Bill Evans

USA, 1950–1980

American pianist (1929-1980) whose trio with Scott LaFaro made the rhythm section a conversation rather than an accompaniment. The rootless voicings he took from French harmony are now simply how jazz piano is played.

MusicRoots documents 4 artists who influenced Bill Evans and 1 artist Bill Evans influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Bill Evans?

• Bud Powell — Evans called Powell his single greatest influence, in a 1964 interview — which is not the answer anyone expects from the man who made Kind of Blue sound French.
• Claude Debussy — The impressionist harmony that gave Evans his voicings, and the reason a jazz trio started sounding like chamber music.
• Maurice Ravel — One of the three French and Russian composers Evans is documented as drawing on.
• Alexander Scriabin — The third, and the most harmonically restless of them.

Which artists did Bill Evans influence?

• Herbie Hancock — Named by Hancock in the same sentence as Fischer, and the other source of the rootless voicings under his ballads.