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Bill Evans


CEB

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I'm new here. I followed Jim over from a Keyboard forum I joined. I hope that is OK

I'm longtime casual Jazz fan, but not a real Jazz player. I'm a rock and blues player.

Bill Evans is one of my big influences. Here is a is 5 part interview I found on YouTube.

Evans Interview - Universal Mind

Have a good weekend

Welcome, and a big thank you for the link to the documentary on Evans!

PS: Though it would be nice if Steve Allen would just shut up.

Edited by Matthew
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I have always found Steve Allen to be a class act.

His unobtrusive comments were probably helpful to many listeners.

He was hired by the producer to make those comments.

How they were used was not under his control.

Edited by flat5
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Steve Allen was probably as good a friend of jazz as anyone ever on national television. While other shows had the occasional group, Allen regularly featured musicians - I caught Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Les McCann and many more. (It might be interesting to discuss jazz on "local" talk programs - after all, they were responsible for the rare footage we have of Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown. But that's another topic.)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm new here. I followed Jim over from a Keyboard forum I joined. I hope that is OK

I'm longtime casual Jazz fan, but not a real Jazz player. I'm a rock and blues player.

Bill Evans is one of my big influences. Here is a is 5 part interview I found on YouTube.

Evans Interview - Universal Mind

Have a good weekend

That was a great interview. I was always impressed with his idea of music existing in a universal musical mind which connects people to it culturally/emotionally. It's really not so mystical, but more a matter of what I've always called 'musical memory' in approaching teaching and explaining playing. Bill goes it one better by stating that he'd rather make art out of universally accepted materials than to merely shock or be 'new'. His level of creativity and innovation within perimeters he gladly accepted bore that out.
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Steve Allen was probably as good a friend of jazz as anyone ever on national television. While other shows had the occasional group, Allen regularly featured musicians - I caught Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Les McCann and many more. (It might be interesting to discuss jazz on "local" talk programs - after all, they were responsible for the rare footage we have of Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown. But that's another topic.)

I reviewed a Terry Gibbs/Buddy DeFranco CD of Steve Allen's music. Evidently Gibbs sent Allen a copy of my review after I submitted a tearsheet to Fantasy. A few weeks later I received a gracious personal note from the composer along with some other CDs of his music. I regret never getting around to interviewing him, I'm sure it would have been fun and informative.

He was even joking the day he died. I read that after he had a minor traffic accident on the way to visit his son, he quipped, "Some people will do anything to get my autograph."

Steve Allen was probably as good a friend of jazz as anyone ever on national television. While other shows had the occasional group, Allen regularly featured musicians - I caught Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Les McCann and many more. (It might be interesting to discuss jazz on "local" talk programs - after all, they were responsible for the rare footage we have of Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown. But that's another topic.)

I reviewed a Terry Gibbs/Buddy DeFranco CD of Steve Allen's music. Evidently Gibbs sent Allen a copy of my review after I submitted a tearsheet to Fantasy. A few weeks later I received a gracious personal note from the composer along with some other CDs of his music. I regret never getting around to interviewing him, I'm sure it would have been fun and informative.

He was even joking the day he died. I read that after he had a minor traffic accident on the way to visit his son, he quipped, "Some people will do anything to get my autograph."

___________

I also feel fortunate to have seen Bill Evans in concert in 1979, while I've snapped up nearly everything I've found that he recorded, though I'm still missing a few sideman appearances.

Edited by Ken Dryden
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Evans was a bit schizy in the last few years because of his very severe drug thing that was going on - I knew his wife pretty well and he used to come up some weekends - I tried to engage him in conversation a few times but mostly he basically stayed in his room - at his 50th birthday party we had a long conversation and I was surprised because he was unusually talkative, so must have been having a good day, if you know what I mean. A fascinating and brilliant guy if a little bit musically conservative.

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Warning, I AM NOT A JAZZ PLAYER! I hope that isn't a problem.

Evans' conservatism and the way he would stay within a restrictive framework and milk it for everything that it was worth is what I really like.

I find myself the last few years when I play at home for enjoyment that his style is one I seem to try to emulate.

I'm a rock and blues guy. I played fusion in the late 70's and early 80s. I have also played with some country acts. I pattern a lot of my gig play after guys like Memphis Slim, Lux, Art Tatum etc....

When I play out I tend to spew. When Evan talks about superfulous playing, I am the poster child for it. But when I play at home I find my gigging style has little harmonic content and just is not good to listen to. It just is not interesting. When I am gigging there are 3 or 5 other guys to cover my harmonic holes and ....... people expect me to spew a lot of notes. It seems to be what they want. Maybe I am just getting old, but simple melody lines through harmonic color is just a lot more pleasant.

One of teachers told me once that as players we are the first to get sick of how we play cause we are the ones that have to listen to ourselves ALL THE TIME. I am currently working with a bass player again so it is helping to to explore more interesting harmonies and expand my use of different voicings.

Thanks for everyone's insigts.

I wonder if a blues crowd would crucify me if I plared Nardis at a blues gig? .... The I play they probably would. :D

Edited by CEB
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I can't argue with that -

just to add, the conservatism I am referring to is more related to other musicians, as Evans was definitely not with the free jazzers, or even guys like Bley - there is an interview (and Larry Kart talks about this in his book, I think) with Evans disparaging the duet he did with Bley on that George Russell record, as though free playing were too easy - an interesting observation, but ultimately Evans missed the point, as that was one of his best solos -

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Warning, I AM NOT A JAZZ PLAYER! I hope that isn't a problem.

Evans' conservatism and the way he would stay within a restrictive framework and milk it for everything that it was worth is what I really like.

I find myself the last few years when I play at home for enjoyment that his style is one I seem to try to emulate.

I'm a rock and blues guy. I played fusion in the late 70's and early 80s. I have also played with some country acts. I pattern a lot of my gig play after guys like Memphis Slim, Lux, Art Tatum etc....

When I play out I tend to spew. When Evan talks about superfulous playing, I am the poster child for it. But when I play at home I find my gigging style has little harmonic content and just is not good to listen to. It just is not interesting. When I am gigging there are 3 or 5 other guys to cover my harmonic holes and ....... people expect me to spew a lot of notes. It seems to be what they want.

One of teachers told me once that as players we are the first to get sick of how we play cause we are the ones that have to listen to ourselves ALL THE TIME. I am currently working with a bass player again so it is helping to to explore more interesting harmonies and expand my use of different voicings.

Thanks for everyone's insigts.

I wonder if a blues crowd would crucify me if I plared Nardis at a blues gig? .... The I play they probably would. :D

The fact that you have open ears and want to advance your playing says it all. Keep listening and growing.

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