The Universal Mind Of Bill Evans

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From the jazzpages personal archives, I bring you the intriguing documentary 'The Universal Mind Of Bill Evans'. Several years ago, Rhapsody released a 21-minute video called 'Bill Evans On The Creative Process', a badly edited reduction of a 1966 TV program introduced by Steve Allen, the first host of the now famous 'Tonight Show'. This short film is a restoration of the original 45-minute telecast. Here is Evans, his hair slicked back, his terrible teeth uncapped, a cigarette waving in the air, in intense conversation with his composer brother Harry Evans (a professor of music at Louisiana State University) on the nature of creativity in jazz.

This documentary features in-depth discussion of Evans' internal process of song interpretation, improvisation, and repertoire. Through demonstration on the piano, Bill uses the song 'Star Eyes' to illustrate his own conception of solo piano and how to interpret and expand upon the melody and underlying chord structure.

Onstage, Evans was famously reticent about speaking, but here he's surprisingly, stirringly provocative.

• Category

  Music

[TheNeverposts]

think of the amount of information we can manipulate in our heads thanks to technology. Seriously, think about it.

A serious afternoon on the internet, just studying whatever it is you wanna find out about, with the aid of some books beats a week's worth of library.

It's ridiculous how good we have it. You just gotta give it a try, man

[Derek McAnally]

What an excellent comment on pedagogy - let the student find their own avenue the first week, and then show them other avenues the next. This is a great solution to making jazz a 'living' music. I think we often WANT jazz to be a living music, but even Wynton Marsailis seems to 'preserve' the art, more than 'advance' the art. I'm trying this technique with my students immediately. First rule of jazz: No Squares. Second rule: Jazz is PERSONAL.

[zac penix]

I CRIED

[Dutch2236]

And now I know even more why I love jazz. I resonated with his comments that a layman may be a more capable critique than a pro. Sometimes I have been asked if I am a player. I usually respond "No, but I am a highly proficient listener." It doesn't help, they don't understand. I still find it difficult to explain jazz

[robert rambaldi]

sensational



[Steven Hardy]

Thanks for this.

[Robert Wolfson]

Profoundly true, true to form. Thanks

[DomestikMC]

trip acid watch this

[jamesedwardtheobald]

steve allen, great combination of musician and intelligent and eloquent comedian! he's the 'bill evans' of comedy!

[xadmi]

gelecek nesillere de çok değerli bir hediye ! (a wonderful present for future generations too)

[dickz28ss]

beautiful



[caponsacchi]

Absolutely profound--as essential as his '79 hour-long interview with Marian McPartland. Bill disposes of the myth that you have to be a musician to be qualified to comment on/ critique jazz. Au contraire! I too am more fastidious as a layman (give me my $15 worth!) than I am as a musician (show me a new chord or tune--pragmatic, prosaic business. Treasure that aesthetic "naiveté" that the jaded professional has lost! Steve Allen never sounded more on target.