Cramer, Alfred W. (May 2009). Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century-Volume 2. Salem Press. p.423. ISBN 978-1-58765-514-2 . Retrieved August 10, 2012. Penguin Guide To Jazz: "Five Star" Recordings. Counterpoint. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011 . Retrieved June 28, 2011. Bailey, C. Michael. "Best Live Jazz Recordings (1953–65)". All About Jazz . Retrieved July 27, 2008. In February 1958, at Miles Davis's urging, Russell drove Evans over to the Colony Club in Brooklyn, to play with Davis' sextet. At this time, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones were the other members of Davis' group. Red Garland had recently been fired, and Evans knew he was not merely filling in for one night but auditioning to become the group's regular pianist. By the end of the night, Davis told Evans that he would be playing their next engagement in Philadelphia. [35] [36] The band had been known for playing a mixture of jazz standards and bebop originals, but by the time Evans arrived, Davis had begun his venture into modal jazz, having just released his album Milestones.

Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall. I had to change the way the band sounded again for Bill's style by playing different tunes, softer ones at first. Lees, Gene. Meet Me at Jim & Andy's: Jazz Musicians and Their World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988 (Bill Evans).

In July 1958, Evans appeared as a sideman on Adderley's album Portrait of Cannonball, featuring the first performance of " Nardis", specially written by Davis for the session. While Davis was not very satisfied with the performance, he said that from then on, Evans was the only one to play it in the way he wanted. The piece came to be associated with Evans's future trios, which played it frequently. [9] Music critic Richard S. Ginell wrote: "With the passage of time, Bill Evans has become an entire school unto himself for pianists and a singular mood unto himself for listeners. There is no more influential jazz-oriented pianist—only McCoy Tyner exerts nearly as much pull among younger players and journeymen." [80] Between 1969 and 1970, Evans recorded From Left to Right, featuring his first use of electric piano. Pettinger, Peter (2002) [1999]. Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings (Newed.). Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09727-1.

Guthrie, Bruce (April 5, 2019). "Nenette Evans: My Life With Bill". All About Jazz . Retrieved May 12, 2023. Evans married Zazzara in August 1973. Bill and Nenette met while Bill’s trio was performing at Howard Rumsey's club Concerts By The Sea in Redondo Beach, California, where Zazzara was a part-time waitress. [79] Reception [ edit ] Evans in Helsinki in 1964. It was Tony Bennett who initiated the collaboration with Bill Evans. The two musicians had mutual respect for each other's talent. Bennett and Evans performed together for about two years. Although Evans was using cocaine regularly during this period, he was reported sober when recording the albums with Bennett. [58]

Between May and June 1971, Evans recorded The Bill Evans Album, which won two Grammy awards. [53] This all-originals album (four new), also featured alternation between acoustic and electric piano. One of these was "Comrade Conrad", a tune that had originated as a Crest toothpaste jingle and had later been reelaborated and dedicated to Conrad Mendenhall, a friend who had died in a car accident. [56] High school bands to jazz things up at festival". Courier News. Bridgewater, New Jersey. April 14, 1988. p.22 – via Newspapers.com. It is named for jazz pianist Bill Evans, who graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1946. Ginell, Richard S. "Bill Evans: Artist biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015 . Retrieved July 10, 2023. When Ken Burns' television miniseries Jazz was released in 2001, it was criticised for neglecting Evans's work after his departure from the Miles Davis' sextet. [9] Legacy and influence [ edit ]