Bill Evans

Bill Evans

cool jazz, modal jazz, post-bop

United States

"Bill Evans’s music features gentle phrases that weave through intricate harmonies while employing a graceful restraint that encourages lingering contemplation."

Quick Start

A good place to start with Bill Evans is…

We Will Meet Again

We Will Meet Again

1979

Bill Evans matters because he reshaped the landscape of jazz piano, infusing it with an introspective sensibility that challenged the conventions of his time.
Bill Evans matters because he reshaped the landscape of jazz piano, infusing it with an introspective sensibility that challenged the conventions of his time. His nuanced touch and deliberate phrasing opened new pathways for expression, encouraging listeners to engage with the subtleties of melody and harmony rather than relying on sheer technical prowess. Evans's influence is felt not only in the jazz realm but also in the broader musical discourse, where emotional complexity and vulnerability became essential elements of performance. His approach to improvisation is marked by a conversational interplay between melodies, often involving intricate voicings and rich harmonic explorations. This innovation allowed him to create intimate soundscapes, as he frequently employed modal techniques that shifted focus away from traditional chord progressions. By placing emphasis on lyrical beauty over virtuosic display, Evans cultivated an atmosphere where silence and space were just as crucial as the notes played. Lyrical themes in Evans's work often reflect a deep sense of longing, introspection, and human connection, conveyed through a voice that feels both sincere and contemplative. His storytelling unfolds through impressionistic imagery, creating emotional resonance without overt dramatics. The tone fluctuates between delicate melancholy and serene optimism, inviting listeners into a reflective space.

Full discography

Bill Evans's albums in order, from earliest releases to latest.

85 releases 85 albums 1957–2024
Type:

Albums ()

The Legendary Trio at Birdland 1960 Revisited album by Bill Evans

The Legendary Trio at Birdland 1960 Revisited

2024

Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark Jazzalbum von Bill Evans. album by Bill Evans

Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark Jazzalbum von Bill Evans.

2023

Behind the Dikes – The 1969 Netherlands Recordings album by Bill Evans

Behind the Dikes – The 1969 Netherlands Recordings

2021

Evans in England: Live at Ronnie Scott’s album by Bill Evans

Evans in England: Live at Ronnie Scott’s

2019

Another Time: The Hilversum Concert album by Bill Evans

Another Time: The Hilversum Concert

2017

Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest album by Bill Evans

Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest

2016

Momentum album by Bill Evans

Momentum

2012

Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate album by Bill Evans

Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate

2012

Live at Lulu White's album by Bill Evans

Live at Lulu White's

2010

The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 album by Bill Evans

The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961

2005

Getting Sentimental album by Bill Evans

Getting Sentimental

2003

Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2 album by Bill Evans

Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2

2002

From the 70's album by Bill Evans

From the 70's

2002

Tenderly : An Informal Session album by Bill Evans

Tenderly : An Informal Session

2001

Homecoming album by Bill Evans

Homecoming

1999

Time Remembered album by Bill Evans

Time Remembered

1999

Piano Player album by Bill Evans

Piano Player

1998

But Beautiful album by Bill Evans

But Beautiful

1996

Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings album by Bill Evans

Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings

1996

Turn Out the Stars album by Bill Evans

Turn Out the Stars

1994

The Solo Sessions, Vol. 2 album by Bill Evans

The Solo Sessions, Vol. 2

1992

Blue in Green: The Concert in Canada album by Bill Evans

Blue in Green: The Concert in Canada

1991

The Solo Sessions, Vol. 1 album by Bill Evans

The Solo Sessions, Vol. 1

1989

Time Remembered album by Bill Evans

Time Remembered

1983

The Paris Concert: Edition One album by Bill Evans

The Paris Concert: Edition One

1983

California Here I Come album by Bill Evans

California Here I Come

1982

Loose Blues album by Bill Evans

Loose Blues

1982

New Jazz Conceptions album by Bill Evans

New Jazz Conceptions

1982

Re: Person I Knew album by Bill Evans

Re: Person I Knew

1981

In His Own Way album by Bill Evans

In His Own Way

1980

We Will Meet Again album by Bill Evans

We Will Meet Again

1979

Affinity album by Bill Evans

Affinity

1979

New Conversations album by Bill Evans

New Conversations

1978

Alone (Again) album by Bill Evans

Alone (Again)

1977

You Must Believe in Spring album by Bill Evans

You Must Believe in Spring

1977

I Will Say Goodbye album by Bill Evans

I Will Say Goodbye

1977

Crosscurrents album by Bill Evans

Crosscurrents

1977

The Second Trio album by Bill Evans

The Second Trio

1977

Quintessence album by Bill Evans

Quintessence

1976

Together Again album by Bill Evans

Together Again

1976

On Green Dolphin Street album by Bill Evans

On Green Dolphin Street

1975

Montreux III album by Bill Evans

Montreux III

1975

Eloquence album by Bill Evans

Eloquence

1975

The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album album by Bill Evans

The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album

1975

Symbiosis album by Bill Evans

Symbiosis

1974

Intuition album by Bill Evans

Intuition

1974

Stan Getz & Bill Evans album by Bill Evans

Stan Getz & Bill Evans

1973

Living Time album by Bill Evans

Living Time

1972

The Bill Evans Album album by Bill Evans

The Bill Evans Album

1971

From Left to Right album by Bill Evans

From Left to Right

1971

Ultimate Bill Evans album by Bill Evans

Ultimate Bill Evans

1998

Live in Buenos Aires 1979 album by Bill Evans

Live in Buenos Aires 1979

1990

Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival album by Bill Evans

Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival

1968

Alone album by Bill Evans

Alone

1970

Quiet Now album by Bill Evans

Quiet Now

1970

The Tokyo Concert album by Bill Evans

The Tokyo Concert

You're Gonna Hear from Me album by Bill Evans

You're Gonna Hear from Me

Bill Evans at Town Hall album by Bill Evans

Bill Evans at Town Hall

Autumn Leaves album by Bill Evans

Autumn Leaves

The Paris Concert: Edition Two album by Bill Evans

The Paris Concert: Edition Two

At Shelly's Manne-Hole album by Bill Evans

At Shelly's Manne-Hole

Letter to Evan album by Bill Evans

Letter to Evan

Jazzhouse album by Bill Evans

Jazzhouse

Half Moon Bay album by Bill Evans

Half Moon Bay

Montreux II album by Bill Evans

Montreux II

1970

Trio Live album by Bill Evans

Trio Live

The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings album by Bill Evans

The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings

What's New album by Bill Evans

What's New

1969

Further Conversations with Myself album by Bill Evans

Further Conversations with Myself

1967

A Simple Matter of Conviction album by Bill Evans

A Simple Matter of Conviction

1966

Intermodulation album by Bill Evans

Intermodulation

1966

Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra album by Bill Evans

Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra

1966

Trio '65 album by Bill Evans

Trio '65

1965

Trio 64 album by Bill Evans

Trio 64

1964

The Gary McFarland Orchestra album by Bill Evans

The Gary McFarland Orchestra

1963

Conversations with Myself album by Bill Evans

Conversations with Myself

1963

Empathy album by Bill Evans

Empathy

1963

Plays the Theme from The V.I.P.s and Other Great Songs album by Bill Evans

Plays the Theme from The V.I.P.s and Other Great Songs

1963

Theme from the V.I.P.s album by Bill Evans

Theme from the V.I.P.s

1963

Undercurrent album by Bill Evans

Undercurrent

1962

Interplay album by Bill Evans

Interplay

1962

The Ivory Hunters album by Bill Evans

The Ivory Hunters

1959

Everybody Digs Bill Evans album by Bill Evans

Everybody Digs Bill Evans

1959

Portrait in Jazz album by Bill Evans

Portrait in Jazz

1959

New Jazz Conceptions album by Bill Evans

New Jazz Conceptions

1957

No releases match the current filters.

Timeline

How their sound evolved over time

New Jazz Conceptions
New Jazz Conceptions (1957)
The Ivory Hunters
The Ivory Hunters (1959)
Portrait in Jazz
Portrait in Jazz (1959)
Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Everybody Digs Bill... (1959)
Undercurrent
Undercurrent (1962)
Interplay
Interplay (1962)
The Gary McFarland Orchestra
The Gary McFarland O... (1963)
Conversations with Myself
Conversations with M... (1963)
Empathy
Empathy (1963)
Plays the Theme from The V.I.P.s and Other Great Songs
Plays the Theme from... (1963)
Theme from the V.I.P.s
Theme from the V.I.P... (1963)
Trio 64
Trio 64 (1964)
Trio '65
Trio '65 (1965)
A Simple Matter of Conviction
A Simple Matter of C... (1966)
Intermodulation
Intermodulation (1966)
Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra
Bill Evans Trio with... (1966)
Further Conversations with Myself
Further Conversation... (1967)
Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival
Bill Evans at the Mo... (1968)
What's New
What's New (1969)
Alone
Alone (1970)
Quiet Now
Quiet Now (1970)
Montreux II
Montreux II (1970)
From Left to Right
From Left to Right (1971)
The Bill Evans Album
The Bill Evans Album (1971)
Living Time
Living Time (1972)
Stan Getz & Bill Evans
Stan Getz & Bill Eva... (1973)
Symbiosis
Symbiosis (1974)
Intuition
Intuition (1974)
On Green Dolphin Street
On Green Dolphin Str... (1975)
Montreux III
Montreux III (1975)
Eloquence
Eloquence (1975)
The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album
The Tony Bennett/Bil... (1975)
Quintessence
Quintessence (1976)
Together Again
Together Again (1976)
You Must Believe in Spring
You Must Believe in... (1977)
I Will Say Goodbye
I Will Say Goodbye (1977)
Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents (1977)
Alone (Again)
Alone (Again) (1977)
The Second Trio
The Second Trio (1977)
New Conversations
New Conversations (1978)
We Will Meet Again
We Will Meet Again (1979)
Affinity
Affinity (1979)
In His Own Way
In His Own Way (1980)
Re: Person I Knew
Re: Person I Knew (1981)
California Here I Come
California Here I Co... (1982)
Loose Blues
Loose Blues (1982)
New Jazz Conceptions
New Jazz Conceptions (1982)
Time Remembered
Time Remembered (1983)
The Paris Concert: Edition One
The Paris Concert: E... (1983)
The Solo Sessions, Vol. 1
The Solo Sessions, V... (1989)
Live in Buenos Aires 1979
Live in Buenos Aires... (1990)
Blue in Green: The Concert in Canada
Blue in Green: The C... (1991)
The Solo Sessions, Vol. 2
The Solo Sessions, V... (1992)
Turn Out the Stars
Turn Out the Stars (1994)
But Beautiful
But Beautiful (1996)
Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings
Turn Out the Stars:... (1996)
Piano Player
Piano Player (1998)
Ultimate Bill Evans
Ultimate Bill Evans (1998)
Homecoming
Homecoming (1999)
Time Remembered
Time Remembered (1999)
Tenderly : An Informal Session
Tenderly : An Inform... (2001)
Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2
Consecration: The Fi... (2002)
From the 70's
From the 70's (2002)
Getting Sentimental
Getting Sentimental (2003)
The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961
The Complete Village... (2005)
Live at Lulu White's
Live at Lulu White's (2010)
Momentum
Momentum (2012)
Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate
Live at Art D’Lugoff... (2012)
Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest
Some Other Time: The... (2016)
Another Time: The Hilversum Concert
Another Time: The Hi... (2017)
Evans in England: Live at Ronnie Scott’s
Evans in England: Li... (2019)
Behind the Dikes – The 1969 Netherlands Recordings
Behind the Dikes – T... (2021)
Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark Jazzalbum von Bill Evans.
Treasures: Solo, Tri... (2023)
The Legendary Trio at Birdland 1960 Revisited
The Legendary Trio a... (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bill Evans sound like?

Bill Evans’s music features gentle phrases that weave through intricate harmonies while employing a graceful restraint that encourages lingering contemplation. Rooted in post-bop and cool jazz. Start with Portrait in Jazz.

What is the best Bill Evans album to start with?

The best album to start with is "Portrait in Jazz" (1959). It's the most representative of what makes Bill Evans worth hearing.

Who is Bill Evans for?

If you're into post-bop and cool jazz, Bill Evans is worth your time. Bill Evans’s music features gentle phrases that weave through intricate harmonies while employing a graceful restraint that encourages lingering contemplation.

How many albums does Bill Evans have?

Bill Evans has 85 releases in their discography, including 85 albums.