Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical Recordings of Bill Evans accompanying singers?

I have one album of Bill Evans with Monica Zetterlund, and I absolutely love his comping style on that album.

So, it leads me to ask this:
Are there any other records where Bill Evans is accompanying a singer?

I get great ideas stylistically how to play jazz from him comping to a vocalist, and I want more of it.. However after much research I can't find any recordings of him accompanying a singer.

Anybody have any input on this? I mean... this is the world famous Piano forums, which I'm sure there's a Bill Evans enthusiast like me out there .

There's one with Tony Bennett. Also, there's another great album of Bill's comping, albeit not with a singer, but with Toots Thielemans - the harmonica master.

Love this album! By the way there are actually 2 recordings they did together.

The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album and Together Again. The second one is much less famous but equally great.

Not a vocal album but one of Bill's best albums with instrumentalist. Bill Evans & Jeremy Steig: What's New. You can tell Bill is really enjoying himself. A very high energy session.

Is it horrible for me to say I don't like Tony Bennett's voice? I guess I'll have to tolerate it to enjoy more Bill.

And thanks for the suggestions Chris Bell and 36251. I'll have to check those out, I can only imagine what happens when you combine Bill Evans and a Harmonica master haha.

I was really hoping there'd be more though! I love how female vocals sound, and Evans with Zetterlund completely takes the cake.

It's not vocal, but check out the Bill Evans and Jim Hall albums ('Undercurrent' and 'Intermodulation'). Features some great accompanying while Jim Hall plays the head and while Jim is soloing. And since there is no bass and drums, you can really hear every nuance of Bill's chord voicings and stylings. And I believe Bill would have played very similarly if there was a vocalist singing rather than a guitar playing the same melody. Think the Tony Bennett albums - without Tony!

Also, and this is not even Bill Evans but, for an absolute gem in jazz piano accompaniment, I highly recommend Kenny Barron and Stan Getz's album: 'People Time'. Some of the best accompanying from ANY pianist I've ever heard. Also, since there is no bass and drums, you can clearly hear the voicings and you get to see how Kenny handles solo piano when it's his turn to solo over the choruses - and I might add that he handles it beautifully! "Night and Day" is a prime example from this classic album. You won't be disappointed!

:-)


-Erich

I'm not a huge fan of Tony Bennett. And while his recordings with Bill Evans are the ones I like the most of Tony Bennett, I frankly find that I hardly hearing Bennett when I listen to those two recordings. Evans' accompaniment is so masterful and such a joy to listen to, it could be me singing and it would sound great.

I'm also a big fan of People Time; one of the best duet albums out there.

This is one of the most inspiring videos I've ever seen of Bill Evans, to be honest, and it's just a rehearsal!..

Where have the times gone? How come everything is synthesized, even singer's voices?

...I want a beautiful lady to stand next to me and sing as I play.

I need to get over it that it will never happen. ha