i am 21 years old and only recently listened to bill evans conversations with myself. he has slowly become my favourite artist; i have never heard a musician that sounds like they know their instrument so well. i love jazz, and i am glad documentaries like this live on the internet so i am still able to learn and experience mediums from before my time :)
should check "further conversation with myself", where he is basically playing all instruments voices himself through several piano takes, eventuallt added together
dead ass, you really don’t know when you’re going to be at that point in your life when you need to hear Bill Evans speak on creativity. Thankfully the YT algorithm is ready for us.
@@songOmatic majority of schools do in fact musically speaking it's why I'm here cause there's not much interest in lessons from people who abstain from innovation... Then again this is something I noticed in my city in Canada 🍁
The minute after 11:41 with Bill talking about attacking something from an elementary school level -is straight GOLD. Rene Descartes, the great French mathematician, wrote this waaay back in 1637 (330 years from when this video was made and over 380 years from today in 2021) and they're both pretty much saying the same thing! Descartes says, "For to be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough; the prime requisite is rightly to apply it. The greatest minds, as they are capable of the highest excellences, are open likewise to the greatest aberrations; *and those who travel very slowly may yet make far greater progress,* provided they keep always to the straight road, than those who, while they run, forsake it." 👏👏👏👏👏
I have listening to Bill Evans for 55+ years - nearly my whole life - his music never fails to inspire me based simply on it's shear beauty - if nothing else. I wish he could have had less sorrow in his life.
This documentary has so much value beyond the field of jazz. Both Bill and Harry profoundly and eloquently convey simple ideas that just ring so clearly with their delivery: enjoy the process in its entirety and let individual discovery serve as a catalyst for learning
"I don't consider myself as talented as many people but in some ways, that was an advantage. I didn't have great facility, so I had to be analytical. In a way, it forced me to build something. But that might give you an idea of how the problem is approached and what degree of time and effort is necessary to make this subconscious so that you can express yourself. I would certainly say that it's more than worth it. But I think that most people don't realize the immensity of the problem and either because they can't conquer it immediately, think that they don't have the ability, or are so impatient to conquer it that they don't see it through. But if you do understand (the immensity of) the problem, you can enjoy your whole trip through." - Bill Evans Well, there it is folks. You may not choose to believe it, but once upon a time, Bill Evans was ordinary. He wasn't able to improvise, could only sightread... but through his brilliant analytical approach, heart, and dedication, he became the legend, Bill Evans, that we know and love.
He was totally dedicated to his art, intellectually driven, yet humble . . . seeking and teaching. The part where he talks about playing and staying within within one's ability level is wonderful . . . not approximating by overplaying one's technical competence.
I came across Bill Evans on Spotify in a random link and I can honestly say he is the only musician I can listen to all day without changing the artist.
I’ve got a couple of kids and they aren't into jazz. But I played Bill Evans for them, and they say, 'Jesus, he’s pretty good.' So I think it's great that people are just rediscovering Bill Evans, and I want people to rediscover Bill Evans. He's a great artist and I think more people should listen to him and respect the beauty that he was able to create.
@@harrylime7938 Agreed! Talent alone produces nothing. Working from talent, with dedication and discipline, yields creation. A la (early) Orson Welles. ;)
Wrong. At 32:27 he said he didn't consider himself AS talented as some others, but that was to his advantage because he learned to become more analytical (than the super talented individuals). There's a huge difference in saying "talent doesn't exist" versus "others have more talent than I". Those statements are exact opposites. Academics and researchers are corrupted by a monetary incentive to deny the existence of talent because the government will never give you grants to conclude "God given ability". Yet their problem remains because talent is defined and understood as natural ability given at BIRTH, and it's only synonym is "gifted". But the gov bribes researchers to create stupid theories like "10,000 hours" etc. which can easily be debunked by even the casual observer. Mozart did not invest 10,000 hours into studying composition because he was already composing by age 5 and performing all over Europe at age 6. He wouldn't have had TIME to study that much, and neither can a 5 year old LEARN that much. Conclusion; God given ability.
Really appreciate being able to listen to this program. I’m sure I’ll be returning to it for additional listens. For those of us trying to study jazz seriously, this is not simply a “gem” but really a jewelry box full of teaching gems. It is also a very fine documentation of the humble, positive, caring and sincere facets of Bill Evans’ personality.
Brilliant. "Take care of the music..." and Harry responds with a very pragmatic view that many of us hold for a lot of reasons that are, without question, quite valid. We've got to take the gigs, pay the bills. That noted, Bill guides us back to the primary focus: the music. Always the music. Take care of it, it takes care of you. His statement again at 35min are the words of a true master. Every seriously devoted artist of any medium should hear this. Beautiful.
This is such a helpful tool in understanding the genre and culture of jazz music making. One thing I learned from this video is that jazz isn’t necessarily pretentious or complex for complexity’s sake. When the man asked “are we content to play this tune forever this way?” after Bill played the most basic form of the tune. The truth is that many people are happy that way, and that is not just okay, it is wonderful. The fact that many jazz musicians believe that people owe it to themselves to understand the very dense colors of jazz is like saying everyone needs to like whiskey or black coffee. For a lot of people jazz is too strong a flavor to even digest or tolerate or understand. It all requires conditioning.
It's only true if you've never had much exposure to absolute music ie art music. If you've never had much exposure to serious theatre you probably won't dig Waiting For Godot or even The Lady's Not For Burning.
music is mostly about frequency and rythm, if u are able to create such deep and interesting formlulas / patterns u can create things people would be never ready for ^^
I have loved Bill Evans' music for years. I have seen photographs and videos of him playing, but this video, by giving me a chance to see and hear him answer questions, has given me a glimpse into his mind and personality that I have never had. I am grateful for your sharing this!
I just love how, after all the talk, and the brilliant thoughts on music (but really, thoughts that apply to ANY art form -- substitute "writer" or "painter," etc., for "musician"), that the documentary ends with the magic of Bill's hands. Four minutes of the hands of a master. Thank you so much for posting this.
He is just so amazing! I feel confused often when I practice and I just feel I sound terrible. I love that he says instead of approximating what others are playing, you should just be authentic and explicit even with simply stuff
From a new generation observing the old, this is as powerful as ever - this music is timeless in its ability to speak to the deepest parts of the human mind and soul, the deepest parts of us that understand this flow state and connectedness between all things is the key to our evolution, progress, and contentment
Perhaps the most important pianist of the 20th century. Bill has been the most central figure of influence on my professional piano career. Glad I found this amazing video revealing his amazing insights and observations.
@@TehWinnerz ?? So I'm not allowed my own opinion without being called a racist? Your'e the racist/. And by the way I love many pianists of all colors. So take your race baiting elsewhere.
This is beautiful. Evans is a true artist, a thinker, a philosopher. So glad I recently became aware of this genius. It’s sad to think his brother killed him self and Bill passed not long afterwards. Brotherly love is special and not many people get the connection that these two men had. Beautiful.x
I would like to thank BillEvansArchive for puting all these wonderful video of a dear dear dear musician that shook the world like no other ! Thank you for your time and effort to compile all of these universal gift !
Amazing we can watch this stuff on UA-cam that would normally be completely forgotten. Imagine watching an interview with Bach, Mozart, or Brahms. Thankfully shit like this will never die.
Just ran across this. I'm a big Evans fan but had never heard him talking about music. I think his advice is really spot-on. For me, one his signature points is to enjoy the process. Even if your playing/music sounds "bad". If you enjoy what you are doing, then you've won, and that's good.
And thank you for your BillEvansArchive channel. How good it feels to be among fellow devotees of the singular art which was within this man. What is not of this earth.
15:01-16:07 "What are you satisfied with?" ... [Adventurous spirit!] I love all of this! WOW! Thank you for sharing, BillEvansArchive! This documentary such an amazing gift! Bill Evans is one of my greatest teachers and inspirations in art and music! His songs are often playing as I write, read, eat, drive, work around the house, relax, sleep and create. I am forever thankful to the genius, Bill Evans. "I like New York in June. How about you?" Yes! Yes, I do!
That was AMAZING! I just learned so much in those 44 minutes. Bill was so articulate and spoke so eloquently about the nature of improvisational jazz and his experiences in growing as a creative musician and composer. It was truly inspiring for me. His playing is so soulful. Thank you Bill... Back to my piano.
I have this since the 1990s on videotape and I've watched it hundreds of times. Words like supreme aesthetic, sophistication, dedication, artistic integrity come to mind when one tries to describe Bill Evans. Every aspiring jazz musician and/or serious listener who wants to have an understanding of the creative process in jazz must watch this masterpiece of an interview by the Evans brothers.
I remember watching this in high school some 15 years ago....At the time, I couldn't practice as much as I wanted to because my grandma's tv was in the same room as our piano. Well, that's no excuse--if I had really wanted to, I would have found a way. But this interview absolutely cuts me up in the same way that it did back then....He is the pinnacle of music and thinking about music--and life for that matter--for me. Goddamn I love this.
The sensitivity of his playing, harmonically, melodically, accompanied with his deeply deliberated opinions make this one of, if not the greatest music video I have watched. I have loved his playing for decades so this is such a great gift. Thanks for posting it.
uneedtherapy42 Indeed. This is why "evil" exists... to have a reference to depart from, so that "good" can be experienced. You can apply this template to almost anything in life...
Wow, yes. He's casually explaining his improv via his musical self referencing system.. beautifully similar to psychological, philosophical and mathematical self referencing systems, Hofstadter's book delves into abstractions of this type of concept wonderfully: Godel, Escher, Bach - An Eternal Braid;)
The verbal info is useless. But listening to star eyes is the lesson. When he plays star eyes with melody alone it has that Evans "touch". Close voicing, moving inner lines. His harmonic approach obviously distinctive, emotionally powerful. He was from another planet.
The death of his beloved brother Harry was the last straw for poor Bill, he poured his heart out in his final trio with some amazingly beautiful playing.
He was a magician who united or combined French impressionist sound worlds (Ravel, Debussy) with the New World all-American jazzy style of the East Coast. And so created something beautifully new! Immortal music from a Universal Mind!
Michael Heinz- So true. I was talking with a friend not long ago about essential albums...recordings so important that they changed the course of music. One of those crucial records, so absolutely vital to modern music, wouldn't have been possible without Bill Evan's participation, imo. That record is the 1959 Miles Davis release "Kind Of Blue". Bill Evans plays piano on 4 of it's 5 tracks, and if not for his unique influences, particularly the influence of the 19th century French impressionist composer, Maurice Ravel, it wouldn't have been the same record. It wouldn't have become the biggest, most influential jazz album in history of jazz...in my opinion. He aligned with Miles perfectly on that release - Miles wanted to try working with jazz/blues modes, and to break away from the usual strict composition/arrangement routine, and with Bill's Ravel-influenced approach to chord structure, they meshed beautifully. I said that very thing to my friend that day. It's nice to see someone else feels that way, as well.
You know I come back to this video once in a while to be reminded, in art, there is "freedom with responsibility" in style of your aproach to create the thing. I respect Bill Evans on that aspect of his methodology.
i find myself coming back to this video periodically ... this knowledge is so universal it transcends music and can be applied elsewhere. bill evans, he was all soul
from 11:03 to 16:05 - He is speaking true wisdom here. For people who are serious about creating, who want to deal with the real and the true, it is crucial to grasp what he is saying in this section, the importance and significance of which cannot be overestimated.
WOW. I've never even seen Bill Evans speaking, much less with the great Steve Allen doing the hosting. Allen wasn't only a tremendous wit and TV celebrity, but a superb musician as well, writing many well known songs, including "Gravy Waltz." Thank you for posting!!
This may just sound strange but watching his beautiful hands play - touching the keys and hearing the sound - makes me cry. It is a good thing, however. I love Bill Evans and all that he plays. I would venture to guess he never played any particular piece of music the same way twice
33:45 : "that might give you an idea of what degree of time and effort is necessary to make all of this subconscious so that you can then express yourself and, hum, I would certainly say more than worth it ! but [...]"
Thank you so much for this. I love the idea of a universal mind toward music. He also references something that sounds very much like the Buddhist concept of Beginners Mind when he says he sometimes trusts the judgment of lay people over music professionals who may have to work very hard to see things afresh. Anyway this is a wonderful start to my day. Thank you so much for finding this and sharing it.
Thank you so much. The technique of starting with a simple framework such as Autumn Leaves or Star Eyes and then expanding it. I now understand what my teacher meant when he said there is so much that you can do with it. I don't think I shall ever look at a Lead Sheet the same way again
So interesting and inspiring listening to Bill Evans and his ideas about Jazz and improvisations, bridging works and practices in the 17th century to the early days of jazz and why, according to him, jazz is just a continuation of classical music. I like and appreciate this notion a lot!
11:40 to 12.55 is GOLD as well! He masterfully put together the reason behind NOT skipping steps and attacking a big problem first at an elementary school level for true mastery. Hall of Fame Golfer Jack Nicklaus put it this way: From my teens through the height of my pro career, my new golf year always began with a visit on the range with Jack Grout, my longtime instructor, mentor and friend. *He approached me at the start of a year as if I were a beginner. He’d say, “Okay, Jackie Boy, let’s look at your grip. Let’s look at that stance. Let’s look at ball position.” J. Grout, as I called him, was an absolute believer in sound fundamentals. With them, good things should happen in your golf game. Without them, well, good luck.*
Evans, in his playing, put forward a firm clarity about what melody and harmony were, almost like a demonstration of musical parameters. His formalism, never presented before by his piano predecessors to such a degree, ties in excellently with the neoconservative, academicised trend unfortunately so favored in these times. There's more to BE than pretty, attractive sounds. The fact that he remains so successful says a lot about the dulling conservatism of today.
So glad I stumbled on to this! Wonderful insights from a musical legend. And, it’s very apparent from the similarity of their voices that they are brothers😄.
I think this is the first interview where a) I understood that Bill Evans is interested in rhythm above all else (his two takes of How About You, both heavily reduced, feature rhythmic changes that are 'simple') and that b) rhythm is the foundation of harmony, and you can only build melody upon harmony. Fundamental on fundamental. It is better to attack a small thing and be real and true about it. Take one step at a time, and soon you will have a marathon behind you.
That's interesting, im relatively new to music theory but i heard this statement in a interview/documentary. "I think of a rhythm first, then I put notes to it." You seem to suggest that the reverse is true. In the case of some percussion instruments with very limited range (often none apart from accents etc), I'd think they wouldn't subscribe to harmony being the foundation of rhythm. Im still learning so im honestly just asking.
ah I don't think that's exactly what I said. I believe that rhythm is the foundation of harmony, then melody after that. So in this sense, I think your quote rings true. Approaches differ of course. Some people like to think of the harmonic movement first and then assign rhythmic placement for it, and intersperse melody between, others like to look at melodic phrasing first and put changes under it, and others still establish a pulse or time phrasing and then build chords and melody on top, but in all things, rhythm plays a foundational role. It is a final arbiter in musical interest.
i am 21 years old and only recently listened to bill evans conversations with myself. he has slowly become my favourite artist; i have never heard a musician that sounds like they know their instrument so well. i love jazz, and i am glad documentaries like this live on the internet so i am still able to learn and experience mediums from before my time :)
Oscar Peterson is also phenomenal.
should check "further conversation with myself", where he is basically playing all instruments voices himself through several piano takes, eventuallt added together
❤👍
As is Monk ❤
Dope bro, I didn't discover Bill Evans till I was like 26 or 27, glad u recognize the 🐐
We are so lucky that folks post these things. This is fantastic.
Brandoch Garage I could not agree more. I think about that often when I come across lost gems such as this one.
Agreed! Bless these folks!
So right, you don't need TV when you have this kind of quality content ...
Brandoch Garage this post fantastic
dead ass, you really don’t know when you’re going to be at that point in your life when you need to hear Bill Evans speak on creativity.
Thankfully the YT algorithm is ready for us.
My name is Bill Evans and this is my masterclass
God I WISH
Now you're probably wondering... "How'd I do that?!"
I didn't trust politicians
💯% Facts
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🤯❣️💓💗
“The essence of teaching is to get the student excited about the subject and explore it on their own.”
Schools ignored all of that
Bill said it?
@@abdulalshibly3930 uh, no.
my composition teacher was the opposite lol
@@songOmatic majority of schools do in fact musically speaking it's why I'm here cause there's not much interest in lessons from people who abstain from innovation... Then again this is something I noticed in my city in Canada 🍁
38:03 *"...the essence of teaching is to get the student excited about the subject and explore it on his own."* 💯% facts
The minute after 11:41 with Bill talking about attacking something from an elementary school level -is straight GOLD. Rene Descartes, the great French mathematician, wrote this waaay back in 1637 (330 years from when this video was made and over 380 years from today in 2021) and they're both pretty much saying the same thing! Descartes says, "For to be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough; the prime requisite is rightly to apply it. The greatest minds, as they are capable of the highest excellences, are open likewise to the greatest aberrations; *and those who travel very slowly may yet make far greater progress,* provided they keep always to the straight road, than those who, while they run, forsake it." 👏👏👏👏👏
Love the description of jazz being a process rather than a style.
me 2
Yes, because consciousness is not a fact, an object, but an eternal process.
Because it is true. No style without the discipline and freedom of that process embodied, in real time.
@@Soundofmusic777 Hussel. Heidegger. Henri Bergson.
@@stuartwray6175 Yes, but even more so - Nikolai Berdyaev.
I have listening to Bill Evans for 55+ years - nearly my whole life - his music never fails to inspire me based simply on it's shear beauty - if nothing else. I wish he could have had less sorrow in his life.
Rich Esserman perhaps the hardships he had to go through contributed to his musicianship somehow
And this is one of my favorites. Thought I'd share though am.sure you know it well.
ua-cam.com/video/6oL4SZGvmA0/v-deo.html
« its sheer »
I'm glad he played beautifully to balance an ugly life, instead of playing ugly to balance a beautiful life.
@@Soundofmusic777 it's it's not its
22:08 “Alright” Bill said. And he proceeded to unleash one of the the one of the best improvised pieces you’ve ever heard
This documentary has so much value beyond the field of jazz. Both Bill and Harry profoundly and eloquently convey simple ideas that just ring so clearly with their delivery: enjoy the process in its entirety and let individual discovery serve as a catalyst for learning
"I don't consider myself as talented as many people but in some ways, that was an advantage. I didn't have great facility, so I had to be analytical. In a way, it forced me to build something. But that might give you an idea of how the problem is approached and what degree of time and effort is necessary to make this subconscious so that you can express yourself. I would certainly say that it's more than worth it. But I think that most people don't realize the immensity of the problem and either because they can't conquer it immediately, think that they don't have the ability, or are so impatient to conquer it that they don't see it through. But if you do understand (the immensity of) the problem, you can enjoy your whole trip through." - Bill Evans
Well, there it is folks. You may not choose to believe it, but once upon a time, Bill Evans was ordinary. He wasn't able to improvise, could only sightread... but through his brilliant analytical approach, heart, and dedication, he became the legend, Bill Evans, that we know and love.
I.think that was his brother? Harry evans
@@carmenip6924 that quote was in this documentary and it was spoken by Bill.
Bill Evans is one of the best. I was fortunate to hear him live and meet him. He is one of Gods gift to us.
He was totally dedicated to his art, intellectually driven, yet humble . . . seeking and teaching. The part where he talks about playing and staying within within one's ability level is wonderful . . . not approximating by overplaying one's technical competence.
I came across Bill Evans on Spotify in a random link and I can honestly say he is the only musician I can listen to
all day without changing the artist.
I’ve got a couple of kids and they aren't into jazz. But I played Bill Evans for them, and they say, 'Jesus, he’s pretty good.' So I think it's great that people are just rediscovering Bill Evans, and I want people to rediscover Bill Evans. He's a great artist and I think more people should listen to him and respect the beauty that he was able to create.
Bill was so unique and timeless, my favorite Jazz pianist.
What he's saying is the greatest description of what music/life is about. The talent does not exists, only work and passion
Milos Mamula keep telling yourself that.
@Diomedes22 Talent is a process, it's not genetic . You have to work to be talented
@@harrylime7938 Agreed! Talent alone produces nothing. Working from talent, with dedication and discipline, yields creation. A la (early) Orson Welles. ;)
Wrong. At 32:27 he said he didn't consider himself AS talented as some others, but that was to his advantage because he learned to become more analytical (than the super talented individuals). There's a huge difference in saying "talent doesn't exist" versus "others have more talent than I". Those statements are exact opposites.
Academics and researchers are corrupted by a monetary incentive to deny the existence of talent because the government will never give you grants to conclude "God given ability". Yet their problem remains because talent is defined and understood as natural ability given at BIRTH, and it's only synonym is "gifted".
But the gov bribes researchers to create stupid theories like "10,000 hours" etc. which can easily be debunked by even the casual observer. Mozart did not invest 10,000 hours into studying composition because he was already composing by age 5 and performing all over Europe at age 6. He wouldn't have had TIME to study that much, and neither can a 5 year old LEARN that much. Conclusion; God given ability.
@Evan Hodge WOW!, thanks
"In order to run circles around the square, you first need to know the square." Such simplistic brilliance
18:20 "We are gonna put the basic harmony"
*Blasts the piano*
I looked for a comment like this straight after hearing that🤣
I could listen to him talk for ages. So insightful. He had a brilliant mind.
You can tell his brother is proud
Really appreciate being able to listen to this program. I’m sure I’ll be returning to it for additional listens. For those of us trying to study jazz seriously, this is not simply a “gem” but really a jewelry box full of teaching gems. It is also a very fine documentation of the humble, positive, caring and sincere facets of Bill Evans’ personality.
Very honest and simple musician...
Rare in music world
I love Bill Evans. Got back to him a few years ago after seeing Clint Eastwood singing his praises
Brilliant. "Take care of the music..." and Harry responds with a very pragmatic view that many of us hold for a lot of reasons that are, without question, quite valid. We've got to take the gigs, pay the bills. That noted, Bill guides us back to the primary focus: the music. Always the music. Take care of it, it takes care of you. His statement again at 35min are the words of a true master. Every seriously devoted artist of any medium should hear this. Beautiful.
This is such a helpful tool in understanding the genre and culture of jazz music making. One thing I learned from this video is that jazz isn’t necessarily pretentious or complex for complexity’s sake. When the man asked “are we content to play this tune forever this way?” after Bill played the most basic form of the tune. The truth is that many people are happy that way, and that is not just okay, it is wonderful. The fact that many jazz musicians believe that people owe it to themselves to understand the very dense colors of jazz is like saying everyone needs to like whiskey or black coffee. For a lot of people jazz is too strong a flavor to even digest or tolerate or understand. It all requires conditioning.
Jazz has different complexities though. Some of it is really simiple.
Josh Aguas Xx Z. )
It's only true if you've never had much exposure to absolute music ie art music. If you've never had much exposure to serious theatre you probably won't dig Waiting For Godot or even The Lady's Not For Burning.
music is mostly about frequency and rythm, if u are able to create such deep and interesting formlulas / patterns u can create things people would be never ready for ^^
Bill Evans is timeless. Such a sweet conversation between brothers who share mutual respect for each other.
It's really nice to see two brothers talking like this. Makes me think of long late-night conversations with my own bro.
Watching this always puts me in such a peaceful space. Like movie days at school as a kid.
don´t ever erase this interview, this changed my life. Thank you.
Thank goodness that we have this recording. Humanity will be forever greatful...
Amazing. Every musician, classical or otherwise, should hear this. You gotta love Bill Evans.
Everybody does. :o)
@@finosuilleabhain7781 Everybody Digs Bill Evans
@@cameronduthie5601 That was kind of my reference. :o)
@@finosuilleabhain7781 I know :)
I have loved Bill Evans' music for years. I have seen photographs and videos of him playing, but this video, by giving me a chance to see and hear him answer questions, has given me a glimpse into his mind and personality that I have never had. I am grateful for your sharing this!
Inspiring! Bill Evans, a philosopher, his theories can be applied to anything you're learning in different life stages and spheres.Great music!
Oh boy, what a treat! Steve Allen and Bill Evans.Major genius on display! Lucky me!
What a talent, what a clarity, what an universal musical mind Bill Evans had, has...he is inmortal!
I just love how, after all the talk, and the brilliant thoughts on music (but really, thoughts that apply to ANY art form -- substitute "writer" or "painter," etc., for "musician"), that the documentary ends with the magic of Bill's hands. Four minutes of the hands of a master.
Thank you so much for posting this.
Bill's patience and humility are as much in his character as in his music. The best.
He is just so amazing! I feel confused often when I practice and I just feel I sound terrible. I love that he says instead of approximating what others are playing, you should just be authentic and explicit even with simply stuff
Still one of the best instructional videos on the truth of jazz that I have ever seen. Bill was such a genius. So glad we have his records.
Bill Evans' respect for other living beings is awe inspiring - he is truly a free spirit.
From a new generation observing the old, this is as powerful as ever - this music is timeless in its ability to speak to the deepest parts of the human mind and soul, the deepest parts of us that understand this flow state and connectedness between all things is the key to our evolution, progress, and contentment
Perhaps the most important pianist of the 20th century. Bill has been the most central figure of influence on my professional piano career. Glad I found this amazing video revealing his amazing insights and observations.
classic white person opinion here
@@TehWinnerz ?? So I'm not allowed my own opinion without being called a racist? Your'e the racist/. And by the way I love many pianists of all colors. So take your race baiting elsewhere.
This is beautiful. Evans is a true artist, a thinker, a philosopher. So glad I recently became aware of this genius.
It’s sad to think his brother killed him self and Bill passed not long afterwards. Brotherly love is special and not many people get the connection that these two men had. Beautiful.x
I would like to thank BillEvansArchive for puting all these wonderful video of a dear dear dear musician that shook the world like no other ! Thank you for your time and effort to compile all of these universal gift !
Hear, hear!
We are lucky he graced our earth. Most important musician for my life.
Amazing we can watch this stuff on UA-cam that would normally be completely forgotten. Imagine watching an interview with Bach, Mozart, or Brahms. Thankfully shit like this will never die.
Just ran across this. I'm a big Evans fan but had never heard him talking about music. I think his advice is really spot-on. For me, one his signature points is to enjoy the process. Even if your playing/music sounds "bad". If you enjoy what you are doing, then you've won, and that's good.
And thank you for your BillEvansArchive channel. How good it feels to be among fellow devotees of the singular art which was within this man. What is not of this earth.
15:01-16:07 "What are you satisfied with?" ... [Adventurous spirit!] I love all of this!
WOW! Thank you for sharing, BillEvansArchive! This documentary such an amazing gift!
Bill Evans is one of my greatest teachers and inspirations in art and music! His songs are often playing as I write, read, eat, drive, work around the house, relax, sleep and create. I am forever thankful to the genius, Bill Evans. "I like New York in June. How about you?" Yes! Yes, I do!
This man's music is so deep among pianist of his time and still today his sound is pleasing to the ear.
That was AMAZING! I just learned so much in those 44 minutes. Bill was so articulate and spoke so eloquently about the nature of improvisational jazz and his experiences in growing as a creative musician and composer. It was truly inspiring for me. His playing is so soulful. Thank you Bill... Back to my piano.
I have this since the 1990s on videotape and I've watched it hundreds of times. Words like supreme aesthetic, sophistication, dedication, artistic integrity come to mind when one tries to describe Bill Evans. Every aspiring jazz musician and/or serious listener who wants to have an understanding of the creative process in jazz must watch this masterpiece of an interview by the Evans brothers.
I remember watching this in high school some 15 years ago....At the time, I couldn't practice as much as I wanted to because my grandma's tv was in the same room as our piano. Well, that's no excuse--if I had really wanted to, I would have found a way. But this interview absolutely cuts me up in the same way that it did back then....He is the pinnacle of music and thinking about music--and life for that matter--for me. Goddamn I love this.
The sensitivity of his playing, harmonically, melodically, accompanied with his deeply deliberated opinions make this one of, if not the greatest music video I have watched. I have loved his playing for decades so this is such a great gift. Thanks for posting it.
25:49 is one of the MOST profound things ever stated about music, art, life in general, etc. This guy was a genius on levels we are still discovering.
uneedtherapy42 Indeed. This is why "evil" exists... to have a reference to depart from, so that "good" can be experienced. You can apply this template to almost anything in life...
Yes, I agree. Didn't even know about him until yesterday!!
The Sonuvman exactly, I am not even a musician yet this is exactly what I apply in my life
This is classic existentialism. Genius to synthesize it with music in the way that he does
Wow, yes. He's casually explaining his improv via his musical self referencing system.. beautifully similar to psychological, philosophical and mathematical self referencing systems, Hofstadter's book delves into abstractions of this type of concept wonderfully: Godel, Escher, Bach - An Eternal Braid;)
Thank you so much for posting this documentary!
My pleasure!
@@BillEvansArchive
Timeless, the way he breaks down the procees.
Jazz can seem elusive.
Thank you!
The most intetesting approach to understanding jazz in the context of classical music ive heard
My god, it is magical when he breaks down Star Eyes like that
yes - it blew me away.
The verbal info is useless. But listening to star eyes is the lesson. When he plays star eyes with melody alone it has that Evans "touch". Close voicing, moving inner lines. His harmonic approach obviously distinctive, emotionally powerful. He was from another planet.
A short lived artistic, philosophic, high band width, true genius.
This a gem of a film👌 I Recently discovered Bill Evans and I love his style...his passion...his philosophy. Thank you so much for posting it.🎵x
Today was a fortunate day stumbling upon this video. Required viewing for music teachers, music students, music lovers, jazz lovers, lovers of life.
The death of his beloved brother Harry was the last straw for poor Bill, he poured his heart out in his final trio with some amazingly beautiful playing.
He was a magician who united or combined French impressionist sound worlds (Ravel, Debussy) with the New World all-American jazzy style of the East Coast. And so created something beautifully new!
Immortal music from a Universal Mind!
Michael Heinz don't forget his counterpoint, which I'm sure was inspired by his favorite composer, Bach.
Michael Heinz- So true. I was talking with a friend not long ago about essential albums...recordings so important that they changed the course of music. One of those crucial records, so absolutely vital to modern music, wouldn't have been possible without Bill Evan's participation, imo.
That record is the 1959 Miles Davis release "Kind Of Blue". Bill Evans plays piano on 4 of it's 5 tracks, and if not for his unique influences, particularly the influence of the 19th century French impressionist composer, Maurice Ravel, it wouldn't have been the same record. It wouldn't have become the biggest, most influential jazz album in history of jazz...in my opinion. He aligned with Miles perfectly on that release - Miles wanted to try working with jazz/blues modes, and to break away from the usual strict composition/arrangement routine, and with Bill's Ravel-influenced approach to chord structure, they meshed beautifully. I said that very thing to my friend that day. It's nice to see someone else feels that way, as well.
Accurate.
William L. Certainly on my list...
The man was locked IN.
You know I come back to this video once in a while to be reminded, in art, there is "freedom with responsibility" in style of your aproach to create the thing. I respect Bill Evans on that aspect of his methodology.
This is great, the conversations here are timeless even in our modern times.
I had no idea this existed.. What a privilege to see Bill chatting openly with his brother about his inner thoughts on music.
Such insights from an accomplished and yet humble artist.
i find myself coming back to this video periodically ... this knowledge is so universal it transcends music and can be applied elsewhere. bill evans, he was all soul
Bill speaks with such clarity, love this documentary
Brilliant. I've never seen this, a lifelong Evans addict.
from 11:03 to 16:05 - He is speaking true wisdom here. For people who are serious about creating, who want to deal with the real and the true, it is crucial to grasp what he is saying in this section, the importance and significance of which cannot be overestimated.
Lenox Music Inn in the Berkshires! That’s where I live! I’m actually in Pittsfield, MA! I never knew Bill was here in the Berkshires! Wow.
Rest in peace Bill and Harry
WOW. I've never even seen Bill Evans speaking, much less with the great Steve Allen doing the hosting. Allen wasn't only a tremendous wit and TV celebrity, but a superb musician as well, writing many well known songs, including "Gravy Waltz." Thank you for posting!!
Absolutely astounding getting to hear him speak at length and watch him play. Great video!
So many profound ideas in this documentary. Many thanks for uploading!
Thank you. His description of improvisation will stay with me.
Those moments during which one hears Ravel shimmering in his chord voicings are joyous melancholy.
What a true genius; and he makes it look so simple... now that's genius!
J'ai découvert ce Monsieur par hasard ; c'est pour moi le plus subtil des pianistes; des sonorités improbables, magiques; c'est mon maître...
Can you imagine having the insane luxury of standing there and telling Bill Evans "OK, now play it like this, only put these harmonies to it"?!
This may just sound strange but watching his beautiful hands play - touching the keys and hearing the sound - makes me cry. It is a good thing, however. I love Bill Evans and all that he plays. I would venture to guess he never played any particular piece of music the same way twice
33:45 : "that might give you an idea of what degree of time and effort is necessary to make all of this subconscious so that you can then express yourself and, hum, I would certainly say more than worth it ! but [...]"
Thank you so much for this. I love the idea of a universal mind toward music. He also references something that sounds very much like the Buddhist concept of Beginners Mind when he says he sometimes trusts the judgment of lay people over music professionals who may have to work very hard to see things afresh. Anyway this is a wonderful start to my day. Thank you so much for finding this and sharing it.
Thank you for posting this. It’s a thrill and privilege to get inside the creative mind of such a unique genius as the great Bill Evans. Awesome!
Thank you so much. The technique of starting with a simple framework such as Autumn Leaves or Star Eyes and then expanding it. I now understand what my teacher meant when he said there is so much that you can do with it. I don't think I shall ever look at a Lead Sheet the same way again
So interesting and inspiring listening to Bill Evans and his ideas about Jazz and improvisations, bridging works and practices in the 17th century to the early days of jazz and why, according to him, jazz is just a continuation of classical music. I like and appreciate this notion a lot!
Great musical intellect he brought many great musicians together and made good music
11:40 to 12.55 is GOLD as well! He masterfully put together the reason behind NOT skipping steps and attacking a big problem first at an elementary school level for true mastery. Hall of Fame Golfer Jack Nicklaus put it this way:
From my teens through the height of my pro career, my new golf year always began with a visit on the range with Jack Grout, my longtime instructor, mentor and friend. *He approached me at the start of a year as if I were a beginner. He’d say, “Okay, Jackie Boy, let’s look at your grip. Let’s look at that stance. Let’s look at ball position.” J. Grout, as I called him, was an absolute believer in sound fundamentals. With them, good things should happen in your golf game. Without them, well, good luck.*
Thanks for putting this up for us, this is fantastic!!
This is unreal. I'm looking at a true virtuoso genius. Improvised melody and harmony at the same time. OMG. phew
I am so grateful!!!! Who ever posted I hope you get whatever you want in life ❤️😁
Evans, in his playing, put forward a firm clarity about what melody and harmony were, almost like a demonstration of musical parameters. His formalism, never presented before by his piano predecessors to such a degree, ties in excellently with the neoconservative, academicised trend unfortunately so favored in these times. There's more to BE than pretty, attractive sounds. The fact that he remains so successful says a lot about the dulling conservatism of today.
There was a lot of sadness in the Evans family. I'm thankful for this video.
wow, thank you for sharing that marvelous and deep interview !
Beautiful, inspiring
So glad I stumbled on to this! Wonderful insights from a musical legend. And, it’s very apparent from the similarity of their voices that they are brothers😄.
3:40 lmao I love how this guy so elegantly throws shade.
I think this is the first interview where a) I understood that Bill Evans is interested in rhythm above all else (his two takes of How About You, both heavily reduced, feature rhythmic changes that are 'simple') and that b) rhythm is the foundation of harmony, and you can only build melody upon harmony. Fundamental on fundamental.
It is better to attack a small thing and be real and true about it. Take one step at a time, and soon you will have a marathon behind you.
also with that minimalistic, slow-step, reductionist way of approaching music, you can tell that he listened to a LOT of Satie.
That's interesting, im relatively new to music theory but i heard this statement in a interview/documentary. "I think of a rhythm first, then I put notes to it." You seem to suggest that the reverse is true. In the case of some percussion instruments with very limited range (often none apart from accents etc), I'd think they wouldn't subscribe to harmony being the foundation of rhythm. Im still learning so im honestly just asking.
ah I don't think that's exactly what I said. I believe that rhythm is the foundation of harmony, then melody after that. So in this sense, I think your quote rings true.
Approaches differ of course. Some people like to think of the harmonic movement first and then assign rhythmic placement for it, and intersperse melody between, others like to look at melodic phrasing first and put changes under it, and others still establish a pulse or time phrasing and then build chords and melody on top, but in all things, rhythm plays a foundational role. It is a final arbiter in musical interest.