The Artistry of Bill Evans, Volume 2: Piano Book

Evans's harmonic language rewards careful study, and these arrangements preserve his most distinctive compositional voice without oversimplifying his voice-leading or rhythmic sophistication. Standard tunes become gateways into understanding his specific approach to reharmonization and phrase shaping. Advanced pianists gain access to his thought process through printed scores rather than having to reverse-engineer it from recordings.

These pieces balance intellect and emotion in Evans's signature way. The harmonic reharmonizations may surprise you with their color and unexpected turns, yet the overall effect is introspective and lyrical rather than flashy. There's an intimacy to the writing that invites listeners into the pianist's thought process.

Intermediate to advanced pianists who want to move beyond basic jazz comping and understand sophisticated harmonic thinking and phrasing. Jazz educators and students preparing for upper-level study will find this repertoire essential for understanding how modern jazz piano developed. This book also serves pianists interested in how classical training and impressionistic harmony inform jazz language.

• Pay close attention to the voicings and voice leading rather than thinking of them as chords to play; each note has melodic weight and purpose even in what sounds like harmonic accompaniment.
• Honor the rhythmic subdivisions marked in the score. Evans's sense of rhythmic phrasing often sits just outside strict time, and notation helps clarify his intent.
• Let the left hand breathe. Many of these arrangements ask the left hand to provide harmonic color and space rather than constant support; silence and space are part of the texture.
• Use the pedal judiciously to blend harmonies without muddying the clarity of individual voices, especially in his more densely voiced passages.

Feature one or two arrangements on a jazz recital to showcase a pianist's harmonic sophistication and ability to navigate complex voicings. Studio instructors can use individual pieces as semester-long studies in a single tune's harmonic possibilities. Jazz combo directors might extract and adapt select arrangements for ensemble learning of Evans's approach to melody and harmony.

• Sophisticated jazz voicing and reharmonization techniques
• Interpretation of complex harmonic notation and voice-leading
• Jazz phrasing and rhythmic subdivision outside strict time
• Understanding harmonic function beyond lead sheet symbols
• Reading and executing Evans's specific notation for pedal and dynamics