Bill Evans Videography (1957-1969)

BILL EVANS VIDEOGRAPHY: A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE ARTIST ON VIDEO

This is the second videography of this blog, a listing of the available Bill Evans video materials on the web, after one I did earlier for the Hawk, Coleman Hawkins.

To compile this videography, I have heavily relied on the works of David Meeker (Jazz on Screen), and also the Bill Evans book by Peter Pettinger, beautifully titled How My Heart Sings. Without Jazz Discography Project life would have been more difficult for most of us, though the Bill Evans entry on JDP suffers from mistakes and lack of proper and up-to-date revision. It was then that I learned about so far the most complete discography of Bill Evans by Peter H. Larsen, posted by Italian folks, here.

Speaking of Italians, I must confess that what really inspired me to start this online listing of Bill Evans's performances was reading Enrico Pieranunzi's hugely illuminating 2001 book Bill Evans: Ritratto D'Artista Con Pianoforte which hit me hard. The Pianist as an Artist (which is its English title) is a small and humble book, but never shallow in reaching the spirit of Bill Evans's art. Also from technical standpoint, it is the most analytical since it has been written, or more likely lived, by a pianist, as superb and as Evansian as Pieranunzi.

Back to this videography, each performance is sorted chronologically and by sequence of the songs performed (which doesn't mean is always right). Then details about the session comes, and finally videos of the concert, if they have been available online in December 2012.


1957                                          


All About Rosie

Art Farmer, Louis Mucci, Jimmy Knepper, Jimmy Buffington, John las Porta, Hal McKusick, Manuel Zegler, Robert di Domenica, Teddy Charles, Margaret Ross, Barry Galbraith, Joe Benjamin, Teddy Summer.
30 May, 1957, New York City.

The groundbreaking Gunther Schuller/George Russell Orchestra, playing All About Rosie which was taped by NBC TV and broadcasted as part of Tonight Show. I don't know if this historical moment in jazz has survived in any visual format.


1958                                           

Concerto For Billy the Kid
Stratusphunk

Art Farmer (t), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Gene Quill (asax), Barry Galbraith (g), Eddie Safranski (b), Ed Thigpen (d), George Russell (arranger).
18th (?) June 1958, New York City.

This is the 13th and the last installment of a program called The Subject is Jazz which was aired on NBC, USA, in 1958. Cleverly, and mostly thanks to show's musical director Dr. Billy Taylor, this last episode is called The Future of Jazz which truly explains the new directions in the history of jazz. The Subject is Jazz is hosted by Gilbert Seldes who doesn't seem like a very patient man or one who enjoys Russell's innovations. The series was consulted by Leonard Feather and Marshall Stearns, and this one was directed by Lynwood King. The complete show can be seen here which includes Billy Taylor on piano, playing Early Bird and Double Exposure, plus an excellent interview with George Russell.

I must add to the existing info that in 1958 Bill appeared on NBC for a second time, toward the end of the year (7th of December), as a member of Tony Scott Quintet and played I'll Remember April. I have no record of that take on the internet.

Concerto For Billy the Kid

Stratusphunk

1962                                         

Nardis
Blue in green
In your own sweet way
Time remembered
Re: person I knew
Waltz for Debbie


Chuck Israels (b), Paul Motian (d).
Spring of 1962, The Village Vanguard club, New York City.

From the TV show, known as Camera Three, directed by Nick Havinga. The video quality is awful, faded and with zero contrast, but the sound is good enough to enjoy the set, especially if one considers the importance of Village Vanguard in Bill Evans's life and career.

1963                                           

Someday My Prince Will Come - not online
Come Rain Or Come Shine - not online


Chuck Israels (b), Larry Bunker (d).
June 13, 1963
From Steve Allen Show, and not available online.


1964                                           


My Foolish Heart

Israel - not online, but available on Jazz Icons DVD

Chuck Israel (b), Larry Bunker (d).
2nd September, 1964, Stockholm, Sweden.

*

Come rain or come shine - not available online

Jag vet en dejlig rosa - not available online
It could happen to you - not available online
Om natten - not available online
Corcovado
Some other time
Waltz for Debbie

Chuck Israels (b), Larry Bunker (d), Monica Zetterlund (vocal).
August 26th 1964, Radiohuset Stockholm, Sweden

The Youtube uploader says: "This is from a Swedish produced programme sent on Norwegian television called Monicas allra bästa. Originally broadcast in 1965 on a show called En stunds jazz, it was thought to have been lost forever, but some genius thankfully found it in SVT's archives."

The clips presented here are extracts from Reflections of Bill (1985), a documentary in which Monica Zetterlund recalls her gigs with Bill Evans Trio.

Corcovado

Some other time

Waltz for Debbie

1965                                          


Theme
How my heart sings
Nardis
Who can I turn to
Someday my prince will come
How deep is the ocean?
Waltz for Debbie
Elsa
Summertime
Come rain or come shine
My foolish heart
Re: person I knew
Israel


Chuck Israels (b), Larry Bunker (d).
19th March 1965, BBC, London, UK.

Legendary Jazz 625 show, hosted by great Humphrey Lyttelton; Director and producer by Terry Henebery.

*
Detour Ahead
My Melancholy Baby


Lee Konitz (asax), Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (b), Alan Dawson (d).
October (?), 1965, Belgium.
From Jazz pour tous! show.

*
Beautiful Love

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (b), Alan Dawson (d).
October 30, 1965, Berlin Philharmonie, Berlin, West Germany.
From a legendary piano summit with Jaki Byard, Earl Hines, John Lewis, Lennie Tristano, Teddy Wilson. The complete TV broadcast is here.

*
What's new?
How deep is the ocean?
Beautiful love

Lee Konitz (asax), Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (b), Alan Dawson (d).
1st November 1965, Stockholm, Sweden.

1966                                        

The Universal Mind of Bill Evans

Early autumn, 1966, New York City.

The Universal Mind of Bill Evans is a TV documentary, directed by Louis Cavrell, and narrated by Steve Allen which is actually an extended version of the film Bill Evans, jazz pianist, on the creative process and self-teaching. Here, Bill is interviewed by his older brother and the music educator, Harry was very important to his younger brother's life and later by committing suicide left Bill in anguish and pain. Songs played and heard in the film include: Love theme from Spartacus, How about you?, Star eyes, Very early, Time remembered, My bells. Sometimes Youtube videos do not play on Blogger, because of copyright infractions, but of you go directly to Youtube page, you'll be able to watch it there. I think this video is one of those, so here you go.

*
Very Early
Stella By Starlight
If You Could See Me Now
Autumn Leaves
Time Remembered
Nardis
Five (theme)

Eddie Gomez (b), Alex Riel (d).
October 28, 1966, Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway.
From a TV series called Tema med Variasjoner, directed by J. Bergh. There is a short documentary video about two famous Oslo concerts here.

*
Waltz for Debby (rehearsal)

Eddie Gomez (b), Alex Riel (d), Monica Zetterlund (vocal).
October, 1966, Copenhagen, Denmark.

*
Once Upon a Summertime
Come Rain or Come Shine - not online

Eddie Gomez (b), Alex Riel (d), Monica Zetterlund (vocal).
October 24th, 1966, The Royal Theatre Copenhagen, Denmark
Done as a charity show for Danish Red Cross.

For a broadcast from November 1966, on Danish TV, visit this webpage.

1967                                          

At Lugano festival in Switzerland. Apparently filmed and broadcast by Swiss TV. The song Yesterdays included.

1968                                          

I loves you, Porgy - not available online
Spartacus love theme - not available online
Someday my prince will come - not available online
Nardis - not available online

Jeremy Steig (flute), Eddie Gomez b), Marty Morrell (d).
1968, New York City.

From Camera Three (Season 14, Episode 36, directed by Merrill Brockway), the same TV show on which Evans appeared back in 1962. My quick search tells me that this one was mainly Jeremy Steig's showcase rather than Bill's. I haven't seen it myself, and sadly, have no trace of it in any format.

*
Stella by starlight - not available online
Emily - not available online
Theme - not available online

Eddie Gomez, Arnold Wise (d)
27th February 1968, The Village Vanguard club, New York City.
Directed by Leland Wyler and put into a 17 minutes portrait titled Bill Evans. Part of NBC TV broadcast in series Camera Three (Season 14 Episode 29). The NBC broadcast also includes Jade Visions from Village Vanguard, June 1961. Again, I feel like a useless bloke for not having any address of this lost 1968 TV broadcast.

To close the 1968 chapter, we must point to the Dial M for Music TV series, aired in the spring of that year. What connects this TV show to Bill is his appearance, along with Teddy Wilson, in one of the episodes, playing Who Can I Turn To?, Eddie Gomez and Jack de Johnette accompanying him. Later, The Bill Evans Trio (line up as above) returns to the program with John Lewis and the orchestra for a concert taped on 13 July, 1968.



1969                                          


Who Can I Turn To - not online
Emily - not online

Eddie Gomez (b), Marty Morell (d).
July 8th, 1969, New York City.
US TV-broadcast from The Steve Allen Show. Also discographies mention some broadcasts in Sweden, from Club Arthur Gothenburg (November 16th 1969) with Gomez and Morell. I haven't found anything yet.

FOR PART TWO OF THE BILL EVANS VIDEOGRAPHY (1970-1980) GO HERE