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Musical Elements of Bill Evans

Playing On A Clear Day

The following was written as a hand-out for a lecture I presented at the 4thannual Bill Evans

Festival held at Bills alma mater, outheastern !ouisiana "niversit# in $ammond, !%, "% inFe&ruar# '(()* +an# non-musicians attended the class so I tried to steer awa# from &eing too

technical* That is one of the &eauties of Bills music* The listener doesnt need an# special musical

nowledge to understand these amaing wors of art* This anal#sis of Bills music includes the

multimedia applications lined at the end of this we& page* The multimedia materials used in this

series of we& pages is onl# intended as an additional enhancement of the learning e.perience* %ll

sound e.cerpts included herein are &elow the /ualit# of the retail recordings and are intended for

educational use onl#* 0in $inle, +a# '(()* email&ighin.1gmail*com +# rather old we& site on

Bill Evans can &e found athttp233www*selu*edu34sid*

Introduction

"sers will need the +acromedia Flash 5la#er to use them* 0in $inle, +a# '(()*

Introduction

I chose the session topic Do Transcriptions eally Tell the !tory after learning of so

many ne" collections of Bill Evans transcriptions on the mar#et an$ my o"n frustrationin attempting to recreate the art of Bill Evans from those transcriptions alone% I put

together a CD "ith all the tunes transcri&e$ in the pu&lication for easy reference% I am a

mere &ass player' not a (a)) pianist' &ut I $o encourage my "ife' "ho can play theinstrument' to rea$ as many of these transcriptions as she has the time for &ecause there is

something very e*citing a&out hearing the notes that Bill playe$ in your o"n living room'

on a $ecent piano% After listening to a lot of the recor$ings an$ to my "ife +"ho listens toBill, try to play the transcriptions' I reali)e$ that there is (ust as much +perhaps even

more, musical material not capture$ &y tra$itional music notation% I thought it "oul$ &efun as "ell as e$ucational to point out as many of these non-"ritten items as possi&le inthe hope that others an$ I coul$ un$erstan$ Bill.s playing an$ persona a little more%

Purpose

/ill loo#ing at Bill.s music "ith this musical microscope help you play li#e Bill Evans0

I $ou&t it an$ that shoul$ not even &e consi$ere$% /hat Bill $i$ "as so special an$

in$ivi$ual to Bill it "ill never &e $uplicate$ &y another artist% This session shoul$ helpyou un$erstan$ at least part of the thin#ing that "ent on in Bill.s min$ &efore an$ $uring

the performance of a tune an$ might ena&le more concentration in your o"n avenues of

personal musical e*pression%

Preconception

Di$ Bill practice or arrange his performances0 1o' not in the sense that a song isarrange$ +"ritten in music notation, for a &an$' or solo piano% Bill ha$ "ays of playing

solo piano that $iffere$ from his trio performing &ut it "asn.t something that coul$ &e

calle$ a formal plan% Bill.s left han$ playing in solo performances often mirrore$ the "ay

he performe$ in trio' leaving lots of space for the &assist' even though not physicallypresent% But' (ust as in solo performances' Bill.s left han$ ma$e a lot of important

mailto:bighinx@gmail.comhttp://www.selu.edu/34skidmailto:bighinx@gmail.comhttp://www.selu.edu/34skid

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counterpoint to "hat "as going on in the right han$ in solo performances% It &ehave$

similarly in trio performances' often a$$ing a thir$ an$ fourth line of melo$ic interest

along "ith the top melo$y an$ the &ass player.s line%

2

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Bill also ha$ a magnificent touch on the instrument% 3e ha$ the a&ility to play the same

voicing of a chor$ in a variety of "ays' an$ &ring out a specific spectrum accor$ing to hisnee$s at the time% Try playing the voicing at measure 42 an$ "hen it repeats at measure

455 on your piano an$ see if you can $uplicate the soun$ Bill ma#es% O$$s are it "ill

ta#e 6uite a &it of practice to get to Bill.s level%

Bills Approach to Standards

A lot of Bill Evans listeners "oul$ rather listen to Bill play stan$ar$s rather than his o"ncompositions as they are familiar territory an$ "oul$ seem easier to grasp musically than

his o"n compositions% +This is not necessarily true &ut the stu$y of Bill.s compositions is

&eyon$ the scope of this e*ercise%, There "ere many occasions "here Bill "as as#e$ to

play stan$ar$s that he "oul$ not or$inarily have chosen on their o"n merits% Often

stan$ar$s "ere re6ueste$ &y pro$ucers at recor$ing sessions an$ Bill ren$ere$ them+perhaps in spite of his o"n misgivings, in surprisingly musical "ays% I ten$ to thin# that

this recor$ing "as fairly typical for Bill% The tune "as popular at the time an$ it $i$ hol$some interest for him% The transcription &oo# I use$ is from the Bill Evans Plays

!tan$ar$s cite$ &elo"% This pu&lication says that the recor$ing $ate "as !ept 47' 489:'

the Bill Evans Al&um title$ Bill Evans Alone on ;erve recor$s% All of the tunes onAlone utili)e$ alternating #ey centers%

Attention to Form

Pro&a&ly the single uni6ue gift Bill &rought to the stan$ar$ song "as a strict a$herence

an$ enhancement of the form' num&er of measures' sections' etc% The most i$entifia&leof these enhancements "as the use of mo$ulation% Mo$ulation not (ust in a musical

theoretical sense' &ut in playing the song "ith a scheme involving "hole choruses' or

playing the first half an$ the secon$ half of each chorus in closely relate$ #eys' usually athir$ relationship as in this song% It is nota&le that to$ay.s (a)) improvisers $o this very

rarely if at all < pro&a&ly &ecause it ta#es a pro$igious amount of talent an$ #no"le$ge of

one.s chosen instrument to $o this successfully% Blues' yes% !imple tunes li#e /hen the!aints =o Marchin. In an$ Mac# the >nife0 !ure% But a more comple*' through-

?

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compose$ song "ritten for a musical or movie ta#es a thorough #no"le$ge of the tune

an$ the composer.s intent to maintain the form% Di$ Bill consult the composer0 Of course

not% 3e listene$ to the tune "ith a critical ear' investigating its form' an$ the "ay thecomposer use$ melo$ic material to &est a$vantage% The stoc# or original #ey of On A

Clear Day is =% Bill.s contrasting #ey choice is E-flat% It is simply ama)ing ho" Bill

"ove the melo$ic material together in these t"o #eys% 3e $i$ it in such a "ay as to ma#ethe listener almost thin# that alternating #eys "as the composer.s intention%

In another tune on this al&um' 3ere.s That ainy Day Bill use$ an approach "ith ? #eycenters' =' B' an$ E-flat' pro&a&ly an i$ea $erive$ from @ohn Coltrane.s =iant !teps%

Bill recor$e$ an$ toure$ "ith the famous >in$ of Blue Miles Davis 6uintet% 3e later

use$ the same ?-#ey center scheme for the 487.s recor$ing of the Theme rom

M%A%!%3%

General Information

A short &ut thorough Bill Evans &iography on the "e&http"""%alla&out(a))%comphparticle%php0i$4F588

This song

The Bill Evans Transcription &oo#' Bill Evans Plays !tan$ar$s' 3al Geonar$' I!B1 7-

8?5-7F9-: can &e purchase$ from the follo"ing online $ealershttp"""%musice*pert%com477F75%html0$m4778?

http"""%pianospot%com472549%html

http"""%EncoreMusic%com

On a Clear Day "as compose$ 4897 By Burton Gane' music an$ Alan @ay Gerner'

lyrics an$ performe$ first on the Broa$"ay stage in Octo&er 4895' an$ later in aParamount movie version in 487 +sung &y Bar&ara !treisan$%,

Broa$"ay Musical Informationhttp"""%ama)on%come*eco&i$ostg$etail-B77777?576i$4479259?2?sr4-

2refsrH4H247F-28924:7-8487F0vglancesmusic

Movie Information

http"""%im$&%comtitlett77994:4com&ine$

Other songs &y Burton Gane use$ &y (a)) musicians 3o" A&out Jou' That Ol$ DevilMoon' Too Gate 1o"' Jou.re My Thrill' /hat Are Jou Doing The est Of Jour

Gife% Most of Burton Gane.s songs an$ &iographical information can &e foun$ on the

"e& at http"""%song"ritershalloffame%org$iscogHsongHlist%asp0e*hi&itI$4

F

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=14599http://www.musicexpert.com/1700405.html?dm=10093http://www.pianospot.com/1702516.htmlhttp://www.encoremusic.com/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003F50/qid=1106256323/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-2962180-7791904?v=glance&s=musichttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003F50/qid=1106256323/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-2962180-7791904?v=glance&s=musichttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066181/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9T24gYSBDbGVhciBEYXkgWW91IENhbiBTZWUgRm9yZXZlcnxodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=1;ft=5http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/discog_song_list.asp?exhibitId=71http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=14599http://www.musicexpert.com/1700405.html?dm=10093http://www.pianospot.com/1702516.htmlhttp://www.encoremusic.com/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003F50/qid=1106256323/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-2962180-7791904?v=glance&s=musichttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003F50/qid=1106256323/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-2962180-7791904?v=glance&s=musichttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066181/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9T24gYSBDbGVhciBEYXkgWW91IENhbiBTZWUgRm9yZXZlcnxodG1sPTF8bm09b24_;fc=1;ft=5http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/discog_song_list.asp?exhibitId=71

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3ear a vocal recor$ing sung "ith this lin#

http"""%song"ritershalloffame%orge*hi&itHhomeHpage%asp0e*hi&itI$F2

On a Clear Day in lea$ sheet format appears in the follo"ing currently availa&le (a))

fa#e &oo#s

!tan$ar$s eal Boo# - Chuc# !her

The eal Gittle Kltimate @a)) a#e Boo# - 3al Geonar$

The Kltimate a#e Boo# - 3al Geonar$

The Kltimate @a)) a#e Boo# - 3al Geonar$ - 3er& /ong

The eal @a)) !tan$ar$s a#e Boo# - 3al Geonar$

The Best Chor$ Changes or The Most e6ueste$ !tan$ar$s - ran# Mantooth

Champ Champagne Leal Chor$ ChangesL series - 3al Geonar$

@ust @a)) eal Boo# - /arner Bros

Poc#et Changes ;olume 4

Ol$N eal Boo# ;ol% 2

Ol$N eal Boo# ;ol% ?

Ol$N ;ocal eal Boo#

!atanic Changes

Attache$ are t"o lea$ sheet versions' the most recent from Chuc# !her an$ an early

illegal version from a fa#e &oo# pu&lishe$ closer to the composition $ate%

On A Clear Day can &e playe$ as a &alla$ as originally recor$e$ or in the me$iumtempo' usually favore$ &y (a)) players% Bill has it &oth "ays here% The length of the tune

is ?2' ?F' ?9' or ?: measures' $epen$ing upon ho" many times the tag figure is repeate$%

@a))ers usually play it t"ice for a ?2 &ar tune% The main theme of the melo$y is repeate$

at the &eginning of each regular :-measure phrase in the first statement an$recapitulation% The tune is attractive to (a)) players &ecause of its free 6uality an$

am&iguous length of chorus% The melo$ic material is simple an$ repetitive' yet it has

intriguing intervals%

5

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In American Popular !ong' Alec /il$er says the follo"ing a&out this song% It is a very

lyrical' singing song "hich has the #in$ of strength an$ character that nee$s no harmonic

support to satisfy the ear% One of its most graceful 6ualities comes from the fact that itsi$eas are so lyrically interrelate$ that one is not conscious of the transition from one

section to another% +p% ?F2,

Bill "as al"ays attracte$ to lyrical tunes an$ this 6uality "as also integral to many of his

o"n compositions% =oo$ e*amples "oul$ &e /alt) for De&&y' ;ery Early' The

T"o Gonely People' Gaurie' an$ Turn Out The !tars%

Highlights of This Performance

To the &est of my #no"le$ge' this is the only time Bill recor$e$ this song an$ it is nota&lethat it is part of a solo piano collection% Am&iguities in the song length may have

prevente$ "orthy trio performances' shoul$ it have &een attempte$%

4% Measure 7 The t"o pic#-up eighth notes are playe$ staccato' 6uite unli#e a &alla$"oul$ normally &e playe$% The follo"ing glissan$o of A to the sharp in themelo$y in Measure 4 is in sharp contrast% This glissan$o is repeate$ later an$ then

again in the penultimate an$ final measures' &ecoming one of several musical

signatures of this performance%

2% Measure 4 The tonic-$iminishe$ resolving to tonic harmony in the t"o half notes

in measure 4 is an enhancement to the tune an$ is not in the original sheet musicor in contemporary (a)) performances% This little mini progression is often use$ in

tunes li#e Misty an$ !pring Is 3ere +also performe$ many times &y Bill

Evans,% Demonstrate these melo$ies in same #ey%N Jou can listen to an MP? fileof !pring Is 3ere "ith the lin# &elo"%

http"""%artist$irect%comna$storeartistal&um7''?724F45'77%html

9

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3021415,00.htmlhttp://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3021415,00.html

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?% Measure 5-9 Geft han$ ans"ers melo$y in right han$ forming start of

counterpoint relationship%

F% Measure -: !econ$ t"o &eats of measure an$ first t"o of measure : using

$escen$ing thir$ of melo$y on single voice &ass line%

5% Measure : reely playe$ 2F-measure to further emphasi)e the rhapso$ic initial

approach% +!ee a&ove,

9% Measures 8-44 Continuation of left han$ counterpoint i$ea%

% Measure 42 A&rupt change from ru&ato intro to monophonic' loc#e$ han$s

approach in slo" tempo an$ softer $ynamic%

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:% Measure 45-4: =ra$ual moving a"ay from loc#e$ approach to freer left han$'

still in restraine$ tempo an$ $ynamic%

8% Measure 48 !u$$en change &ac# to loc#e$ approach%

47% Measure 24 Melo$y "ith no accompaniment in (a)) vein' (ust to ma#e sure you

#no" you are listening to a (a)) player%

44% Measure 27 1e" melo$y in left han$%

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42% Measure 22 !econ$ half of measure to start of ne*t% Goc#e$ fourths style to a$$

variety an$ off-the-&eat color%

4?% Measure 2 Completion of first chorus resolving into F-measure mo$ulation to

ne" #ey instea$ of e*pecte$ = ma(or%

4F% Measure ?2 !tart of 2-voice (a)) solo "ith typical ma(or seventh s"apping "ith

9thin left han$% Beautiful rela*e$ s"inging (a)) feel' an Evans tra$emar#%

45% Measure F2 !ilent $o"n&eat signifying invisi&le &ass player in Bill.s hea$%

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49% Measure F5-F9 I$ea state$ in first 2 &eats of F5 use$ again in first 2 &eats of

measure F9 an$ again in measure F8 in e*ample of rhythmic $isplacement an$ a

#in$ of force$ musical motif%

4% Measure F:-F8 3armonic $isplacement starte$ in F:' $one again in rhythmicaugmentation in F8%

4:% Measure 97-92 estating a more &asic motif' almost returning to the original

melo$y after a lengthy (a)) &e&op e*cursion%

48% Measure 9F-9 =ra$ual' almost impercepti&le' mo$ulation &ac# to = ma(or%

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27% Measure 9: epeating some of the previous &e&op material from the E-flat

section' no" in =' playing in octaves for emphasis helps to ma#e the #ey change

smooth an$ seamless%

24% Measures 9-89 =reat e*ample of an e*ten$e$ chor$al'loc#e$ han$s' version

of the melo$y% This ma(or Bill Evans tra$emar# is a more aggressive an$rhythmic iteration of a style $evelope$ &y =eorge !hearing almost 27 years

earlier% !hearing use$ the style in a rela*e$' slo"-moving "ay +"ith no rhythmic

$isplacements, "hereas Bill $evelope$ it to an almost automatic "ay of playing'harmoni)ing his most comple*' &e&op improvise$ lines% Bill maintains this very

$ifficult manner of playing far into the ne*t :-measure section' through very

comple* melo$ic material an$ "ith rhythmic $isplacements% 3e continues this&reath-ta#ing intensity all the "ay to measure 89 "here he moves to a right han$

harmoni)ation "ith a monophonic off &eat figure in the &ass line' ta#ing us to

measure 477' a t"o measure mo$ulation +this time, &ac# to E-flat ma(or% It.s

fascinating that Bill $i$ this e*temporaneously rather than "or#ing it out formallyin a$vance% +!ee on-line analysis tool' e*cerpt version,

22% Measure 472 the start of the ne*t chorus features a fantastic' single line' melo$ic

$evelopment section in the upper register "hile using his famous sta& or

flic#e$ accompanying chor$s in the left han$' a$$ing yet another e*citingmetho$ to gra& the listener% This Bill Evans tra$emar# "as &est $escri&e$ &y

frien$ Michael 3arris as he sa" &ill play close to a hun$re$ times% Bill.s han$s"ere actually flic#ing the chor$s' "ere actually flic#ing chor$s' li#e a frogLs

tongue catching a fly' at once rapi$ an$ gentle' seeming to merely &rush the tops

of the #eys as I "atche$' an$ yet creating perfect rhythmic concision%

42

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2?% Measures 475-47: Bill a$$s rhythmic $isplacement to the flic#e$ chor$s'

creating rhythmic am&iguity for the listener%

2F% Measure 478 moves into solo "al#ing 6uarter-note tenths in the right han$ alone'

(ust to let everyone #no" "here the time is%25% Measure 442-44F - a sort of hic#-up e*ample of left han$ rhythmic

$isplacement% Any pianist "oul$ nee$ fantastic han$ in$epen$ence to pull this off%

29% Measure 42- 4?7 - a se6uence$ &e&op lic# lea$ing to a rhythmically $isplace$

tag of the original melo$y% +!ee on-line analysis tool%,2% Measure 4?F plays a melo$ic harmoni)ation that almost signals the en$ the tune

&ut surprise - it.s (ust another F-&ar mo$ulation &ac# to another chorus in = ma(or'

"hich &egins' on measure 4?:% This time it coul$ &e a final chorus as he stic#scloser to the melo$y% +!ee on-line analysis tool%,

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2:% Measure 4FF - the &ass ta#es the spotlight as he stri#es a lo" B' then

une*pecte$ly +li#e he $eci$e$ at the last minute, moves $o"n to the cellar to alo" B flat for a harmony of EB& or E flat five' moving to a more out-of-tempo

rhapso$ic style "ith the start of the secon$ eight%

28% Measure 455 Mirrors measure 42' an a&rupt' softer slo"er' pull-the-plug re-statement of the song signifying the en$ is coming% An almost ver&atim : measure

re-capitulation simply repeating the en$ing figure' each time slo"ly &uil$ing

melo$ically an$ harmonically to a high point at measure 4? an$ a sort ofmusical sigh in the secon$ half of 4? to the first half of measure 4F% +!ee on-

line analysis tool%,

?7% Measure 4F-4 alse en$ing on the su&$ominant chor$ of sharp ma(or' aB44 chor$' a very common thing to $o in (a))% The secon$ half of measure 4F is

the melo$y a half step lo"er in the #ey of sharp at the start of measure 45 < a

real surprise%

?4% Measure 4: last measure% A very su&tle statement of that glissan$o melo$y &ac#to tonic or I chor$ harmony' an sharp ma(or seventh chor$' en$ing the tune%

I.m sure if you #eep listening you "ill $iscover even more items that coul$ &e liste$%There seems to &e something ne" in Bill.s playing every time I listen%

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Jou can $o"nloa$ this $ocument as an M! /or$ file here

http"""%selu%e$u?Fs#i$BE@Fclassmain

The analysisstu$y tool "ith the tune slo"e$ $o"n &y 57 percent is foun$ herehttp"""%selu%e$u?Fs#i$BE@Fclasssearch

The same analysis tool "ith ?4 presets to see an$ hear the highlights a&ove is here

http"""%selu%e$u?Fs#i$BE@Fclasse*cerptPhotos of BE@F "ill &e poste$ here

http"""%selu%e$u?Fs#i$BE@Fphotossearch

45

http://www.selu.edu/34skid/BEJF4/class/main/http://www.selu.edu/http://www.selu.edu/http://www.selu.edu/http://www.selu.edu/34skid/BEJF4/class/main/http://www.selu.edu/http://www.selu.edu/http://www.selu.edu/