Category: Blog

Rob Rijneke: linernotes Momentum double album Bill Evans (1929-1980) Bill Evans is considered to be the most important jazz pianist of his generation and remains one of the most influential musicians of post-bop jazz piano. Those who played and recorded with him often recognized him as the one who made the difference. His inescapable influence… Continue reading Momentum

A handwritten letter from November 1, 1958, that Bill Evans wrote to Bud Bishop at the occasion of Bud’s oldest daughter’s birth. Bill visited his parents for three weeks in Florida. From his text: “Before this visit I had been working with the Miles Davis sextet, a great band. Somehow, I felt worn down spiritually, perhaps… Continue reading Letter Bishop

Time Remembered  Remember spring as you walk past a frozen lake in winter.Listen, the music calls you.Let it take you away to glist’ning shores where dolphins play,Back to your quiet mind where colors change in time.Remembered linesLead to the love inside remembered time. You feel the time inside you.You’re looking down at your hands and… Continue reading Time Remembered

Bill Evans: Newsletter  (updated Febr 2017)Nenette Evans: Jazz Link interviewNenette Evans: Essays, Reflections and Interviews:       Part 1: Meeting Miles and Part 2: Somewhere A Door Closed, Children’s Play Song, The RingProf. Ron Nethercutt: Bill Evans lecture at Southeastern UniversityProf. Ron Nethercutt visits Bill’s grave at Baton RougeProf. Ron Nethercutt: Bill Evans, Reflections and Perspectives. (PDF)Trumpet player Bud Bishop: Memories of Bill Evans from the 50’s and Letter… Continue reading Bill Evans Newsletter

Nostalgic anecdotes by trumpeter Bud Bishop about his friendship with Bill Evans during the Southeastern Louisiana College years Julian B. “Buddy” Bishop was a trumpeter, who had a small band of his own in the early 50’s. He was a fraternity brother of Bill Evans at Southeastern Louisiana College back in 1947. He and Bill… Continue reading Bishop

BILL EVANS EUROPEAN FRIENDS BERNARD MAURY, FRANCIS PAUDRAS AND BRIAN HENNESSEY Francis Paudras and Bernard Maury, who was jazz pianist and founder of the Bill Evans Piano Academie in Paris (“If rhythm is the body of music, then harmony is its soul”), were close French friends of Bill Evans when visiting Europe. The harmony specialist Bernard Maury… Continue reading European Friends

Throughout his years at Southeastern Louisiana College Bill Evans played not only in school groups, but on his own as well. After graduation, he worked with the band of Herbie Fields before being drafted into the U.S. Army. While playing flute in the Fifth Army Band throughout his 1951-54 assignment at Fort Sheridan, near Chicago,… Continue reading Sideman

Here is the complete body of Bill Evans’ work for several labels from 1956 untill his untimely death in 1980. The seven CD-box sets contain altogether 69 discs recorded in club, concert, or studio settings, plus previously unreleased recordings, inclusive the rather “oversized” 18 CD box from Verve label. The cult for Evans’ recordings is… Continue reading Box

Many fellow musicians attended the service that was held Friday September 19 at the “jazz church” of New York City, the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Lexington Avenue at East 54th Street: Lee Konitz, Richie Beirach, Eddie Gomez, Chuck Israels, Al Foster, Jim Hall, Jeremy Steig, Warne Marsh, Andy LaVerne and Barry Harris. Lee Konitz performed… Continue reading New York Times

Bill Evans followed his musical studies at the Southeastern Louisiana University from 1946 till 1950 and received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. From 1980 till 1999 the trombonist, arranger, conductor, music researcher, educator, and broadcast manager Prof. Ron Nethercutt developed at the faculty the Bill Evans archive. After the death of Bill Evans in… Continue reading Nethercutt