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Bill Evans gets a new manager

He was called the Poet of the Piano, and the Chopin of Jazz, this week Donald Macleod delves into the life and music of Bill Evans. Although Evans started off in the world of classical music, it wasn't long before he got the Jazz bug. His classical training wasn't wasted though, for it went on to influence the way he performed for the rest of his life. His touch at the piano became legendary, and his preferred ensemble for performing his own compositions, and those by others, was the Jazz trio combining piano, bass and drums. Evans came to prominence when invited to work alongside Miles Davis and, in time, Evans would go on to perform with the likes of Tony Bennett, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Stan Getz and Monica Zetterlund.

Helen Keane had come into Bill Evans's life as his manager and, later on, also producer. Evans went on to dedicate two works to Keane, including One for Helen, and also Song for Helen. Evan's trio, what with touring and other pressures, was frequently changing in personnel. Soon, the bassist Eddie Gomez had joined the trio and he recorded a number of works with the Evans, including G Waltz, and Comrade Conrad. Evans kept up his collaborations with other musicians during the late nineteen-sixties, including the guitarist Jim Hall, recording a duo performance of Turn Out the Stars. Evans also sometimes invited musicians to expand his trio line-up to a quartet, including flautist Jeremy Steig who performed in Evans's composition, Time Out for Chris. This period was exceptionally busy, with frequent tours abroad and many studio recordings. One album won Evans two Grammy awards which featured his number, Sugar Plum.