I love EVERYTHING about this video...the black and white, the music, the clothing style, the beautiful girl at the start, and especially the view out the window while Bill, Eddie and Marty are playing. I only play this during November and December of each year so the view out my window is similar to this one. Sounds crazy I'm sure, but it gives me something to look forward to as winter approaches, then during those cold, gray days I have this to help me through. I am so grateful all who put this together back in '69-'70 and then to those who brought it to all of us fifty years or so later. So...today, November 14th 2019 is my first day hearing and watching this since last year. It's great to see you my old friend!!!
He is truly the Chopin of Jazz, his delicate, intricate RH is so reminiscent of the florid ornaments of Chopin and the french romantics. I also hear a LOT of Debussy and Ravel in his parallel chord passages, and there's some modernity and innovation in his rootless chord voicings.
As a drummer I have always considered a drummer who could use the brushes like this to be a true musician Most are too ham handed to do it. This is beautiful. Thanks for allowing me to see this.
Regarding your comments about Bill Evans' harmonic voicings, the "effortless flow" you describe did not flow like water. His harmonies were discovered through countless hours of hard work, trial and error sitting on the piano bench and experimenting with notes, until he found harmonies which pleased him. He finally wrote them down, then had to learn them as chords and fingerings which eventually he incorporated into his music and his treatments of standards and other tunes. His greatest contribution to the world of Jazz, and especially Jazz Piano, was his discoveries of keyboard harmony. The reason so many people love listening to him is because of his harmonies, which evoke emotions in the listener that hadn't been discovered before. Feelings of sad joy, sincere loss, refined beauty, sentimental loneliness, blue sweetness, melancholy, affection, dark warmth......are just a few words that describe the feelings his harmony evoked in the listener. Language is an art form which is much lower than music, so it is difficult to describe a higher art form using a lower one, but Bill's harmonies touched people in ways that most music hadn't before. People discovered new feelings in themselves once they heard his harmonies. Subtle and complex emotional reactions to sounds. Something that people hadn't experienced previously. Yes, they knew what happy music felt like and what sad music felt like, usually major or minor chords, but Bill's harmonies were far more evolved, more nuanced, like the human spirit. People are far more multidimensional than being simply happy or sad. There are many moods, temperments and emotions which express all kinds of feelings far beyond the simplicity of happy or sad. Bill wasn't searching for emotions when he sat on the bench fishing for harmonies. He was searching for sounds that were pleasing, nuanced, complex and beautiful, and in the process he discovered that these sounds produced nuanced, complex and beautiful emotions. Jazz pianists such as Keith Jarrett, Kenny Werner, Denny Zeitlin and others have taken Bill's harmonies to even newer levels of feeling and expression, but Bill was the original pioneer. The Christopher Columbus of all modern piano harmony.
That, and Bill's love for sunny, happy intervals and chords is reinforced by carefully contrasting them against less resonant, more challenging intervals and chords. He'll play a few notes that are vaguely difficult to listen to and then resolve them in a moment of sheer beauty. Always at the right time, always in the right way.
There's no bullshit with Evans playing. Nothing decorative. Nothing flamboyant. Every note, phrase, chord expresses what the composer intended with Bill as it's voice
Eddie Gomez is so unique as a bassist. I love his countermelodies that he sprinkles in when playing with Bill Evans. Don't hear a lot of people do that.
Bill chose only the best bassists to join the trio, and Eddie is my favorite for the reason you mention, among others. There’s a myth surrounding Scott, because of his early, tragic death, and Chuck was in many ways a perfect partner to Bill’ style. Marc shone his own light later from the tall shadows cast by his predecessors. But Eddie added just the right amount of contrasting presence, what might even be called flash, to a trio that without him sometimes lacked that.
@@Dukiedukester thats right.. without previous knowldege of the piece I can't tell if It's playing Scott or Chuck... but one thing i can tell you... Scott was the first playing like Scott
Actually, this was the winter of 1970 and Bill was off heroin and on methadone treatments. His next 7 years are absolutely some of his best, and we as fans are all musically Very Blessed for this period through the mid- to- late seventies! He signed with Columbia Records in 1970, he later signed with Fantasy Studios for several years, and then in the summer of 1977 with Warner Bros. Some of the Best of B.E. for sure!! Thanks Helen Keane.
As a life-long musician myself, first classical, then standards/pop, It breaks my heart to know that some musicians are so drawn to drugs, to their great detriment. I don't know how I escaped that scene but I did yet I know so many who didn't. Very sad. They said of Bill Evans that his was the longest suicide in history, due to his ups and down with drugs. Such a tremendous talent Bill was, sincerely hope he is resting in peace now, away from his demons, and is tickling those keys in a happier place. He was such a huge talent. He also worked with and accompanied some of the best musicians in the business. Glad for his recordings so we won't forget him!
And as appreciated by the truly cultured people in this Helsinki home (as with much of the rest of Europe), especially in their respect for the art form that is jazz. Sadly, it is only in the U.S., jazz's birthplace, that jazz continues to be obscenely under-appreciated or outright ignored. Blatant ignorance, infused with implicit racial-cultural prejudice, is a shameless sin. If the landscape of jazz progenitors in the U.S. were predominately white, versus its black reality (historically and presently), it would be a very different story. But, then, it wouldn't be jazz... By and large, the U.S. has never been particularly culturally sophisticated (and still bears a persistently strong anti-intellectual streak as well). And, today, such notions are virtually non-existent. The artists whom I myself tend to relate to best are consummate, deeply dedicated jazz musicians. In my experience, they are as close to being perfect syntheses of artistic gift and cultural-intellectual depth and breadth. By far, the richest conversations (and, mostly, listening rounds) to be had are with them. The full flower of what it is to be human is contained in them, and which the best and most courageous of whom express exquisitely through the music. One's soul is set free in the presence of the music alive inside them. An unspeakably magnanimous gift! Messengers of the gods, bringing the light of universal truth and beauty to humanity. We mere but ever grateful mortals.
i lived in england as a lost soul in the period 57-61 and heard some of the greatest music of the time. it was when the best performers practiced their trade in jazz clubs all around the country. what a time to be alive. i can still feel, smell and miss the times. rpc
The piano is in good tune, thank God...and whoever paid the tuner ! Emily sounds particularly great in this video recording, and that piano was a 7 foot Bosendorfer made in Vienna. It has a very chocolate and bell-like sound which is perfectly suited to Johnny Mandel's "Emily" , the title music to the film "The Americanization of Emily". I've heard Bill play Emily many times, but this piano really captured the sentiment of the tune, especially in Bill's introduction. Beautiful delicious tone ! Ilkka Kuusisto, who was Bill's host, is a composer, which most likely explains why the piano was in tune, and why we have this great house concert video !
jennifer86010 thanks for your in depth analysis. you left out the emotion emoted by the players. this is a great composition and performed at the highest level. roc
strange what are you talking about... :D interesting really.. I assume you are not jazz pianist cause usually what interest you are far away from what actually is of jazz pianist's concern :D
Bosendorfers are superb pianos: Good enough for Victor Borge, then I guess good enough for anyone.@vytautas Straizys, Instruments are very important to musicians. If jennifer86010 is familiar with Bosendorfer pianos and has enough of an ear to describe the sound they produce, my guess is that she's not only a musician, but a very accomplished one as well.
Everything in this scene is impressive: the people, the musicians, the incredible landscape seen through the windows, and of course, Bill Evans' music."
Wow! I heard Bill Evans in a little club in Montreal about 40 years ago, with Eddie Gomez on bass. Evans is the most unbelievable jazz pianist I've ever seen live. Ridiculously cool and smooth and sophisticated. I consider myself very lucky to have heard this genius. Whenever I hear him I am reminded of this beautiful soul and the happiness he gave to so many. Thank you Bill Evans.
In the intro, it is obvious in his tonal nuances just how much Bill Evans seems to enjoy the piano available to him here. Contrast that with his wrestling with inferior instruments on some gigs. I keep wondering how this venue in a private home in Helsinki came about. There has to be an interesting story there.
Regarding your comments about Bill Evans playing at the house concert in Helsinki, I'm not sure if this is a shortened version of the concert video I watched, but people were asking him to play more and socialize, and he didn't want any part of it, telling the folks they had to go to another gig. The look on Eddy's and Marty's faces indicated they had no gig to go to, but Bill wasn't in a mood to play more or socialize. He wasn't very social, especially after his bouts with drugs.
Just watched an interview of Ilkka Kuusisto (the host) about the subject, and he said the idea was conceived by Brita Helenius, who was working as a producer for the "theater and entertainment" department of YLE (Finland's national public broadcasting company). After Evans agreed to be filmed and to even say a few words to the camera, YLE needed a place for the occasion. Turns out that Kuusisto, a long-time jazz enthusiast and also working for YLE at the time, had a large enough living room to fit all the recording equipment and a small audience of jazz enthusiasts in. Another reason for why his living room was designated for this was that he had a relatively new Bösendorfer grand at his place, which they thought Bill would probably really enjoy playing - that turned out to indeed be the case. As to how Helenius actually made all of this happen, information is scarce. Finnish source: yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2013/04/17/jazzlegenda-bill-evans-vierasti-musiikkinsa-liikaa-pohtimista
Look at Bill, he looks so devastate, and at the same time giving all that he has inside... it comes from his heart. So melodic, so innocent and so powerful at the same time.
The music is so mellow... maybe that is the reason for Bill looking sad. However, most great composer have a life full of complications, etc. But at the end, those composer get redeem himself with his/her music
... maybe he's engrossed in the craft. Surely he's feeling chipper on the inside playing a tune such as this? I'm going to guage his mood via the audio that he, Marty and Eddie deliver.
... maybe he's engrossed in the craft. Surely he's feeling chipper on the inside playing a tune such as this? I'm going to guage his mood via the audio that he, Marty and Eddie deliver.
Preach on - there's a reason that Oscar Peterson worked with 2 bass players for the vast majority of his career - Ray Brown and NHOP. I know Bill was heartbroken when Scott LaFaro died in a car crash - he was so fortunate to find two great bass players like Chuck Israel and Eddie Gomez. When you get a bass player that doesn't have to be told where to find the groove but can fit in the flow - it's priceless
As someone who plays guitar and upright, I'm super finnicky about what I like in a bass player. Obviously I don't expect them to play what I necessarily would, nor would I want them to unless I gave them a written line, but when a bass player encapsulates the general feeling I hear in my head, it's like magic
A few years ago, my piano teacher showed me this song and immediately fell in love with this piece. Originally, she showed me this song becuase my name is Emily. I haven't played this song in a while but I randomly remembered it while I was trying to fall asleep.
Well, that's not true. Plenty of musicians can do that. But Bill Evans did have a very unique sound and touch. He is beyond musical craft, he is a true artist.
The introduction is really profound. I never know who can interprete such amazing harmony like him in the world. I felt obsess in this Emily version right now. I really feel thanks to Bill Evans for making such wonderful harmony to make the world beautiful and alive.
Such a genius, I'm so grateful that I got to play for Bill Evans. He was very kind and really took an interest in what I was doing on the guitar. He asked if I wanted to play during intermission but I was too young and scared, but I'll never forget those moments.
He leaves me stone cold. Contrived, calculated - he plays to the head, not the heart. I'll take Erroll Garner any day. At least he seems to be enjoying what he's doing. Bill appears to be in perpetual misery. I can't stand him.
I don't know about the guy's soul but he definitely was a superb technician and a brilliant improvisational musician. Lucky for all of us Bill, the cafes, and the record companies were able to ignore the racism among musicians like Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane (yeah, "that" Coltrane), Sun Ra, and many other blacks prevalent in New York at the time.
Dediqué esta canción a mi primer verdadero amor. Ya ha pasado más de un año de que no sé nada de ella, espero se encuentre bien y siga encantándose y brillando con sus fotografías , aprendí mucho de ella, y aprendí mucho de mí gracias a ella, pero por ahora sólo queda recordar el brillo que algún día sentí cuando escuchaba esta canción camino a vernos por segunda vez y me recordaba lo afortunado que era de poder coincidir con una persona como ella.
It’s very pleasant to feel as if you’re watching a jazz trio perform in someone’s living room, and here, of course, it’s not just a jazz trio; it’s the legendary Bill Evans with the great Eddie Gomez and the superb Marty Morell. Lovely.
dobbsa No they're just introverted because they're Finnish. They are and where ahead of the curve. Those are enthused Finns. I've always thought this was actually quite a special gig. To film and record well a private performance like this cost someone an arm and a leg in 1969. The piano is tuned and fine etc. This was the well conceived product of great artistic respect for Bill Evans. He was truly an object of reverence among hip Europeans.
Au contraire, I definitely think they do. The host was the most famous symphonic conductor in Finlandia, his son was a noted jazz pianist, and I'm pretty sure the audience was a select and musically highly educated group.
dobbsa My thought was the opposite: I think they are very aware. Its a recording session, not a private performance. Love the detail captured with Eddie Gomez. Incredible video. Thank You.
Bill Evans had a light, lyrical touch that was so beautiful, it made it seem like you could hear the gates of heaven. But like so many tragic artists, he died way too young 😢 Rest In Peace Bill Evans 🙏🏾🎹
Such a cool atmosphere, it feels almost like a scene from some european art house film, but it really happened! Honestly I am flabbergasted how cool everyone and everything is. For a small public broadcasting company YLE did a marvelous job producing and filming this Bill Evans trio living room concert.
Loved this composer. He used the most collaborative of musicians wisely. Eddie Gomez is outstanding in his ability interpret style and nuance in everyone he worked with but maintaining the integrity of the bass in all aspects!!
Удивительная харизма, он может просто сидеть и молчать, его руки притягивают, его голос завораживает, его музыка чарует. Да, сейчас очень много талантливых пианистов, но в них нет обаяния, чувственности, нежности и в тоже время мужественности, у них отсутствуют не сочетаемые понятия, от этого они просто ремесленники, а Эванс-это гений.
All I can say is "Beautiful", I think Bill Evans was the Chopin of Jazz. Gentle and beautiful in some parts and aggressive and dark in others. Too bad the ride cymbal was so loud in this recording. Amazing, I dont ever get tired of listening to these giants. I feel content and grateful that I was able to hear such beautiful sounds in my life time. Bill Evans, Keith Jarret, Oscar Peterson, Incredible masterful minds.
RIP Johnny Mandel. Thank you for sharing your gift of incredible composition with us with us. Thank you Bill for interpreting it with purely inspired excellence.
I've been listening to Bill for 41 years, starting when I was a sophomore in college. I have a daughter named Emily, and this song played a part in my naming her. His playing is so lyrical, like a Keats or a Chopin. I listen to him almost every day of my life. Thanks for this great video!
What can one say that hasn't been said! Evans was such a wonderful, fabulous musician. I love this song, too The other musicians are outstanding, as well
Sadly, it's not unusual for lovely musical moments like this to occur in the presence of very small audiences, late at night. I've witnessed many from another piano master of beauty, Barry Harris.
The Finnish composer Ilkka Kuusisto - whose house is being utilised for this recording - and guests would have been aware of this being recorded, there would have been applause at the end, certainly.
Bill Evans what an extraordinary talent , heard his music back in ‘69 when I was very young , fell in love with him and his music , talent as big as the universe, he had problems tried all his life to conquer them but in the end , well let’s just say he left a legacy of compositions of beautiful, great jazz music that will live on , it has to , Bill was a legend and legends never die!
one and will always be one of my favorite Bill Evans pieces. The way that the piano flows from chord to chord, Note to note is beautiful. The trio captures this piece so beautifully it not even funny. It's amazing that it can go from classical to jazz and then classical all by Bill Evans hands is literally bizarre. Bill, Eddie, AND Marty are one of the best trios I've heard other than the miles Davis trio and quintet. This video brings the connection between the old style and the beautiful music goes hand and hand.
None better, a seminal figure. After Bill Evans you could and can hear him in virtually every pianist playing ballads. Eddie and Marty are beyond good, here.
+1122redbird Chiropractors don't treat heroin addiction. His problems were not in his bones. With the passing years Bill's greatness only increases. This trio at its best was nonpareil.
:_) Wow, there ain't enough words that can describe how beautiful this tune is. The fact that Bill Evans is such a master at taking you on a journey with his music like no other. The picture or stories that he tells, it is beautiful. RIP Bill, you truly are a legend 😊
I got a book of bill evan's interpretations. It gives me shivers that i played (of course no where near as well) the same notes that bill did. He is THE master.
Increíble ése trío,sin duda atemporal y emocionante,en mi humilde opinión Bill Evans en éste tema acompaña increíblemente,en su introducción la delicadeza es muy bella. Gracias,H.K 🌹
I’d like to say thank you to my friend in Aberdeen ( Scotland ) for opening a door into this other world for me . Now I know what my overly large ears are for . Thanks mum and dad .
as a bass player, i straight up don't understand how eddie gomez plays some of those super fast licks. wtf. i have kind of slept on gomez as a shreddy brah, but he plays beautiful melodies. great video.
I love EVERYTHING about this video...the black and white, the music, the clothing style, the beautiful girl at the start, and especially the view out the window while Bill, Eddie and Marty are playing. I only play this during November and December of each year so the view out my window is similar to this one. Sounds crazy I'm sure, but it gives me something to look forward to as winter approaches, then during those cold, gray days I have this to help me through. I am so grateful all who put this together back in '69-'70 and then to those who brought it to all of us fifty years or so later. So...today, November 14th 2019 is my first day hearing and watching this since last year. It's great to see you my old friend!!!
Wonderful Comment Tac.
Thank you man, be blessed...
Not crazy at all. Pieces like this have a very special feel on cloudy, chilly, overcast days like those that Novembers tend to bring :-)
What a wonderful comment. I couldn’t have the self-restraint to go without listening to this for any period of time! I keep returning!
@@patocariqueo6553 OMG OMG OMG YESSSSSSSSSSS
Rare footage - he managed a whole song without a cigarette. I still think he's the greatest musician of the 20th century.
Who?
@@garyfrancis6193 Duff McKagan
@@oinkooink😂
Stevie Wonder takes the cake.
@@samrushton5497different beasts
There is something about Bill Evans. Once heard never forgotten.
My own attraction is to his sound, often pearlescent, and so fluid and melodic
He is truly the Chopin of Jazz, his delicate, intricate RH is so reminiscent of the florid ornaments of Chopin and the french romantics. I also hear a LOT of Debussy and Ravel in his parallel chord passages, and there's some modernity and innovation in his rootless chord voicings.
@perkyporkpie preach
So smooth and so delicate. A true master of piano
@@PawsAndKeys no, really????????? I thought of Clayderman actually......
Marty's snare brush work is out of this world!
As a drummer I have always considered a drummer who could use the brushes like this to be a true musician Most are too ham handed to do it. This is beautiful. Thanks for allowing me to see this.
Blake Probert I was just thinking that before I saw this comment. They are all totally in the zone. Amazing stuff.
Wish my girl can give me the treatment the snare had in this video.
There's a reason he was with Bill for so long.
Brushes swirling on a snare drum = white noise. Hey, here’s a beautiful tune, let’s add some white noise. I don’t get it. Worst invention ever.
I was named after this variation of the song. Makes me tear up every time.
Thats such a flex what a beautiful song
same
Bill’s understanding of harmony is absolutely mind-boggling. So intimate and musical.
yess .. he's enormt skicklig .. ingen kan matcha honom på de sättet .. tror ja = so I think Bjoern 85 !
Interesting that he was influenced by Blossom Dearie’s playing.
@@leonardboesger8769Hi Len :)
Bill's forte is his voicing. It flows effortlessly like pristine water in a brook under the trees, like Debussy, like Ravel, simply marvellous!
Warreng g
Are you regulate ?
Regarding your comments about Bill Evans' harmonic voicings, the "effortless flow" you describe did not flow like water. His harmonies were discovered through countless hours of hard work, trial and error sitting on the piano bench and experimenting with notes, until he found harmonies which pleased him. He finally wrote them down, then had to learn them as chords and fingerings which
eventually he incorporated into his music and his treatments of standards and other tunes. His greatest contribution to the world of Jazz, and especially Jazz Piano, was his discoveries of keyboard harmony. The reason so many people love listening to him is because of his harmonies, which evoke emotions in the listener that hadn't been discovered before.
Feelings of sad joy, sincere loss, refined beauty, sentimental loneliness, blue sweetness, melancholy, affection, dark warmth......are just a few words that describe the feelings his harmony evoked in the listener. Language is an art form which is much lower than music, so it is difficult to describe a higher art form using a lower one, but Bill's harmonies touched people in ways that most music hadn't before.
People discovered new feelings in themselves once they heard his harmonies. Subtle and complex emotional reactions to sounds. Something that people hadn't experienced previously. Yes, they knew what happy music felt like and what sad music felt like, usually major or minor chords, but Bill's harmonies were far more evolved, more nuanced, like the human spirit.
People are far more multidimensional than being simply happy or sad. There are many moods, temperments and emotions which express all kinds of feelings far beyond the simplicity of happy or sad. Bill wasn't searching for emotions when he sat on the bench fishing for harmonies. He was searching for sounds that were pleasing, nuanced, complex and beautiful, and in the process he discovered that these sounds produced nuanced, complex and beautiful emotions.
Jazz pianists such as Keith Jarrett, Kenny Werner, Denny Zeitlin and others have taken Bill's harmonies to even newer levels of feeling and expression, but Bill was the original pioneer. The Christopher Columbus of all modern piano harmony.
@@djwsam575 Ooooh I like your style
@@diplamatikjuan3595 sure?
That, and Bill's love for sunny, happy intervals and chords is reinforced by carefully contrasting them against less resonant, more challenging intervals and chords. He'll play a few notes that are vaguely difficult to listen to and then resolve them in a moment of sheer beauty. Always at the right time, always in the right way.
Ok, she's got Bil Evans playing in her living room, now that's home sweet home
I had Claudio Filippini. Not as famous, but yet a privilege. Check him here
She must have been pretty minted too
Robert McIntyre . It's he. He is sitting on the sofa.
ACTUALLY, THAT'S HEAVEN!!
Robert McIntyre When is the last time an event like this actually took place- um, never?
Nobody played like Bill Evens , then or now ! He's the brightest Star in the night sky .
@steveorion6185I could not agree with you more ,bill evans a legend.
There's no bullshit with Evans playing. Nothing decorative. Nothing flamboyant. Every note, phrase, chord expresses what the
composer intended with Bill as it's voice
Exactly. Well said.
Eddie Gomez is so unique as a bassist. I love his countermelodies that he sprinkles in when playing with Bill Evans. Don't hear a lot of people do that.
Bill chose only the best bassists to join the trio, and Eddie is my favorite for the reason you mention, among others. There’s a myth surrounding Scott, because of his early, tragic death, and Chuck was in many ways a perfect partner to Bill’ style. Marc shone his own light later from the tall shadows cast by his predecessors. But Eddie added just the right amount of contrasting presence, what might even be called flash, to a trio that without him sometimes lacked that.
@@Dukiedukester thats right.. without previous knowldege of the piece I can't tell if It's playing Scott or Chuck... but one thing i can tell you... Scott was the first playing like Scott
He plays very similar to Scott Lafaro
Sûrement un des meilleurs pianistes de sa génération.impro de haute volée
Eddie played with Chick later on.
Actually, this was the winter of 1970 and Bill was off heroin and on methadone treatments.
His next 7 years are absolutely some of his best, and we as fans are all musically Very Blessed for this period through the mid- to- late seventies! He signed with Columbia Records in 1970, he later signed with Fantasy Studios for several years, and then in the summer of 1977 with Warner Bros. Some of the Best of B.E. for sure!! Thanks Helen Keane.
You know your BILL! :)
You Must Believe in Spring happened during that time so yeah. Definitely agree
As a life-long musician myself, first classical, then standards/pop, It breaks my heart to know that some musicians are so drawn to drugs, to their great detriment. I don't know how I escaped that scene but I did yet I know so many who didn't. Very sad. They said of Bill Evans that his was the longest suicide in history, due to his ups and down with drugs. Such a tremendous talent Bill was, sincerely hope he is resting in peace now, away from his demons, and is tickling those keys in a happier place. He was such a huge talent. He also worked with and accompanied some of the best musicians in the business.
Glad for his recordings so we won't forget him!
Well said. Crosscurrents from 1977 with this rhythm section is one of my favorite records.
Wow thanks for the Insights.....
Bill Evans vibrated the universe with his harmonic genius. A jazz great.
and substance abuse.. the universe loves that stuff.
Nothing like having bill evans for the afternoon tea
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the piano played so beautifully by anyone else. Bill truly was one of a kind
Music can sound totally modern, without losing its beauty. There's noise, and then there's Bill Evans.
American musical culture at it’s highest.
Truly. An art form for us Americans to be proud of
the music when america was really cool.
And as appreciated by the truly cultured people in this Helsinki home (as with much of the rest of Europe), especially in their respect for the art form that is jazz.
Sadly, it is only in the U.S., jazz's birthplace, that jazz continues to be obscenely under-appreciated or outright ignored. Blatant ignorance, infused with implicit racial-cultural prejudice, is a shameless sin. If the landscape of jazz progenitors in the U.S. were predominately white, versus its black reality (historically and presently), it would be a very different story. But, then, it wouldn't be jazz...
By and large, the U.S. has never been particularly culturally sophisticated (and still bears a persistently strong anti-intellectual streak as well). And, today, such notions are virtually non-existent.
The artists whom I myself tend to relate to best are consummate, deeply dedicated jazz musicians. In my experience, they are as close to being perfect syntheses of artistic gift and cultural-intellectual depth and breadth. By far, the richest conversations (and, mostly, listening rounds) to be had are with them. The full flower of what it is to be human is contained in them, and which the best and most courageous of whom express exquisitely through the music. One's soul is set free in the presence of the music alive inside them. An unspeakably magnanimous gift! Messengers of the gods, bringing the light of universal truth and beauty to humanity. We mere but ever grateful mortals.
@Beto Castañeda. YES
castinmeadows Wow...Well said, mate. That last paragraph encapsulated my beliefs exactly. Good day to you!
i lived in england as a lost soul in the period 57-61 and heard some of the greatest music of the time. it was when the best performers practiced their trade in jazz clubs all around the country. what a time to be alive. i can still feel, smell and miss the times. rpc
Poor Richard!
Damn you're old
The piano is in good tune, thank God...and whoever paid the tuner ! Emily sounds particularly great in this video recording, and that piano was a 7 foot Bosendorfer made in Vienna. It has a very chocolate and bell-like sound which is perfectly suited to Johnny
Mandel's "Emily" , the title music to the film "The Americanization of Emily". I've heard Bill play Emily many times, but this piano really captured the sentiment of the tune, especially in Bill's introduction. Beautiful delicious tone !
Ilkka Kuusisto, who was Bill's host, is a composer, which most likely explains why the piano was in tune, and why we have this great house concert video !
jennifer86010 thanks for your in depth analysis. you left out the emotion emoted by the players. this is a great composition and performed at the highest level. roc
jennifer86010
strange what are you talking about... :D interesting really.. I assume you are not jazz pianist cause usually what interest you are far away from what actually is of jazz pianist's concern :D
Bosendorfers are superb pianos: Good enough for Victor Borge, then I guess good enough for anyone.@vytautas Straizys, Instruments are very important to musicians. If jennifer86010 is familiar with Bosendorfer pianos and has enough of an ear to describe the sound they produce, my guess is that she's not only a musician, but a very accomplished one as well.
Wonderful addition to the online Bill Evans treasures.
What type of venue is this? It almost looks like a very spacious private apartment.
Everything in this scene is impressive: the people, the musicians, the incredible landscape seen through the windows, and of course, Bill Evans' music."
Wow!
I heard Bill Evans in a little club in Montreal about 40 years ago, with Eddie Gomez on bass. Evans is the most unbelievable jazz pianist I've ever seen live. Ridiculously cool and smooth and sophisticated. I consider myself very lucky to have heard this genius. Whenever I hear him I am reminded of this beautiful soul and the happiness he gave to so many. Thank you Bill Evans.
I was there….He is still a great musician, an eternal memory.
this is one of these bill Evans recordings where i have to cry because its so beautiful
What are others
In the intro, it is obvious in his tonal nuances just how much Bill Evans seems to enjoy the piano available to him here. Contrast that with his wrestling with inferior instruments on some gigs. I keep wondering how this venue in a private home in Helsinki came about. There has to be an interesting story there.
Regarding your comments about Bill Evans playing at the house concert in Helsinki, I'm not sure if this is a shortened version of the concert video I watched, but people were asking him to play more and socialize, and he didn't want any part of it, telling the folks they had to go to another gig. The look on Eddy's and Marty's faces indicated they had no gig to go to, but Bill wasn't in a mood to play more or socialize. He wasn't very social, especially after his bouts with drugs.
Just watched an interview of Ilkka Kuusisto (the host) about the subject, and he said the idea was conceived by Brita Helenius, who was working as a producer for the "theater and entertainment" department of YLE (Finland's national public broadcasting company). After Evans agreed to be filmed and to even say a few words to the camera, YLE needed a place for the occasion. Turns out that Kuusisto, a long-time jazz enthusiast and also working for YLE at the time, had a large enough living room to fit all the recording equipment and a small audience of jazz enthusiasts in. Another reason for why his living room was designated for this was that he had a relatively new Bösendorfer grand at his place, which they thought Bill would probably really enjoy playing - that turned out to indeed be the case. As to how Helenius actually made all of this happen, information is scarce.
Finnish source: yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2013/04/17/jazzlegenda-bill-evans-vierasti-musiikkinsa-liikaa-pohtimista
elmer Thank you. Was wondering how this came to happen..
elmer watched it. Great interview.
I wonder if this living room still exists. Would love to watch how is it doing nowadays
02:52 that crushing realisation that life will simply never ever get any better than this.
Look at Bill, he looks so devastate, and at the same time giving all that he has inside... it comes from his heart. So melodic, so innocent and so powerful at the same time.
With his head hanging, looking straight down at the keyboard. He does look devastated, but who knows?
The music is so mellow... maybe that is the reason for Bill looking sad. However, most great composer have a life full of complications, etc. But at the end, those composer get redeem himself with his/her music
... maybe he's engrossed in the craft. Surely he's feeling chipper on the inside playing a tune such as this? I'm going to guage his mood via the audio that he, Marty and Eddie deliver.
... maybe he's engrossed in the craft. Surely he's feeling chipper on the inside playing a tune such as this? I'm going to guage his mood via the audio that he, Marty and Eddie deliver.
Salvador J. Seda Why being sad? It’s just the nature of it. If he didn’t explore there isn’t beauty.
Thanks Bill...
I haven’t learned about any theories about Jazz but I know that I really love it.
From Japan
I expected from channel Mochi Vlogs any Vlogs xD I am disapointed
Ok
How could you not like/love this. This is what music is all about
Man I'd give my left foot to have a bassist like that.
Preach on - there's a reason that Oscar Peterson worked with 2 bass players for the vast majority of his career - Ray Brown and NHOP. I know Bill was heartbroken when Scott LaFaro died in a car crash - he was so fortunate to find two great bass players like Chuck Israel and Eddie Gomez. When you get a bass player that doesn't have to be told where to find the groove but can fit in the flow - it's priceless
As someone who plays guitar and upright, I'm super finnicky about what I like in a bass player. Obviously I don't expect them to play what I necessarily would, nor would I want them to unless I gave them a written line, but when a bass player encapsulates the general feeling I hear in my head, it's like magic
Not only a great performance, but what a great recording: clean, balanced, musical!
Marty makes drum playing look so easy. It almost looked like his beating some eggs on a bowl with the most calm and chill demeanor. Love it!
How many times have I watched this?
Raheen Henry You couldn't have watched it more than I have. Perfection!
my goodness I wanna dance!
Maybe.
Twice?
not enough
9999 times?
A few years ago, my piano teacher showed me this song and immediately fell in love with this piece. Originally, she showed me this song becuase my name is Emily. I haven't played this song in a while but I randomly remembered it while I was trying to fall asleep.
Good for you
What an excellent intro. He plays the tune in A one time before modulating back to G. Only Bill can play so effortlessly in whatever key he wants.
Well, that's not true. Plenty of musicians can do that. But Bill Evans did have a very unique sound and touch. He is beyond musical craft, he is a true artist.
The introduction is really profound. I never know who can interprete such amazing harmony like him in the world. I felt obsess in this Emily version right now. I really feel thanks to Bill Evans for making such wonderful harmony to make the world beautiful and alive.
Such a genius,
I'm so grateful that I got to play for Bill Evans.
He was very kind and really took an interest in what I was doing
on the guitar. He asked if I wanted to play during intermission
but I was too young and scared, but I'll never forget those moments.
You were one of the truly lucky ones.
Nobody moves me like Bill. More than anyone, he bared his soul in his music.
He leaves me stone cold. Contrived, calculated - he plays to the head, not the heart. I'll take Erroll Garner any day. At least he seems to be enjoying what he's doing. Bill appears to be in perpetual misery. I can't stand him.
I don't know about the guy's soul but he definitely was a superb technician and a brilliant improvisational musician. Lucky for all of us Bill, the cafes, and the record companies were able to ignore the racism among musicians like Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane (yeah, "that" Coltrane), Sun Ra, and many other blacks prevalent in New York at the time.
Dediqué esta canción a mi primer verdadero amor.
Ya ha pasado más de un año de que no sé nada de ella, espero se encuentre bien y siga encantándose y brillando con sus fotografías , aprendí mucho de ella, y aprendí mucho de mí gracias a ella, pero por ahora sólo queda recordar el brillo que algún día sentí cuando escuchaba esta canción camino a vernos por segunda vez y me recordaba lo afortunado que era de poder coincidir con una persona como ella.
Un Pianista Único, sin molde.
Tenía la magia de penetrar nuestras mentes haciendo de su sentimiento el sentir propio.
SOBERBIAMENTE PRODIGIOSO!!!!
It’s very pleasant to feel as if you’re watching a jazz trio perform in someone’s living room, and here, of course, it’s not just a jazz trio; it’s the legendary Bill Evans with the great Eddie Gomez and the superb Marty Morell. Lovely.
Don't think the audience know how lucky they are
dobbsa it seems like a very awkward gig for the band.
dobbsa No they're just introverted because they're Finnish. They are and where ahead of the curve. Those are enthused Finns. I've always thought this was actually quite a special gig. To film and record well a private performance like this cost someone an arm and a leg in 1969. The piano is tuned and fine etc. This was the well conceived product of great artistic respect for Bill Evans. He was truly an object of reverence among hip Europeans.
They do
Au contraire, I definitely think they do. The host was the most famous symphonic conductor in Finlandia, his son was a noted jazz pianist, and I'm pretty sure the audience was a select and musically highly educated group.
dobbsa My thought was the opposite: I think they are very aware. Its a recording session, not a private performance. Love the detail captured with Eddie Gomez. Incredible video. Thank You.
This is one of the best TV performance of Bill. May be his best performance.
Bill Evans had a light, lyrical touch that was so beautiful, it made it seem like you could hear the gates of heaven. But like so many tragic artists, he died way too young 😢
Rest In Peace Bill Evans 🙏🏾🎹
The synergy in this trio is unbelievable! Iconic performance from three masters.
Such a cool atmosphere, it feels almost like a scene from some european art house film, but it really happened! Honestly I am flabbergasted how cool everyone and everything is. For a small public broadcasting company YLE did a marvelous job producing and filming this Bill Evans trio living room concert.
Loved this composer. He used the most collaborative of musicians wisely. Eddie Gomez is outstanding in his ability interpret style and nuance in everyone he worked with but maintaining the integrity of the bass in all aspects!!
Удивительная харизма, он может просто сидеть и молчать, его руки притягивают, его голос завораживает, его музыка чарует. Да, сейчас очень много талантливых пианистов, но в них нет обаяния, чувственности, нежности и в тоже время мужественности, у них отсутствуют не сочетаемые понятия, от этого они просто ремесленники, а Эванс-это гений.
All I can say is "Beautiful", I think Bill Evans was the Chopin of Jazz. Gentle and beautiful in some parts and aggressive and dark in others. Too bad the ride cymbal was so loud in this recording. Amazing, I dont ever get tired of listening to these giants. I feel content and grateful that I was able to hear such beautiful sounds in my life time. Bill Evans, Keith Jarret, Oscar Peterson, Incredible masterful minds.
RIP Johnny Mandel. Thank you for sharing your gift of incredible composition with us with us. Thank you Bill for interpreting it with purely inspired excellence.
I've been listening to Bill for 41 years, starting when I was a sophomore in college. I have a daughter named Emily, and this song played a part in my naming her. His playing is so lyrical, like a Keats or a Chopin. I listen to him almost every day of my life. Thanks for this great video!
Magical music, the black and white film suits it perfectly .... such class. Beautiful.
Antoin Kiely p
Every song he puts his hands on is the most beautiful version of it I've ever heard. Amazing even this many years later...
What can one say that hasn't been said! Evans was such a wonderful, fabulous musician. I love this song, too The other musicians are outstanding, as well
My fave band ..I am russian fan Bill Evans /Thank you English World for all beauty !
One of my favorite covers of this tune. Thanks to Bill Evans and co. Beauty and hints of sadness all rolled into one.
Powerful on all levels. Truly an inspired performance. Three giants jamming in a living room. Wonderful stuff.
Im coming here every now and then. Almost once a week. sigh. The memories
We always enjoy listening to Bill Evans. this is a wonderful cut. Thak you for sharing it!
He’s such a phenomenal pianist, this song is so good I started clapping after it finished.
Simply marvelous. Surprised at no spontaneous applause at the conclusion, but perhaps they were stunned at the beauty of the performance.
Sadly, it's not unusual for lovely musical moments like this to occur in the presence of very small audiences, late at night. I've witnessed many from another piano master of beauty, Barry Harris.
The Finnish composer Ilkka Kuusisto - whose house is being utilised for this recording - and guests would have been aware of this being recorded, there would have been applause at the end, certainly.
honestly. best bill evens recording. it just sounds so pure. i love it
To experience this live inside that room was surely a blessing for those who were there.
Amazing what three very talented musicians can produce.
Such a romantic and meaningful performance.
4:45 All these people being suddenly reminded of someone they deeply loved, who is no longer in their life. What an intimate masterpiece.
God, what a treasure this video is. Thank you symbolkid.
Yes, the atmosphere in this is just unearthly cool.
Another example of Bill being the most influential piano player in the last 60 plus years.
1969….when the world was a wonderful place to be…especially for music.
Yes
Definitely not for everyone, but you are right that GOOD music had a better standing in society back then than it does now.
@: Very true… definitely not a great time for those in our military. 🫤
rip johnny mandel , who wrote this song, and many others.
..an incredible and historic record of a small fragment of magic from Bill and his musical brothers, amazing
true that
This is the best in Emily live
I love that this was all in someone’s living room
It's an honour to hear the great master Bill Evans playing!
Words cannot express such beauty.
Oh how I wish I could have been there to listen live to this wonderful music!
Wow what a trio. Eddie Gomez nails it. Such a great sound. Compliments and grooves with Bill Evans all the way.
This is beyond beautiful. Bill also played, to great effect, on Kind of Blue.
at one point i hear the piano and i hear a whistle, gives me good goosebumps❤forever will love Bill evans Music!
Its been 2 years but i still come back to bill’s music, its so good
Bill Evans what an extraordinary talent , heard his music back in ‘69 when I was very young , fell in love with him and his music , talent as big as the universe, he had problems tried all his life to conquer them but in the end , well let’s just say he left a legacy of compositions of beautiful, great jazz music that will live on , it has to , Bill was a legend and legends never die!
BILL EVANS AND HIS TRIO ARE WONDERFUL. BILL WAS A GREAT PIANIST. HE LEFT THIS WORLD TOO SOON AND TOOK HIS GREAT MUSIC WITH HIM. SYLVIA - FL 1/25/2020
Always love this tune more...and more ! My legacy ! Greetings from Jazz man Kuala Lumpur.
Last time I had musicians like this in my living room...well...I can’t remember 😂. Very valuable recording of this wonderful trio. Amazing quality.
人々が聴き入ってるのがまたオシャレ
日本人いた！良かった！
Best performance I could find of this song. Absolutely incredible.
Wow, unbetterable (...not a word, I know...): another incredible example of musicianship...
Special! Timeless! Inspiring! And absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
Oh wow that bass solo! Sounded great and bill and Marty’s accompaniment to it was spot on too
one and will always be one of my favorite Bill Evans pieces. The way that the piano flows from chord to chord, Note to note is beautiful. The trio captures this piece so beautifully it not even funny. It's amazing that it can go from classical to jazz and then classical all by Bill Evans hands is literally bizarre. Bill, Eddie, AND Marty are one of the best trios I've heard other than the miles Davis trio and quintet. This video brings the connection between the old style and the beautiful music goes hand and hand.
None better, a seminal figure. After Bill Evans you could and can hear him in virtually every pianist playing ballads. Eddie and Marty are beyond good, here.
This is, of course, superb. An all time favorite.
As a side thought, I wonder if Bill ever saw a chiropractor.
+1122redbird
Chiropractors don't treat heroin addiction. His problems were not in his bones. With the passing years Bill's greatness only increases. This trio at its best was nonpareil.
+Peter J. Andros
P.S. What Bill needed was a dentist.
and rehab, and medication, and..., the list can go on forever. So sad.
@@peterj.andros3996 Relax. It was a joke about how his neck is hunched over the piano as he plays. Come on, man.
:_)
Wow, there ain't enough words that can describe how beautiful this tune is.
The fact that Bill Evans is such a master at taking you on a journey with his music like no other. The picture or stories that he tells, it is beautiful.
RIP Bill, you truly are a legend 😊
I just Love the feeling that this song gives - especially the intro!
Immediately from the first notes played, what a great artist!!!!
I got a book of bill evan's interpretations. It gives me shivers that i played (of course no where near as well) the same notes that bill did. He is THE master.
Increíble ése trío,sin duda atemporal y emocionante,en mi humilde opinión Bill Evans en éste tema acompaña increíblemente,en su introducción la delicadeza es muy bella.
Gracias,H.K 🌹
Best pianist ever!Brings you in to the music and never lets you out!Totally absorbs you!
I really like this Video. I've seen its 10 times. A great place and time with Bill Evens and his music.
I’d like to say thank you to my friend in Aberdeen ( Scotland ) for opening a door into this other world for me . Now I know what my overly large ears are for . Thanks mum and dad .
as a bass player, i straight up don't understand how eddie gomez plays some of those super fast licks. wtf.
i have kind of slept on gomez as a shreddy brah, but he plays beautiful melodies. great video.
sam ferguson Right? I've never heard a double bass played like that. I don't even know many people who can play bass guitar that fast.
sam ferguson practice more and you will understand how he does it
Im going to a performance of his tomorrow! :) he's an amazing bass player!
Not only is he an amazing player, but Gomez is a really nice person. I feel like his personality comes through in his playing.
he got his 10,000 hours in
What a bear the first half of 2020 has been.
Music such as this will get us all through these tough times.
Be well.
涙を禁じ得ない感動が込み上げます。
1:32 bassist gives a booster to the whole tune.