In Focus: Bill Evans

This In Focus looks at impressionist Jazz pianist Bill Evans, whose lyrical melodic inventions and complex voicings remain unmistakable influences on pianists more than 40 years after his death. Evans gained attention by forging a gentle style of technically nuanced improvisation throughout the 1950s. By 1958, he had joined Miles Davis on a historic eight-month collaboration on ‘Kind of Blue’ (1959) - a central marker of jazz history and Davis’ shift to modal improvisation. His success working with Davis led Evans to assemble his own trio, featuring Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums, which became notable for the previously unexplored interplay between all three instruments as equal melodic voices. Evans's introverted style and relaxed lyrical approach to jazz piano has left its mark on several generations of players such as Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Brad Mehldau.