Tim Dombai Jazz History II Joel Spencer 4/17/2013 Bill Evans Paper Bill Evans is a talented pianist and

bandleader of the jazz world. Playing a piano trio not only gives one more freedoms but also exposes the muscians much more as well. Evans uses this exposure to his benefit and as a technically gifted musician he is successful in his ability to create new and inspiring music. In his tune 34 Skidoo, the Bill Evans trio plays around with the ABBA form. Bill Evans introduces the song with a short solo part and then the band drops into it. After a statement of the melody Bill takes a solo. This time it sounds as if the band changes the form to an AABBA structure. A main aspect of Marty Morell's drumming in this piece is his ride cymbal. It sets the tone and often times is the only aspect of the drums keeping time. In the beginning of the solo Gomez walks along with the chord changes while Morell continues to put his rhythmic emphasis on the ride cymbal. The result is a swinging foundation for Bill Evans to solo over. At times Eddie picks up on little cadences that Bill Evans plays and he nails hits along with him; hints at the original structure. Something else I noticed about Gomez's playing during the Evans solo is that many times he plays bass lines that sound almost solo-like in nature. The lines do not seem melodically complex, but they seem to be paramount to the piece rhythmically. They fill gaps from the solo, give the tune shape and contrast, and it provides a rhythmic framework that is essential in this tune. In the bass solo it sounds as though Gomez loosely follows the chord progression and form of the tune. He takes many liberties, as shown by a lick at 3:20 that is more chromatic in nature than harmonic to the song. He has the technical ability to play fast paced high intensity lines but also the ear to play melodically within the song and to provide that personal feeling to his solo.

The Bill Evans trio also play a tune called Peri's Scope on the album Montreux II. The form is AABA. After the bass solo the drums and piano start trading eight bar solos. After they do this twice the two soloists start to trade four bars of soloing. Then the two trade two bars (I think six times) and then they trade one bar solos a few times leading up to the drum solo. The solo does not sound like it is within the compositional form. Especially when Bill Evans comes back in with the head it seems to me like it is at a random point within the solo to be starting up again with the head. The last tune we looked at was How my Heart Sings. This song is in an AABA form. In the first piano chorus Evans comes straight out with burning licks in his left hand. He continues to swing these lines. Soon melodies can be heard as he connects phrases and ideas in remarkable fashion. His left hand comps to what his right hand is doing. Sometimes he comps with interesting rhythmic hits and other times he seems to just play downbeats. Always what he plays in the left hand harmonically compliments the lines he plays in his right. During the solo, the bass and drums provide a necessary backdrop to perform. Morell focuses on snare hits at first in a shuffle type of beat. These hits are so soft I imagine they are being played with brushes. Later he changes to a ride pattern that sets the tone for the rest of the solo. Morell is great at using his ride to bring out the swinging jazz feel. Gomez in the bass again walks at times but also pulls out those rhythmic ideas similar to 34 skidoo. Gomez starts his bass solo off with incredibly melodic based ideas. He sequences a few of his ideas. At first though he seems to be more melodically involved than rhythmically. He plays lines at intense speeds that demonstrate his technicality and his ability to create unique melodic ideas within the harmonies provided in the tune and by Bill Evans comping. Later he starts his phrases on different parts of beats to give it more rhythmic feel. He plays ideas that seem to stretch past the bar lines and at times exit the form, and yet he can bring it back in just as easily as he left the form.