a) ABi-Monthly (= Faas Publication isco Dedicated to Jazz Pianist Warren Bernhardt Chuck Israels Peter H. Larsen Ron Nethercutt Jack Reilly September/October, 1990 News Ml The News section ie brief this issue as I'm in the midst of severe road ipo ated Sl vans vent jst rammed en Los Angeler where] tended the azz Conl Bill vane Tribute Concert wae a veal pleasure t hea the Alan Broadbent Tio tnutte Mike Lang Teo prfous slag wi saxophonist Harold Land. A detailed review vill eppear ina fue ine The cay after this issue gocs to the post office, my wife and Til boa plane for London and ten day visit. wll ook-ap wih Bean Henneetcy and attend (s wellas perform) the Bill vans'Triute Coneet scheduled for September sixteenth atthe Beriamporad Civic Center. My expenses fr tis tp will be patally defrayed by a wavel grant from Ate Iermaioal in RVC. Thismiis thes tmetha!a gran fiom this oranizacon fas been mde oa jazz usin, Als, Ishould hank ny two prinlpl employes, he Floida Symphony Orchestra and the Unversity of North Florida Music Deparment and nine bass srudets for allowing me wo ike leave from work. BE Board momber Jack Reilly hao just tuned from England toc performances inthe Breco Jazz Festival in Wales. He also teatda smal elbuc t Bil in ts event calle Seven Steps Evans Mor about thi inthe next ie, RENEWAL ! RENEWAL ! RENEWAL ! ‘The renewals have been trickling in but not at arate to keep up with expenses. A big thanke you to those who have already renewed. A big message to those who haven" Please lookat the date in the upper arcs of the mailing label on this issue. IFit says “Expires NOV 90" then I still need to get your renewal check, money otdet of 1M.O. Subscription rates are inthe shaded arca (masthcad) on page two. Tais will be the lat issue until Ireceive your check! Please take the time now and mail your check. Believeme, you don’t want to miss the next issue. Board of Advisors: Bill Evans ‘Win Hinkle, Editor. (© 1389 LETTER FROM EVANS, ‘C805 Publctions Vol. 2, Number 1, Price $4.00 Letters Deer Win, Tam a 35-year old professional pianist who first got a Bill Evans album in 1968 and have never been the same. just now found out about your newsletter from « subscaiber who dropped in club where Iwas workiag and said, “Man, yon sound 2 ot Tike Bill Bvars' Have you ever heard of him” This is not as sage asi seems, since T was doing a gig where Thad to do a lot of singing, but got to do some jazz as well, which is what I've always played, This man got me a copy of LFE and [ am very impressed. After Bill passed on, I thought of tying to put together something like this, but figured there would not be that mich of a demand. Pardon the cliche, but LFE is like a dream came tne ‘Also, Iwasa fiend of Bill's fora skort time, an sone the ‘most extraordinary storiesofmy life. Bear withtme for a moment, think you's find this incredible: Twas in a notthem New Jersey town here called Closter, where Ihad recently moved from, but was visiting my folks (this isin 1975, by the way). By this time, Thadalready amassed about twenty five of 20 of Bill’s albums, could sing most of the solos oon the Columbia Bild Evans Aldum, and was working in jazz In This Issue Letters. Songs by Earl Zindars ~~ Review, Live in Europe, Vol.1 . Review, Red Mitchell/Joe Diorio - Review, Chartie Ventura Review, Django Reinhardt Review, Art Tatum : Enrico Pieranunzi Master Glass Play-along Recordings... . Review, AsbersokEvans Interview, Marc Johnson . . . Voicings/Jack Reilly. Bock issue information... . eoNNouaanLetter from Evans, September/October, 1990 Globe with my own aio, T Fappened to go inio the local A&P supermarket with my bass player, when I said to him, “Hey, that guy buying cat food looks execdy Ike Bill Evans. Isn't that bizame?™ He sid something like, “Yeah, you wish,” so Twentup to this aa, whom Teould platy sce was ty piano her himself ‘and introduced mysel babbling about what Bill Evars was doing in my hometown in a New Jersey suburb, and Lotd knows what csc. Of cours, it was Bill, and he explained that he had just bought ahouse here in Closter, and he needed groceries, etc. His legendaty dry wit was more than epperent, and I was stil blown away that here he was in front of me. had first met him belly 1f Paul's Mall, «jazz club in Boston, where I weat to eheck him ‘out, but that was only fora few moments. "Tomakcea long story sbort, he invited me over to his home the following week, and I met his (then) wife, Nenetie, and we all ‘ming out. Bill was « real joy to be with, and I found myscif fascinatedby hs briliance a conversationalis, albeit somewhat distanced attimes, bt witha great sensc of humor. Subsequently, hoe invited me to 4 pary be was throwing, and I pleyed his old Rhodes, whic he explained was ene of the original ones. He showed me his Chickering baby grand, and had tape of out-takes from that aforementioned Columbia album going on in his base~ ‘ment. [twas an evening I'll never forget, as he was so articulate ‘bout his music, and the differences between the younger players ‘coming up wise exposure to clectic music end instruments ‘llustated an approach which he thought lacked depth. (He was so right) It tars out we had a mucual friend by the name of Bill “Trglia,« fellow jazz pais, who is no! well inown, but played with Mingus on the Tijeana Moods album Bill end I continued to converse periodically, (when he wasn't om the road, for the next few years, over the phone. He would even Ieave my name at the door when he was wotking the ‘Vanguard in NYC, which was really nice of him, and I, of course, eat t> hear him whenever I could, what with a busy playing schedule. Ths leads us upto 1980. Last spoke to himafter he had gotten buck from the West Coast, wheie he was working atthe Keystone Comer, I believe. He played a cassette tape over the ‘phone in one conversation, which he said was recorded live in Europe in August, This was a most unusual version of “Nari,” ‘which was solo. Fle askedmeifl though itwas wholenot triplets he wasdoing or what. Afterthis,ItoldhimTnad writentwo tunes, ‘one of which was ajazz waltz, and would he mind if Tsent them to him to play through and sce what he thought. He said sure, he liked geting tunes ftom various writers, always looking for now stuff, ]ooulda't believe this was really heppening, as Twas very ‘cautious with Bill, and did not want to pash myself on him in any ‘way — he was such a seasitive man — and it was aleady one of my life's weirdestcoincidcaccs tomect him asT dd, after stdying his musie for solong and writing out his salos, ete. So I wrote the tunes out as neatly as possible, end put them ine large envelope addressed Bl, who had moved toan apartment in Fort Lee and ‘was separated from Nenete at this point. I wanted to get up to Nyack, New York (about « half hour from here) where Bill was working at lub called The Office, where Ikad played before. But Teoulda't get tere forthe engagement. Shortly after ll this, got a call from anctker Bill aficionado telling me Bill had died. T thought this was some sott of eruel practical joke, but obviously Page? LETTER FROM EVANS is published six times a yeer at ‘an annual subscription rato of $18.00 (bulk rate} in the ~ continental United States, $25.00 first class; $23.00 (third class) in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico ‘The rate in-al other countries 's $90 (tunds in U.S. dollars), Previous issues are available at $5.00 cach (67.00 forcign). The opinions expressed herein are not necessanly those of the Publisher/Editor, Win Hinkle, or “the Board of Advisors. Letters ta the editor are welcome: “on any subject. Advertising will be accepted from firms that have a product of genuine intorest to the Bill Evans enthusiast. A rate card is: available on request. Non- ‘commercial sources of Bill Evans materials may present “ nolices for possible inclusion in LFE. The final deter- mination of suttablity willbe made at the sole aiscrevon ‘of the Publisher/Editor. The cover logo, based on ‘photograph by Jim Marshall, was designed by Mike Ning ‘and is used by permission. ‘Bound of Advisors ae Warren Bernhardt ‘Chueh Israels Ron Nethercutt Peter H.Larsen Jac ia foe Ok Romy Win Hinkle ‘Mex Braftett, Copy Editor Ellen Hinkle, Editorial Assistant Betsy Hinkle, Editorial Assistant Letter from Evans “Win Hinkle, Edtior "2712 Cady Way Wintor Park, FL 32792-4856 sete Voice Phone (407) 678-7119 © FAX (407) 678-7049 this was not the case. AILI can recall ftom thea is that Idid not go ‘out of my apartment for almost a week nd took no phone calls. {just sat around in a daze and played the records all day especially the Alone LP on Verve, snd the Portrat Jazz album. Sothat, in very edited fort, i way Bill Evans story. There are, of course, many other paris of it. He has enriched my thinking bout playing more than anyone, including all my teachers, cvea Walter Bishop. [have been hucky enough tohave tumed a number of people on to Bill's music, and this means some friends I've DISCLAIMER The eaitor/publisher, writers, end.members of. ene Bord Mf Bavigsrs of ePtER PROM EVANS or hhave fever knowingly endor ‘any illegal video recordings.Letier irom Evans, September/Octobor, 1990 the instmment remain, fen years later, singular and unique. Tis not only how he played, but how he heard sound. I still marve! at things like th “Ese” colo from the Canacnball LP, wondering if it could possibly be a more perfect music statement, hd Bil, for example, wren it outs that sublime, The trio performance of| Commde Conrad” isthe same way, asi is solo on “I Do it For Yout Love” on the Pars Faloum. Forgive me, | cald go on snd a. Talso have mest of the sessions Bill did asa sideman, such as the Tony Scot albam, Chet Baker, Stan Get, ts. Oa ofthe more ‘unusual “finds” was a Donald Byrd-Booker Little date Bll id called The Third World. The copy Utave bas no recording info, bat ison the TCB label and was recorded at Mercury Sond in New York. Question: Not having sccn any of the othor issues besides JanfFeb,°00,{ sm wondering if anyone has ever put together compete ciscogrepty of Bill's work. | bean someone is Europe vas ettempting this around the time of the “Juzzhouse” releaze of that 1969 concer, bat have heard nothing since ‘Win, Thanks for reading allthis, and T would very much appreciate hearing from you whenever you can. Anything Icon dotocary onthe memory andthe music of Bill interests me. He ‘was my greatest inspiration (and sil is) and he was my friend for teohort a ime. Its reaseuing to know that there axe others Hike ‘me whose lives and music wereso affected by this kind and decent ‘man, whose musicremains s0very much liv. Taankyoufor your fine work, and I ook forwad to getting LFE regularly and the backissues, Sincerely, (Me) Jan R, Stevens NOTE [believe the patron who visited the clab where Jan was playing was LEE subscriber Mike Hadiow.Thsis mentioned ina previous issue. Mike's pressions were certainly accurate. La in com- rmnication with Jan ard hope that his contributions will grace the pages of LFE. Ed. Dest Win, ‘Thank you for including me in your mailing of the “Leter from Evans.” A Lite about myself. During the years from 1961 to 19671 ‘owned and operated a supper club called The Rubiot in Tulsa ‘During that time, besides playing in the club with my own jazz ‘group, I brought in name musicians such as Bill Evans, Paul Winter, Charles Lloyd, Gabor Szabo, Cal Tjader, Teddy Wilson and others. ‘Whon the Paul Winter group came in, Warren Bernhardt was ‘on piano and throngh him | met Bill. ill nd I ater became friends and stayed in twuch with each other "ul his death. I, like so many others, owe a great deal to Bill and Chuck Iseacls, Warren Bernhardt and other top musicians took the time to show me changes and let me eopy some of their material for study. Tell play Warren's “Marilis” and many of Bill's tunes on almost every gig. ‘There are so many stories to tell of the “Rubiot days” that 1 ‘could go on forever. Please say hello to Chackand Warren for me ‘and tell them I think about them often. Also, tell Warren [just got through Listening to two of bis albums and think he is playing Ietter than ever. I can hear Bill's influence but Warren in really “finding himself” What a fantastic musician. T've recently gone back and listened to the tapes I recorded ‘when Bill played the club, and Chuek is still one of my absotute favorite bass players. ‘Win, keep up the good work, Sincerely, Somny Gray Note ‘Thanks for the yo Sonny. Just one potne that I would rake issue with, [believe Sonny made a poor choice of words when referring to Warren Bernhardi as “finding himselj.” I don't believe that Warren ts fost Dear Mr. Hinkle, ‘Thanks for your leter of Feb. 7 and the nowslettcr #4 whieh I received yesterday but from a wrong address. T really enjoyed reading Bill Scott's interview. We were fricnds ia Chicago, my home town. Tam currently putting together a CD withnine of my new tunes that Bill Evans may have recorded if he were still around. Don Hiaas is the piano playcr and has many of Bill's attributes going for him. ‘Assoon as it is released, T'l get a copy off w you aad we can ‘pat something together then. ‘Also, enclosed is lit of my tunes, some that Bill recorded and now some that Don Haas Trio has recorded plus several that are unrecorded. I've also included the first thtce soags I wrote in New York City that Bll recorded. ‘Hope that this can be of some help 10 you for the time being and that we can do moro in the nocr future. Sincerely, Earl Zindars Note The lst of tunes is under a separate heading. DearMr, Hinkle, have just received your letter and the sample “leter” and I am really quite enjoying the reading. Tasnk you, In fact, as I write this leticr to youitso happens Iam listening toa CD of Bill Evans ‘at Montreux with Badie and Jack ‘Some months ago I bougitt a second hand record called Two ‘Super Bill Evans Trios Live in Europe; the label is Unique Jaz2 U 24, the jacket stating “made in Ismael” and the dise itself with a label saying “made in Italy”, The personnel on side 1 is Eddie Gomez and Matty Morell and side ? ie Larry Bunker and Chuck Israel (sic). The tune identification is pathetic; Onsside one “Time ‘Remembered”is listed as “Time to Remember” (which would be 1a great way to doa medley of "Time Remembered” and “Try to Remember”) and“ Twelve Tone Tune”islisted as “Twelve Toned ‘Tunc.” On side two “Unknown Tile” is actually the tune “Nar- dis.” The sound quality isnot good, particularly on side two. the piano sounde like an ont-of-fune upright and it may have been recorded at an ouldoor venus since there is no sense of indoor reverb ot ambience of any kind. On side one, someone tried to suppress any sounds of an audience. Often the tunes are cut off Pages