Bill Evans: How the Heart Plays

Jazz Piano Genius, Trio Innovations, and the Legacy That Changed Modern Music

De: Garran P. Oakhurst

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Bill Evans reshaped the sound of jazz piano with a touch that was both fragile and fearless, intimate and architecturally bold. Bill Evans: How the Heart Plays traces his journey from his Plainfield, New Jersey childhood through the luminous breakthroughs at the Village Vanguard, his transformative role in Kind of Blue, and the deeply personal late works that continue to inspire musicians worldwide.

This definitive portrait captures not only Evans’s music but also the man behind it: a pianist who balanced rigorous classical training with fearless improvisation, whose trio redefined the conversation between bass, drums, and piano, and whose struggles with addiction and personal loss left scars audible in every phrase. Each chapter blends historical accuracy with an insider’s feel for the clubs, studios, and lives that shaped Evans’s artistry.

Readers will encounter the precision of New Jazz Conceptions, the collective dialogue forged with Scott LaFaro, the transcendent urgency of his last performances at Keystone Korner, and the timeless lyricism of compositions like Waltz for Debby and Turn Out the Stars. Drawing on performance histories, session logs, and first-hand accounts, the book documents Evans not as myth but as musician: disciplined, haunted, and relentless in his search for clarity.

More than a biography, this is a study of how Evans’s touch, tone, and trio philosophy continue to echo across generations. Pianists such as Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, and Fred Hersch have extended his legacy, while students and educators dissect his harmonic language as a foundation of modern jazz. Whether you are a lifelong fan, a musician seeking to understand trio interplay, or a listener discovering Evans for the first time, this book offers a vivid exploration of the heart behind the notes.