Everybody Digs Bill Evans

Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Studio album by Bill Evans
Released 1959
Recorded December 15, 1958
Reeves Sound Studios, New York City
Genre Jazz
Length 42:36 original LP
48:45 CD reissue
Label Riverside
RLP 12-291
Producer Orrin Keepnews
Bill Evans chronology

New Jazz Conceptions
(1956)		 Everybody Digs Bill Evans
(1958)		 On Green Dolphin Street
(1959)

Everybody Digs Bill Evans is an album by jazz musician Bill Evans, released in early 1959 on the Riverside label.

History

Everybody Digs Bill Evans was the artist's second album, done two years after his first record as a leader. Even though his producer tried to encourage him to record again sooner, the highly self-critical Evans felt he had "nothing new to say" before this album.

The recording captures Evans at a time when he was into playing block chords. That combined with his expert use of pedals gave him a fresh, distinctive sound that had never been heard before on the piano.

It was reissued in 1987 with one bonus track.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
All About Jazz (no rating) [1]
Allmusic [2]

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Michael G. Nastos called the album "a landmark recording for the young pianist... Though not his very best effort overall, Evans garnered great attention, and rightfully so, from this important album of 1958."[2] Samuel Chell of All About Jazz wrote "With its varied tempos, rhythms and programming, Everybody Digs Bill Evans sustains interest without allowing the listener for a moment to mistake the singular, inimitable voice of the leader. It's not hard to understand why many Evans followers, "casual" and otherwise, list it as their favorite of the pianist's recordings. It's doubtful there's a more introspective, meditative trio set on record, yet the pianist shows he can dance as well."[1]

Track listing

  1. "Minority" (Gryce) – 5:23
  2. "Young and Foolish" (Hague, Arnold B. Horwitt) – 5:54
  3. "Lucky to Be Me" (Bernstein, Comden, Green) – 3:41
  4. "Night and Day" (Porter) – 7:35
  5. "Tenderly" (Gross) – 3:34
  6. "Peace Piece" (Evans) – 6:44
  7. "What Is There to Say?" (Duke, Harburg) – 4:55
  8. "Oleo" (Rollins) – 4:09
  9. "Epilogue" (Evans) – 0:41
    Bonus track:
  10. "Some Other Time" (Bernstein, Comden, Green) – 6:09

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chell, Samuel. "Everybody Digs Bill Evans > Review". All About Jazz. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nastos, Michael G. "Everybody Digs Bill Evans > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved June 28, 2011.

External links