill Evans Album (1971 – Grammy Winner), The Tokyo Concert (1973), Since We Met (1974), Alone (Again) (1975), Crosscurrents (with Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh, 1977), I Will Say Goodbye (1977), You Must Believe in Spring (1977, released posthumously), New Conversations (1978 – Solo overdubbed piano).
Final Trio: Affinity (with Toots Thielemans, 1978), We Will Meet Again (1979 – Grammy Winner), The Paris Concert: Edition One & Edition Two (1979), Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings (June 1980), The Last Waltz (Sept 1980 – final performance).
With Tony Bennett: The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album (1975), Together Again (1976).

XII. Iconic Performances and Recordings

Beyond specific albums, certain tracks are legendary:

“So What” (Intro & Solo) – Kind of Blue (Miles Davis)
“Blue in Green” – Kind of Blue
“Autumn Leaves” – Portrait in Jazz
“Solar” – Sunday at the Village Vanguard
“Waltz for Debby” (Live) – Waltz for Debby
“My Foolish Heart” (Live) – Waltz for Debby
“Gloria’s Step” (Live) – Sunday at the Village Vanguard
“Peace Piece” – Everybody Digs Bill Evans
“My Romance” (Solo) – Alone
“Nardis” (multiple trio versions, became a signature exploration)
“But Beautiful” (with Stan Getz)
“The Touch of Your Lips” (with Tony Bennett)
“We Will Meet Again” – We Will Meet Again
“Your Story” – The Paris Concert
“Laurie” – The Last Waltz

Conclusion: The Enduring Voice

Bill Evans was a quiet revolutionary. He didn’t seek the spotlight, but his music spoke with a clarity, depth, and beauty that fundamentally altered the course of jazz. He expanded the harmonic language, redefined ensemble interplay within the trio, and imbued jazz with a profound lyricism and introspective depth drawn from both classical and jazz traditions.

His battle with personal demons adds a layer of tragic poignancy to his art, but it never diminished its brilliance. His recordings remain a wellspring of inspiration, technical marvel, and emotional resonance. To listen to Bill Evans is to hear the sound of modern jazz piano crystallized – a sound that continues to challenge, comfort, and captivate generations of listeners and musicians. He remains, quite simply, the Poet of the Piano.

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Who was Bill Evans? What do we call “the music of Bill Evans”?

From the point of view of pure technique, Bill Evans, (New Jersey, August 16, 1929 – New York, September 15, 1980), is possibly one of the two or three most gifted pianists in the history of jazz. His career began in 1954, once he had completed his military service, in dance orchestras such as those of Herbie Fields and Jerry Wald, accompanying obscure singers or being part of Tony Scott’s band. Guitarist Mundell Lowe contributed significantly to relaunching his career when he hired him for his group after hearing him in New Orleans, where Evans had studied music.

In a very short time, much more significant musical associations were produced, as witnessed by his albums with Charles Mingus in 1957 (East Coasting), with Art Farmer in 1958 (Modern Art), with Lee Konitz in 1959 (Lee Konitz meets Jimmy Giuffre) or with Oliver Nelson in 1960 on the splendid album (The Blues and The Abstrach Truth).

In 1958, he had already received the award for “revelation pianist” from Down Beat magazine, which confirmed that splendid career. But of all his collaborations as a side man, two stand out in a very special way above the others.

The first was with arranger George Russell, along with other innovative musicians such as Art Farmer on trumpet and Hal Mckusick on alto sax. “Concerto for Billy the Kid” included on RCA’s “Jazz Workshop” in 1956 offers one of his first important solos, of such constructive perfection that Russell was inspired by it to create the no less striking “All about Rosie” the following year.

His time in the Miles Davis sextet is equally decisive. Upon hearing him in Mingus’s group, Miles was so impressed that he hired him, knowing the fruit he could get from that pianist after the dissolution of his unsurpassed quintet in the mid-fifties. Thus was born in March 1959 the extraordinary album “Kind of Blue”, a record that has become without a doubt one of the classics in the history of jazz. But Evans said a friendly goodbye to Miles Davis and continued on his way alone.

In 1959, he recorded for the first time under his name under the premonitory title of “New Jazz Conceptions”, an album that showed what would come later but that only sold eight hundred copies.

His second album, the also extraordinary “Everybody Digs Bill Evans” did obtain the favor of the public, but his legacy for jazz posterity did not arrive until he formed the musical collaboration with drummer Paul Motian and double bassist, Scott LaFaro. In just under two years (December 1959-June 1961) this alliance between peers revolutionized the concept of the piano trio, by proposing the abandonment of the old scheme of accompanists in front of the main soloist and replacing it with a three-way dialogue with perfectly complementary voices.

With that trio he recorded four albums of extraordinary quality, the most successful being the very famous “Waltz for Debby” (Riverside 1961) recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York. With the physical disappearance of LaFaro, Bill Evans suffered a severe blow and found that replacing him was impossible, even though he managed, along with Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker, some quality records.

Among his recordings, the meeting with the singer Tony Bennett stands out, in the seventies, which produced two major works in the history of vocal jazz and among his solo piano albums, we must inevitably mention the famous “Conversations With Myself” and its continuation of 1967; the titled “Alone” which won a Grammy Award and “Alone (Again)”.

When Bill Evans died on September 15, 1980, from liver failure as a result of his drug addiction, he was fifty-one years old and had been among the elite of his instrument for more than twenty. The “piano poet” as the writer, Gene Less, defined him, kept his lyrical style and sensitivity intact until his last days.