Bill Evans

[David Gitin]

Clint Hopson and Bill Evans


Years ago I remember Clint posting that he listened to some Bill Evans every day. Today, as I am listening to Bill Evans, I quickly realized that I may be close to Clint's practice...

[Ron Thorne]

Listening to Bill Evans daily is not a bad practice, indeed.

Man, I just found a video I've never seen before. It's a rare interview plus performance from Evans and his 1970 trio, featuring a very young Eddie Gomez. It was filmed in a private home in Finland.

Enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMWov0_TAE

[David Gitin]

Thanks you so much, Ron! What a treat. When Bill mentions Eddie's 'avant-garde' work with Jeremy Steig, I recall an album called "Monium" (on Columbia) with those two which I loved. Never saw/heard it on CD.

[moldyfigg]

I've been enjoying the Sesjun radio shows set. There's a lot of great Evans. My favorite Evans bassist was Eddie Gomez and he duos with Bill on several of the cuts, also Toots joins the trio on a few cuts.

I played this for Donna's piano teacher, who is strictly classical, and she loved it.

A day without Bill Evans is like a day without Scotch.

[Ron Thorne]

I've been enjoying the Sesjun radio shows set. There's a lot of great Evans. My favorite Evans bassist was Eddie Gomez and he duos with Bill on several of the cuts, also Toots joins the trio on a few cuts.

Clint, thanks for that reference to the Sesjun radio shows. I wasn't hip to those until I saw your post.

Did you watch the video I posted above? It's fantastic stuff. Rare and insightful.

I also love Gomez and Toots! But, my all-time favorite bassist with Bill Evans was Scott LaFaro.

[drumsolo]

Eddie Gomez is still going strong. I've seen him a couple of times in the last couple of years in Denton and I believe he's scheduled to play there again soon. It's nothing short of a joy to watch and hear him play the bass.

[John L]

Funny, I also love Bill Evans and listen to him often, but more often in the units without Gomez. Gomez is probably my least favorite bass player with Evans. This is not to question his extraordinary virtuosity. But I usually enjoy hearing Evans more with Johnson, Israels, or LaFaro on bass. Of the Gomez years, I am particularly fond of what happened after Eliot Zigmund came on board. I don't know if the difference was Zigmund himself, or just a coincidental burst of new energy and inspiration coming from Evans in 1975-1976.

[moldyfigg]

You talk about different strokes - LaFaro always got on my nerves.

That last trio with Johnson and LaBarbara was my favorite. I talked to Joe about that time, and he said he was always excited about what was going to happen when they played. No mention of the various off-stage activities. It was none of my business.

[John L]

You talk about different strokes - LaFaro always got on my nerves.

That last trio with Johnson and LaBarbara was my favorite. I talked to Joe about that time, and he said he was always excited about what was going to happen when they played. No mention of the various off-stage activities. It was none of my business.

Actually, we may not be so far apart. The last trio is my favorite as well. I also enjoy listening to Johnson and LaBarbera more than LaFaro and Motian. Israels and Bunker was also a nice and supportive combination for Evans. Still, I do enjoy the recordings with LaFaro and Motian, and certainly more than most recordings with Gomez and Morrell.

Converse to the case with Eliot Zigmund above, I don't know how much my feelings about Gomez and Morrell themselves are tainted by my opinion that the Gomez-Morrell years were a relative down time for Evans artistically.

[Ron Thorne]

Different strokes, indeed.

Scott LaFaro is on my short list of favorite bassists of all time. Marc Johnson is also on that list, though. A conversation with Marc where he didn't pay homage to LaFaro would really surprise me. Remember, Scott died at the age of 25. He was a kid. Tragic.




Here is a very interesting interview with Bill Evans from 1966, the 2nd time I've shared it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzbINNrqcQ

[John L]

LaFaro was great indeed, arguably a genius. When he played with Evans, he was often an even more dominant musical force than the leader, which is OK. In fact, it was one of the interesting novel features of that trio. But I would say that my ultimate preference for Evans with Johnson and LaBarbera relates to how much I like having Bill in the driver's seat, if you know what I mean. Of course, he did push on that accelerator a bit too much sometimes...

[walto]

Listening to Bill Evans daily is not a bad practice, indeed.

Man, I just found a video I've never seen before. It's a rare interview plus performance from Evans and his 1970 trio, featuring a very young Eddie Gomez. It was filmed in a private home in Finland.

Enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMWov0_TAE

Thanks, Ron, that's lovely. And nothing the least bit moldy about it!

[moldyfigg]

I am really enjoying some discussions about real jazz.

\I could forth about Coleman Hawkins if anyone is interested.

[David Gitin]

Different strokes, indeed.

Scott LaFaro is on my short list of favorite bassists of all time. Marc Johnson is also on that list, though. A conversation with Marc where he didn't pay homage to LaFaro would really surprise me. Remember, Scott died at the age of 25. He was a kid. Tragic.




Here is a very interesting interview with Bill Evans from 1966, the 2nd time I've shared it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIzbINNrqcQ

Thank you once again, Ron. Loved hearing this overview on Scott!

[Blue Train]

Add me to the Evans bandwagon. As well as the LaFaro one.

Sally forth, Moldy One! I was listening to the Hawk's Mosaic box a couple weeks ago.

[moldyfigg]

Remember Sally Forth? It was a good comic.

Anyways, it"s always been my feeling that the younger generation wasn't aware of what a huge influence the Bean was on generations of tenor players. Until Prez came along, he was at the pinnacle alone. I have always been blown away by the power he could deliver and his ability to fit in with just about any style. From the 1920s Fletcher Henderson up to the 50s and 60s with guys like Monk, Hawk was a presence. I can't recommend a particular disc but my most recent acquisition "The Bebop Years" is a great cross section of his career.

If you haven't listened carefully to Coleman Hawkins, you've missed a lot.

[Gentle Giant]

I love Bill Evans, all of it. Do others enjoy his big band George Russell collaboration, Living Space, as much as I do?

[moldyfigg]

I love Bill Evans, all of it. Do others enjoy his big band George Russell collaboration, Living Space, as much as I do?

yep

[Blue Train]

Remember Sally Forth? It was a good comic.

Anyways, it"s always been my feeling that the younger generation wasn't aware of what a huge influence the Bean was on generations of tenor players. Until Prez came along, he was at the pinnacle alone. I have always been blown away by the power he could deliver and his ability to fit in with just about any style. From the 1920s Fletcher Henderson up to the 50s and 60s with guys like Monk, Hawk was a presence. I can't recommend a particular disc but my most recent acquisition "The Bebop Years" is a great cross section of his career.

If you haven't listened carefully to Coleman Hawkins, you've missed a lot.

1. It's still around. http://seattletimes.com/comics/sforth.html

2. It could be just because of the Pops factor made it possible for me to learn so much about those way before my time....but I am not so sure about not knowing about his influence....especially with his influence on Coltrane & Newk.

3. Speaking of Newk....am I the only one that thinks not only does Hawk hold his own on "Sonny Meets Hawk!", but @ times cuts Newk?....who was doing his best to cut Hawk.

Paul Bley tries to make it in out the liner notes that Hawk was so out of it...that he had to tell him when to play. Of course, Plau Bley likes to say a lot of shit @ times.

[David Gitin]

Remember Sally Forth? It was a good comic.

Anyways, it"s always been my feeling that the younger generation wasn't aware of what a huge influence the Bean was on generations of tenor players. Until Prez came along, he was at the pinnacle alone. I have always been blown away by the power he could deliver and his ability to fit in with just about any style. From the 1920s Fletcher Henderson up to the 50s and 60s with guys like Monk, Hawk was a presence. I can't recommend a particular disc but my most recent acquisition "The Bebop Years" is a great cross section of his career.

If you haven't listened carefully to Coleman Hawkins, you've missed a lot.

1. It's still around. http://seattletimes.com/comics/sforth.html

2. It could be just because of the Pops factor made it possible for me to learn so much about those way before my time....but I am not so sure about not knowing about his influence....especially with his influence on Coltrane & Newk.

3. Speaking of Newk....am I the only one that thinks not only does Hawk hold his own on "Sonny Meets Hawk!", but @ times cuts Newk?....who was doing his best to cut Hawk.

Paul Bley tries to make it in out the liner notes that Hawk was so out of it...that he had to tell him when to play. Of course, Plau Bley likes to say a lot of shit @ times.

On your 3rd point, I said to Coleman Hawkins at a club (having heard him and Rollins live at Newport) that he 'cut' Sonny, and he said "are you surprised?"

[John L]

On your 3rd point, I said to Coleman Hawkins at a club (having heard him and Rollins live at Newport) that he 'cut' Sonny, and he said "are you surprised?"

Great story, David.

[David Gitin]

Thanks. The club was the Royal Arms in Buffalo, New York, not long after the Newport gig in 1963.

[moldyfigg]

Do players these days ever "cut " each other?

I haven't heard that mentioned in a long time.

[Blue Train]

On your 3rd point, I said to Coleman Hawkins at a club (having heard him and Rollins live at Newport) that he 'cut' Sonny, and he said "are you surprised?"

Great story, David.

The thing is you can actually here him saying it. I always got a Michael Jordan type competitiveness vibe about him.

Do players these days ever "cut " each other?

I haven't heard that mentioned in a long time.

I haven't seen it.

The only known recording in my lifetime (okay, twin sister and I were only a couple years old. ) would be Cecil Taylor's Nailed. The entire record is a cutting contest as a result of the bad blood between Evan Parker & Derek Bailey.


Clint:

Did you witness any epic cutting? Were you there when Pres was supposed to have been the first to cut Hawk?

[moldyfigg]

I think that maybe at some of the JATP concerts I saw, Flip Phillips and Illinois Jacquet went at it.

I think they kind of recreated that feeling in the flick "Kansas City" which was all in all not very good. The cds are wonderful.