Study the Great Jazz Pianist, Bill Evans

Now updated with sheet music, audio examples, two full song transcriptions, and an extended listening guide. Scroll through the article to find these web-only goodies!

Bill Evans’ huge impact on jazz is no mystery. Since the release of Kind of Blue, his widespread influence and ground breaking contributions to jazz include the expansion of the piano trio concept, early modal explorations, and his unique approach to voicing, touch, and comping. His thoughtful and articulate philosophies of improvised music are themselves still inspiring, too.

Yellowjackets keyboardist and composer, Russell Ferrante, tries to steer aspiring musicians away from simply playing transcriptions note-for-note. “Don’t just copy Bill Evans,” he says. “Find the underlying principle of his ideas and make it your own. What scale is used? Is there a particular skip in the melody from the transcription worth exploring? Get past exact replication or learning by rote, or you may get locked in. You can use the principles you discover as keys to unlock what made it sound good to you in the first place. Are there other voicings of chords, scales, or grooves where you can apply the idea?

“It’s like knowing a math formula,” he continues. “You can just plug in the numbers and it works. But if you don’t understand the principle behind it, something is missing. Why not find your own formula?”

Bill Evans had his own thoughts about innovation, which he shared with John Mehegan in a 1965 interview for Jazz magazine. “I have learned from everybody in the sense that when I heard something that I liked, I was first of all inspired by the feeling,” he said. “And then I would try to find some way to organize the reason for what had happened in such a way as to apply it to my own thinking. In other words, my ideas were built on a body of principles extracted from other peoples’ ideas.”

When you listen to Bill Evans play, whether as soloist, a sideman on Kind of Blue, or in his groundbreaking trio settings, it’s his unique voice you recognize. How can you absorb external influences and still maintain the integrity of self-expression? What steps can you take to find your own voice?

So What?

Let’s look at Kind of Blue to find something to inspire or challenge your conceptual framework. Any new sound you hear, anything that attracts your attention or moves you in some emotional way, is worth exploring. Let’s use the famous “So What” chords to create an exercise that will get you thoroughly familiar with the feel and shape of this rootless structure. See page 46 in the March 2009 issue, or click here, for a breakdown of the chords, if they’re not already under your fingers. For simplicity’s sake, limit this exercise to the top four voices, which make a G major triad over an A bass note. Once you become familiar with the shape and can move it around over different patterns, try this same exercise as the original five-voice chord with the added fourth interval below the A. Give Examples 1a and 1b a try now, and see if this kind of approach might lead you in still other directions.

[Click on thumbnails below for larger images. -Ed.]

Ex. 1a:   Ex. 1b:

Click here for audio of Example 1.

Are your fingers fond of the “So What” chord now? Let’s add another of Bill Evans’ skills — voice leading — into the mix and see where that takes us. Example 2 takes the “So What” chords and turns them into a simple yet beautiful ii-V-I cadence by adding the simplest bit of chromatic voice leading. Now instead of two modal voicings, you’ve got a ii-V in D complete with an A7, followed by the same in C — without roots, of course. Note that the original structure (three fourths with a third on top) is reversed in the final chord (third under same three fourths on top). Can you imagine other ways to recast and exploit these two chord shapes? Here they are in a voice-led cadence in C. Play this exercise using other starting chords from Example 1, and resolve to other key centers.

Ex. 2:

Click here for audio of Example 2.

Bill Evans achieved his sonorous voicings partly, as you’ve seen, by omitting roots. Miles Davis considered him as one of a few pianists who didn’t only play the chord, but played a sound. Herbie Hancock attributes hearing the modal concepts of Evans’ solo on “So What” as a turning point in his own approach. Chick Corea heralds him as one of his main inspirations and acknowledges Evans’ great musicianship as a factor in his own musical development. Another great player who is under the sway of Bill Evans is Russell Ferrante. As with Herbie and Chick, Russ influences many players himself.

Saxophonist and composer Bob Mintzer once described Russ’s voicings to me as huge-sounding as a result of his adherence to the principle of non-doubling. In other words, you can achieve a big, clear sound with fewer well-chosen notes, as opposed to doubling the root, fifth, or other primary guide tones. Guess who else lived by this principle? Right. Bill Evans. In Example 3, Russ shows how you can combine this idea with the concept of simple voice leading to create a very beautiful and unusual ii-V-I cadence. The first voicing is a drop 3 Fmaj7 that functions as a rootless voicing of Dmin9. Plus, points out Russ, “the fifth is in the bass of the ii and I chords with b9 in the bass of the V chord.”

Ex. 3:

Click here for audio of Example 3.

Now let’s crank it up a bit. Example 4 takes the ideas in Example 3, but now in the right hand, Russ makes the voice leading go up instead of down and adds chord tone movement that makes the whole thing sound downright melodic. Is there another way to move this voice leading smoothly? How about descending diatonically, chromatically, or in thirds?

Ex. 4:

Click here for audio of Example 4.

Goodchord for Good Tunes

Mick Goodrick’s Mr. Goodchord material has been featured in Keyboard in the past (Sept. ’03, Jan. ’04). It offers a framework that musicians can use to explore voice leading through progressions that cover just about every imaginable potential combination of chords. Russell Ferrante could be considered a devotee of the Mr. Goodchord method, but what he comes up with blows everyone away, most of all Mr. Goodchord himself! In Example 5, Russ has taken one of the progressions and initial chord voicings from the Goodchord material (Cycle No. 4), and added his own melodic twists to the voice leading. “There’s a rule governing each voice in Cycle No. 4,” he says. “The root holds to become the fifth of the next chord, another root moves down stepwise to become the third of the next chord, the third becomes the root of the next chord through a descending diatonic neighbor tone, followed by an ascending diatonic indirect approach up a third. Finally, the fifth becomes the doubled root of the next chord through a descending diatonic neighbor tone followed by a descending diatonic indirect approach down a second.” Sounds a bit complex; let’s just play Example 5 to see what he means.

Ex. 5: 

Click here for audio of Example 5.

Exercises are great, but as Bill was, so Russ is all about music. Example 6 is an excerpt of Russ’s lefthand accompaniment to “Stella By Starlight.” This progression is a bit different from the Circle of Fifths progression in Example 5. “On the first chord, Emin7b5,” explains Russ, “the Bb does the fifth movement that becomes the root of the next chord, and the root (E) moves down stepwise to become the third of the next chord (A7). Then, moving to Cmin7, you can alternately decide that the third and the root of Eb (notes G and Eb) are the fifth and minor third of Cmin or that the fifth and root of Eb (notes Bb and Eb) are the minor seventh and minor third of Cmin.”

Ex. 6: 

Click here for audio of Example 6.

It’s easier played than described, but take the time to understand this process. Look at each voice in Exercise 5 and see how it moves. Follow the same process for both voices in Example 6. Russ says there’s a choice you can make at the end of every bar; his solution shows just one option and the subsequent voice-leading outcome. Try the other choices and see where they lead.

After you work with Russ’s “Stella” exercise enough to get comfortable with the concept of choosing and controlling two voices beneath a melody, try some variations on the song’s forms. For example, how would you change the voice leading if the chords in measure 6 were Dmin7 for the first two beats and Bbmin7 to Eb7 on the last two beats? What if measure 9 was a G7aug? Does the tonic diminished chord (Bbdim7) in measure 12 alter the melody?

There’s No Harm In Reharm

Another technique that Bill Evans used to create his own voice was reharmonization. He was particularly adept at it, able to create alterations to a tune’s original harmony in short order, often in the studio just before recording a tune. His reharmonizations are so beautiful that when playing standards that Bill performed often and recorded, most musicians use his changes, rather than the original ones.

One of my favorite Bill Evans reharms is of “Spring Is Here,” which you can hear on The Last Waltz. Toward the end of each A-section, the melody uses a very simple ascending scale to open the melody that originally is harmonized by a single chord per bar. Evans’ penchant for a more fully harmonized melody line is evident in the way he fills up the space between the more sparse original changes. In other words, he puts a new chord on every beat. Check out Example 7 for a taste of how Bill would approach reharmonization. Click here to hear an excerpt of the original "Spring is Here."

Ex. 7:

Example 8 shows my reharmonization of the same tune. I utilize a series of alternating chord types, mostly hybrids and polychords. Bear in mind, the target chords after the sections are not shown here, but are a defining factor in my choices. Hopefully, you will find something you like that helps you create some ideas of your own.

Ex. 8: 

Click here for audio of Example 8. 

Click here to hear this full-length reharmonization as worked out by Russ Ferrante, Ruslan Sirota, and myself.

Click this link for full sheet music: Spring Is Here Reharm full PDF

Waltz for Bill

After I began seriously looking into the music of Bill Evans, I wrote an homage to my father (a huge Bill Evans fan himself) that attempts to incorporate several of the techniques found in Evans’ compositions. Specifically, I employed his unique treatment of three-tonic systems, his ability to shift seamlessly in and out of keys through deceptive cadence, direct modulation and temporary tonicization, the dramatic effect he creates with bass-note pedals, the implication of inner voice motion in his chord symbols, and his masterful skill with melodic motive development (in both his writing and soloing) — as well as the techniques we’ve been working on in this article! Example 9 shows a small excerpt of Russell’s performance of it (also available online), in which he employs the techniques we’ve worked on in this article. His interpretation is quite moving and beautiful as he chose to play it as a slow waltz, an idea that altered my view of the tune completely. Thanks, Russ!

Ex. 9: 

Click here for audio of Example 9.

Click here for a full-length MP3 of "Waltz for Bill" played by Russ Ferrante.

Click this link for full sheet music: Waltz for Bill full PDF 

Whenever I think of Bill Evans in that classic pose, hunched over the keyboard intent on hearing every nuance and possibility, I am reminded to continue listening more deeply. When you listen closely, you begin to understand what moves yourself emotionally. Healthy musical development depends on your ability to follow your instincts and come to more fully understand the sounds you like.

Just as Kind of Blue set countless pianists on their own journey of discovery 50 years ago, you can start your own journey right now.

Work with Mr. Goodchord!
Want to dig deep into the Mr. Goodchord material? Spend a week working with guitarists Mick Goodrick and Mitch Haupers this June at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. For more info, call Mitch at 866-869-5323 or email him at mitch [at] mrgoodchord dot com. 

Essential Listening (expanded web edition)

To wrap your ears around some great approaches to the topics we cover in this article, check out these recordings.

BILL EVANS/JIM HALL Undercurrent (Blue Note)—A landmark recording for two reasons: the benchmark for guitarist/pianist collaborations, a lesson in successful harmonic cohabitation; fist recording for Evans since the tragic death of trio bassist and close friend, Scott LeFaro; truly inspired duet playing. Highlighted track: My Funny Valentine.

BILL EVANS TRIO The Last Waltz (Milestone)—The final recordings of the Bill Evans trio from an eight-night run at Keystone Korner in San Francisco, one week before Bill Evans died; inspired trio playing and another chance to listen to subtle variations in same tunes from set to set. Highlighted track: Spring is Here.

BILL EVANS Alone (Verve)—While Evans may not have considered himself a true solo pianist, his solo records beg to differ. What difference do you hear between his voicing choices with trio and in his solo playing…listen closely. Highlighted track: Never Let Me Go.

 ELIANE ELIAS Something For You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans (Blue Note)—Eliane Elias teams up with husband/bassist, Marc Johnson, on this elegiac exploration of the music of Bill Evans. Includes Evans originals and some favorite standards. Great example of how an accomplished musician can play the works of a master without losing her identity in the process; a chance to hear voicings in solo, trio and vocal accompaniment on the same record! Highlighted tracks: But Not For Me, Waltz For Debby.

MARC JOHNSON The Sound of Summer Running (Verve)—In my Harmonic Ear Training classes, students were asked to transcribe voicings from both pianists and guitarists, which for many is a difficult task. This is a great source recording as both Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny combine with bassist Marc Johnson on a variety of musical styles…a little bit of country, swing and beautiful ballads. A great piece of musical Americana! Highlighted tracks: Porch Swing, Dingy-Dong Day (insane modulating triads).

Yellowjackets Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration (Yellowjackets Enterprises)—Of all the jazz Christmas music records out there, hearing these familiar tunes “Jacket-ized” by this superb quartet provides an excellent opportunity to check out voicings and great reharm. Highlighted tracks: Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Yellowjackets Blue Hats (Warner Brothers)—Truly inspired collaboration, the height of quartet playing. Russ Ferrante’s voicing prowess is evident on every track. Check out the quartal voicing nod to McCoy Tyner and great piano solo on Coal Minor Blues. Ferrante’s comping in support of Jimmy Haslip’s great bass solo on With These Hands is a lesson in sensitivity, counter melody and thematic development. Saxophonist Bob Mintzer’s Prayer for Peace is a beautiful and stirring medium-tempo ballad; Ferrante’s solo, comping and voicing choices shine once again. A solid recording, one of my all-time top ten. Highlighted tracks: Capetown and With These Hands.

Yellowjackets Club Nocturne (Warner Brothers)—Features a lesser-known role for Yellowjackets as vocal accompanists. They are superb, sough-after collaborators by many great jazz singers, from Bobby McFerrin and Al Jarreau to Anita Baker and Kurt Elling for their world-class ability to support and make singers the feature. Ferrante’s contrapuntal composition, Stick-To-It-Ive-Ness, is a lesson in great keyboard writing and playing. Highlighted vocal and instrumental tracks: Spirit of the West, Stick-To-It-Ive-Ness, Even the Pain and Love and Paris Rain.

Yellowjackets Altered State (HeadsUp)—I was blessed to witness the unfolding of this recording’s compositions and process in the studio. Along with addition of drummer Marcus Baylor, this newest version of the veteran quartet offers a look into an ever-widening scope of musical influences. Jean Baylor offers lyrics and sings with the band on The Hope along with legendary background singers, The Perry Sisters. Try transcribing their voicings for some great ear training! Highlighted tracks: Suite 15, 57 Chevy and The Hope.

Mick Goodrick In Pas(s)ing (ECM)—I am biased, of course, but I truly believe Mick Goodrick is among the most introspective and forward-thinking harmonic guitar players out there. This recording changed my life. He showed up to the session with former Bill Evans collaborators, Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette with mostly harmonic sketches (a la Kind of Blue) for this, his first record as leader. The subtleties and nuances of color between Goodrick and the bass clarinet of John Surman is must-hear for any serious guitarist looking to advance his harmonic concept. Once you hear it, you’ll understand why he’s been dubbed, Mr. Goodchord! Highlighted tracks: Feebles, Fables and Ferns, Pedalpusher and Summer Band Camp.

Mick Goodrick Biorhythms (CMP)—Another impressive outing as leader, guitar guru Mick Goodrick pushes the envelope with new voicings that explore adventurous harmonic territory. The two tributes, on this record with longtime collaborating drummer, Gary Chaffee and bassist Harvie S., are worth the effort of hunting down this hard-to-find recording. Highlighted tracks: Not Soon Forgotten (for Emily Remler) and In Praise of Bass Desires for Goodrick’s brief subbing stint with the Marc Johnson quartet featuring Bill Frisell, John Scofield and Peter Erskine.

Mick Goodrick Quartet Sunscreams (RAM)—Along with the hard-to-locate Rare Birds duet recording with fellow guitarist Joe Diorio, this is another RAM Records release worth tracking down. Sunscreams is Mick Goodrick’s quartet with saxman Jerry Bergonzi that boasts one of the all-time classic renditions of Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet Way. Listeners also get the opportunity to compare an alternate take of I Hear a Rhapsody released by the quartet, unlike the posthumous release of alternate takes on Bill Evans records that the pianist would never have released according to collaborator/drummer, Paul Motian. Highlighted tracks: In Your Own Sweet Way, I Hear a Rhapsody and Spring is Here.