The BILL EVANS thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Yesternow, Dec 15, 2017.

  1. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    There are many abstract paintings of Evans, this is one of the somewhat recognizable images

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Yesternow

    Yesternow Forum pResident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portugal
    Now playing:
    [​IMG]
    Since We Met, 1974
    CD/ Original Jazz Classics/ OJCCD-622-2/ 1991

    What I always liked about this one was the fact that it contained some tracks only available here. Sound is great, OK not as good as the Tokyo concert prior to this one (with the same trio), but I prefer the track selection on SWM.

    Unfortunately "Re: Person I Knew" recorded on that show wasn't picked for release. And that is probably my favorite track from Bill.
     
  3. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    I’d like to know the list of the piano makers with which Bill had contract over the years.
    For instance, in the period of The Last Trio, he was known to be a Baldwin’s artist.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2018
    rxcory likes this.
  4. jkauff

    jkauff Senior Member

    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Sad to say, but as a man with a habit to feed, I'm sure he always went with the highest bidder regardless of how he felt about their instruments.

    He could make anyone's instrument sound great, in any case.
     
    Giacomo Belbo likes this.
  5. Giacomo Belbo

    Giacomo Belbo Journalist for Rolling Stone 1976-1979

    Charlie Parker has performed with (among other things) a plastic sax.
     
  6. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    I doubt that this cynical view actually prevailed, regardless of any money that was involved. His life and work was not only about money, for a habit or whatever.
     
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  7. Yesternow

    Yesternow Forum pResident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portugal
    Played this one the other day.
    Although I tend to prefer his later outputs this is one of my favorite albums.
    Love the way he plays ballads. He plays from his heart always.
    [​IMG]
    Great cover, great sound. One of those albums I really cherish. It's like a compilation of ballads.
    Amazing when you think this was the one after the end of his first trio. The one after Scott.

    Original Jazz Classics CD, Riverside, 1990.
    Bill Evans - Moonbeams, 1962
     
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  8. Six String

    Six String Senior Member

    I like that and the companion disc How My Heart Sings! a lot. Did you know who that woman was on the front cover?
    She was a member of a seminal rock band.
     
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  9. Yesternow

    Yesternow Forum pResident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portugal
    Hi Six, yes, I know it's Nico. But don't know how that happened. Did someone just picked that photo ?! Guess she was some kind of a model at that time. It is a beautiful photo.

    How My Heart Sings! is nice, but I'm very pleased that he selected all the slow ones for the same album (probably the record company told him not to).
     
  10. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    According to Orrin Keepnews, he and Bill had the idea to record a ballads album, but also record an uptempo album at the same time so the group's energy level didn't get too low.
     
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  11. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    That second part (my highlights) sounds very much like Orrin Keepnews' own opinion. Though he did have good musical taste, he was also unreasonably forceful in dictating the terms and the structure of a recording session, and even the members of a recording band (regardless of the leader's interests). This is one reason (a major one) why he lost many of his major artists to other labels.
     
  12. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Evans and Keepnews worked together twice, at Riverside in the late 50's/early 60's and at Milestone in the 70's. As far as I know Evans left only because he got offers from other labels with bigger budgets (Verve in the 60's and Warner Bros. in the 70's).
     
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  13. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    and more freedom.
     
  14. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    Keepnews was an important person in Jazz. He produced many great albums. Including Bill Evans best work in my and many others opinion.
     
    Vdigital likes this.
  15. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    He did produce great albums.
     
  16. jkauff

    jkauff Senior Member

    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Bill paid tribute to him in the tune with the anagramatic title "Re: Person I Knew".
     
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  17. Yesternow

    Yesternow Forum pResident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portugal
    At the time I decided to buy the "last waltz" box instead of the "Turn Out the Stars: Final Village Vanguard Recordings"
    Probably based on reviews, can't recall.
    So I got this compilation from that Vanguard box.
    [​IMG]
    Don't care much for compilations but this one is pretty decent. Sounds really good and it's nice to know that the tracks are Evans choices.
    It is a good way to summarize those concerts.

    PS: let's pretend that the Nardis edit doesn't exist - what were they thinking ?!
     
  18. Vdigital

    Vdigital Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Netherlands
    This is the one i am currently enjoying

    [​IMG]
    and this one recorded in my hometown i went to the studio recently where it was recorded . studio is unchanged
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2018
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  19. Greg Carrier

    Greg Carrier Senior Member

    Location:
    Iowa City
    One of my favorites, from The Paris Concert, Edition Two:

     
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  20. Fender Relic

    Fender Relic Forum Resident

    Location:
    PennsylBama
    This one is on my vinyl buy list but I'm sure an original is big bucks. Any good options for reissues?
     
  21. Vdigital

    Vdigital Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Netherlands
    In one of the linernotes of the Bill Evans keepnews collection, Keepnews mentioned that the only reason that the collaboration between him and Evans stopped was because of the substance abuse he still admired him very much
     
  22. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    Bill left Riverside when Helen Keane became his exclusive manager (there was a brief time with a mix-up when Bill had two managers). This happened around the same time that his contract with Riverside was up for renewal. Unlike many jazz artist managers, Helen was very tuned in to her clients artistic goals and interests. She negotiated a contract with Verve where Bill (with Helen as a partner) would have more artistic control over recording sessions, one of Bill's primary goals. Also, importantly, better financial terms. I do not know the precise payments that Bill received from Riverside, but the Riverside label was notorious for underpaying its artists (faking royalty payments due to the artist), and setting up situations where the artists essentially owed the label money. When the co-owner of the Riverside label died shortly after in 1963, it was discovered that its financial books were completely cooked and the label quickly folded. There was certainly more to the story than what Keepnews said. This story parallels what happened with Monk and Riverside.
     
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  23. Vdigital

    Vdigital Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Netherlands
    Ok you know more than i know i am not the president of the Keepnews foundation
     
  24. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    I recognize that Keepnews produced many great albums. My comments are not meant as an attack on him. But I have spent so many years talking to many musicians, not just in jazz, and learned a lot from them about the dark side of the music business, especially how labels cheated musicians of royalties either by obscure contractual terms or by actually faking the books. It might surprise you how many musicians over the years and even today, are set up to owe the record company money, and royalty payments come out of their debts. But the musicians that I met, not just in jazz, usually had much more to say about their lack of control over what was recorded, who got to play in sessions, and what the final overdubs or mixing might be. Riverside was just part of this scene. The legendary producers of jazz were not all angels, though some had greater integrity than others. Some gave their artists total freedom and control and generous compensation, some gave the artist virtually no control. Little control was the norm. Along with little money.
     
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  25. Vdigital

    Vdigital Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Netherlands
    Thanks for all the very useful info

    There goes my rose tinted world view:)

    It appealed at first to me that jazzfans like Keepnews had the guts to start a label to give guys like Evans a platform/record career start

    I think i was wrongfooted by the Bruce Spiegel documentary and the linernotes of course
     

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