Bill Evans
- Instrument:
- Piano
- Genres:
- Jazz, Pop, Classical, Folk, World, & Country, Latin, Funk / Soul, Rock, Electronic, Stage & Screen, Non-Music
- Styles:
- Contemporary Jazz, Post Bop, Bop, Cool Jazz, Modal, Swing, Hard Bop, Vocal, Big Band, Fusion
Bill Evans is one of the most influential and foundational pianists in jazz history, featured on over 400 releases. His output is defined by a sophisticated, lyrical approach, with his core styles being Cool Jazz, Modal Jazz, and Post Bop. His career demonstrates a clear stylistic evolution: from his pivotal role in defining the Modal Jazz sound on Miles Davis’s landmark “Kind of Blue” (1959), to pioneering the modern piano trio format with his own seminal recordings like “Sunday at the Village Vanguard” and “Waltz for Debby”. His immense range and innovative use of impressionistic harmony allowed him to become a central figure for an all-star roster, including Chet Baker and Cannonball Adderley. His work is prominent across cornerstone labels such as Riverside, Verve, and Fantasy, demonstrating his profound impact on the emotional and harmonic language of jazz piano that continues to influence every generation.
Essential Bill Evans Albums
The Blues And The Abstract Truth
Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, Eric Dolphy, Oliver Nelson, Paul Chambers (3), Freddie Hubbard
1961
Hard Bop
Undercurrent
Bill Evans, Jim Hall
1962
Cool Jazz
Know What I Mean?
Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans
1962
Hard Bop
At The Montreux Jazz Festival
Bill Evans
1968
New Jazz Conceptions
Bill Evans
1957
Cool Jazz
You Must Believe In Spring
Bill Evans
1981
Post Bop
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis With Julian “Cannonball” Adderley*, Paul Chambers (3), James Cobb*, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly
0
From Left To Right
Bill Evans
1970
Instrumental
Interplay
Bill Evans
1962
Post Bop
Waltz For Debby
Monica Zetterlund, Bill Evans
1964
Vocal
Similar Artists
Top Labels
| Label | Releases |
|---|---|
| Verve Records | 210 |
| Columbia | 94 |
| Riverside Records | 81 |
| Not On Label | 58 |
| Universal Music | 51 |
| Blue Note | 43 |
| Milestone | 38 |
| Fantasy | 35 |
| Legacy | 32 |
| SteepleChase | 29 |
Bill Evans Collaborations
As Leader
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Eddie Gomez | Bass | 71 |
| Marty Morell | Drums | 48 |
| Marc Johnson | Bass | 27 |
| Joe LaBarbera | Drums | 22 |
| "Philly" Joe Jones | Drums | 20 |
| Eliot Zigmund | Drums | 20 |
| Chuck Israels | Bass | 15 |
| Larry Bunker | Drums | 15 |
| Paul Motian | Drums | 9 |
| Jim Hall | Guitar | 8 |
As Sideman
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Eddie Gomez | Bass | 29 |
| Paul Motian | Drums | 26 |
| Marc Johnson | Bass | 25 |
| Joe LaBarbera | Drums | 24 |
| Paul Chambers | Bass | 22 |
| Jimmy Cobb | Drums | 20 |
| John Coltrane | Tenor Saxophone | 19 |
| Miles Davis | Trumpet | 19 |
| "Philly" Joe Jones | Drums | 19 |
| Cannonball Adderley | Alto Saxophone | 17 |
Key Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Various | Leader | 93 |
| Helen Keane | Producer | 34 |
| Creed Taylor | Producer | 17 |
| George Horn | Mastered By | 17 |
| Miles Davis | Leader | 17 |
| Phil Carroll | Art Direction | 14 |
| Mark Gardner | Liner Notes | 13 |
| Orrin Keepnews | Producer | 12 |
| Jordi Pujol | Executive-Producer | 11 |
| Orrin Keepnews | Producer, Liner Notes | 10 |
Discography
Total: 1568 releases
| Artist | Album | Label | Leader/Sideman | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alessio Piro | Tromsø Suite | Dodicilune | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Iiro Rantala, Kaisa Mäensivu, Morten Lund | Trinity | ACT | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Jimbo Ross | So Do It | Bodacious Records | Sideman | Bop | 2025 |
| Bill Evans | Portraits At The Penthouse Live In Seattle | Resonance Records | Leader | Bop | 2025 |
| Luca Gusella, Andrea Grossi (3), Alessandro Rossi | Portraits | Caligola | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2025 |
| Bill Evans Trio* | Portrait In Jazz | - | Leader | 2025 | |
| Roby Perissin & The Latin Jazz Ensemble | My Latin Brothers | A Joy Boys Production | Sideman | Latin Jazz | 2025 |
| John Hart | Love Is | SteepleChase | Sideman | Post Bop | 2025 |
| Jyväskylä Workshop Band 1970 | Jyväskylä Workshop Band 1970 | Jazzaggression Records | Sideman | Post Bop | 2025 |
| Alan Chaubert | Just The Three Of Us | Pacific Coast Jazz | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Bill Evans | Further Ahead (Live In Finland 1964-1969) | Elemental Music | Leader | Post Bop | 2025 |
| Nobuyuki Nakajima | Flamenco Sketches | Incense Music Works Inc. | Sideman | Downtempo | 2025 |
| Laurianne Corneille | Cosmosis | NoMadMusic | Sideman | Baroque | 2025 |
| Lennart Smidt | Boomerang | Hey!jazz | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2025 |
| Various | After The Hunt (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Nonesuch | Sideman | Score | 2025 |
| Bill Evans/Jim Hall | Undercurrent | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Pablo Held | Trio Plays Standards | Hopalit Records | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2024 |
| Miyuki Hatakeyama | Travelin' Light | Happiness Records | Sideman | J-pop | 2024 |
| Bill Evans | The Legendary Trio At Birdland 1960 Revisited | - | Leader | 2024 | |
| DJP TRIO | Somewhere | Parco Della Musica Records | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2024 |
Styles & Genres Distribution
Styles
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Jazz | 311 | 10% |
| Post Bop | 261 | 8.4% |
| Bop | 170 | 5.5% |
| Cool Jazz | 133 | 4.3% |
| Modal | 131 | 4.2% |
| Swing | 65 | 2.1% |
| Hard Bop | 61 | 2% |
| Vocal | 61 | 2% |
| Big Band | 51 | 1.6% |
| Fusion | 33 | 1.1% |
Genres
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 1420 | 45.7% |
| Pop | 54 | 1.7% |
| Classical | 53 | 1.7% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 43 | 1.4% |
| Latin | 26 | 0.8% |
| Funk / Soul | 21 | 0.7% |
| Rock | 21 | 0.7% |
| Electronic | 17 | 0.5% |
| Stage & Screen | 15 | 0.5% |
| Non-Music | 14 | 0.5% |
