Bill Evans – Three for One

by | Feb 13, 2025 | Trio

Legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans was one of those people who, tragically, left us all too soon … but left behind a body of work that has become a benchmark for future generations of young pianists. When you say the word “piano” you might as well just say “Bill Evans” because they are synonymous. The only criticism I’ve heard of Bill is that he didn’t have “chops” … obviously uttered by someone who may have heard him play, but didn’t really listen.  Forming the trio on Miles Davis’ Nardis (top), as well as on How My Heart Sings (middle), and Gershwin’s classic Summertime (bottom) is Bill Evans playing piano, Larry Bunker on drums and Chuck Israels on bass.

The Genius Of Bill Evans

by | Jan 7, 2022 | Trio

The legendary pianist Bill Evans is a great way to begin any New Year!  “Re: Person I Knew” is an original composition, recorded at the Molde Jazz Festival in Norway during August 1980, and was Evans’ last performance before his passing only five weeks later. It was also his last trio, and consisted of Bill Evans (p) Marc Johnson (b) and Joe La Barbera (dr).

On March 19, 1965, a much earlier version of the Bill Evans Trio stopped by the BBC studios in London to play a couple of sets on Jazz 625, a popular TV program hosted by the British trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton. From that performance, the second video features an obviously younger Evans along with Chuck Israels (b) and Larry Bunker (dr) playing the Victor Young standard “My Foolish Heart”.

Freddie Freeloader

by | Dec 11, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet, Trio

Freddie Freeloader

by Miles Davis | Kind Of Blue

Landmark album, stellar players … Miles Davis on trumpet, “Cannonball” Adderley on alto sax, Jimmy Cobb plays drums, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Wynton Kelly at the piano and Paul Chambers bass.

Freddie Freeloader

by Wes Montgomery | Profiles

Freddie gets a more uptempo treatment here with a trio consisting of Wes Montgomery on guitar, Melvin Rhyne playing organ and George Brown on drums.

Freddie Freeloader

by Bill Evans | You Must Believe In Spring

Here is a more intimate version of the Miles Davis tune, featuring Bill Evans on Piano, the amazing Eddie Gomez playing bass and Elliott Zigmund at the drums.

Freddie Freeloader

by Jon Hendricks and Friends | Freddie Freeloader

It’s Miles Davis’ classic tune with lyrics by Hendricks, featuring Bobby McFerrin singing Wynton Kelly’s piano solo, Al Jarreau singing Davis’ solo, Hendricks singing Coltrane’s tenor solo and George Benson singing Cannonball Adderley’s alto solo. One amazing track.

Bill Evans – Debby And The Prince

by | Mar 28, 2020 | Trio

When you say the word “piano” you might as well say “Bill Evans” because they are one in the same. The only criticism I’ve heard of Bill is that he didn’t have “chops” … obviously uttered by someone who hadn’t heard Someday My Prince Will Come.

Forming the trio on Waltz For Debby, as well as on ‘Prince’ is Bill Evans playing piano, Larry Bunker on drums and Chuck Israels on bass.   Waltz for Debby is one of those tunes almost as closely associated with Evans as the word “piano’!

A Child Is Born – Pepper Adams

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

This rendition of the Thad Jones standard A Child Is Born is from a French TV Broadcast, La Grande Parade du Jazz, from Nice on July 16, 1978.  The great Bill Evans is at the piano with Marc Johnson on bass, Philly Joe Jones playing drums and the perennially underrated Pepper Adams delivering a memorable solo on baritone sax.

Emily – Bill Evans

by | Feb 9, 2018 | Trio

“Emily” was composed by Johnny Mandel, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, as the title song for the 1964 film The Americanization of Emily. (The song wasn’t sung in the movie, which is the reason that it couldn’t be nominated for an Academy Award.) It has since been recorded by numerous artists, notably Bill Evans and Tony Bennett.  “Emily” became particularly associated with Bill Evans, who recorded it for the first time for his 1967 album Further Conversations with Myself. Here’s a bit of Evans genius with Bill on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Marty Morell playing drums.