Bill Evans

A film made in 1970 in the home of Finnish composer Ilkka Kussisto (whose two sons are famous violinists) when the Bill Evans Trio visited him for a private performance.

Featuring Marc Johnson & Joe LaBarbera, includes notable versions of Bill's own "Re: Person I Knew" (an anagram of Orrin Keepnews' name), Henry Mancini's classic "Days of Wine and Roses," "Your Story" (another tune composed by Evans himself) and Miles Davis' "Nardis.

Jazz Icons: Bill Evans features five separate performances by one of the most revered pianists in music history. This collection covers an 11-year span, highlighting Evans’ ever-deepening artistry as he performs with four different all-star rhythm sections, including the stunning duo of bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Alan Dawson. This DVD includes for the first time on home video Evans’ renditions of the rarely performed “Sareen Jurer,” “Blue Serge” and “Twelve Tone Tune Two.” Among the many surprises in this collection is a live performance of “My Melancholy Baby” with saxophonist Lee Konitz.

Pianist Bill Evans (1929–1980) was one of the most influential jazz musicians of his instrument from his first recordings to his last. He possessed a very personal touch combined with a unique harmonic style. He played in many different instrumental settings, but he is best remembered for his many trio recordings and his less numerous solo albums. A very introverted figure, Evans' life was tormented by an addiction to drugs that proved fatal. The selections on this DVD—taken from a single concert—show him performing marvelous music with the members of his last regular trio—bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe La Barbera—nearly a year and a half before his tragic and untimely death. Among the highlights are versions of Gary McFarland's waltz "Gary's Waltz" and of Bill Evans' own composition "Turn Out the Stars". Live in Iowa, January 30, 1979.

Jazz Pianist on the Creative Process & Self-Teaching. Here is the late, brilliantly original jazz pianist in intense conversation with his composer brother, Harry, on the nature of creativity in jazz. Occasionally, they stroll to the piano for a musical illustration (Evans play splendidly).

The Monterey Jazz Festival was established in 1958 by impressario Jimmy Lyons who has hosted an enormous amount of music at this idyllic location. Against this beautiful seaside setting in Northern California, one spends a pleasent weekend listening to some of the giants of music.

Berlin's 1965 Jazz Piano Workshop reunited some of the instrument's finest exponents from the full stylistic spectrum of jazz piano. The great Teddy Wilson was on hand to represent the swing piano style; the father of jazz piano improvisation Earl Hines was also present; Lennie Tristano served as an exponent of modern exploratory piano playing; two of the idiom's most lyrical modern pianists, Bill Evans and John Lewis were in attendance, and a nexus between the traditional and the modern, Jaki Byard -who alternated free and stride passages on the same tune- filled out this historical lineup. A notable absence was pianist Bud Powell, who was then living a troublesome period which would end with his death the following year. The two other main influences missing from the performance were Thelonious Monk, who was touring Europe with his own band, and Art Tatum, who had died in 1956.

Formed by John McLaughlin in 1971, the Mahavishnu Orchestra pioneered the fusion of jazz elements into rock music while still undeniably retaining the power and muscle of a full on rock band. With McLaughlin as the ever-present, the line-up went through various phases and these two concerts from Montreux showcase the band at distinctively different times of their career 1984: John McLaughlin, Bill Evans. Mitchell Forman, Jonas Hellborg, Danny Gottlieb / 1. Radio-Activity 2. Nostalgia 3. East Side, West Side 4. Clarendon Hills 5. Medley: Blues for L.W., It’s the Pits, Living on the Crest of a Wave 6. Jozy 7. Pacific Express 8. Mitch Match 9. Mitch Match (Reprise) 1974: John McLaughlin, Ralphe Armstrong, Narada Michael Walden, Jean-Luc Ponty, Gayle Moran, Steve Kindler / 1. Wings of Karma 2. Hymn to Him 3. Power Of Love 4. Smile Of The Beyond 5. Vision Is A Naked Sword 6. Sanctuary

Le 1er octobre 1962, Groucho Marx accueillit Johnny Carson comme le nouveau présentateur du The Tonight Show. L’émission a été filmée à New York pendant pratiquement les dix premières années, avec Johnny Carson en tant que présentateur. Puis à partir de mai 1972, le plateau déménagea au Studio One à Burbank en Californie pour le reste de son « mandat » .