Bill Evans's Impact On Jazz

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A single artist can have a very strong impact on a whole genre of Music. We have seen this time and time again through artists such as Charlie Parker, David Brubeck, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and various others. All of these artists had tremendous influences on the different eras that evolved throughout the history of Jazz. Bill Evans, and American jazz pianist, was no different. Just as Charlie Parker had started the evolution of Bebop and influenced the subsequent generations of Jazz Artists, Bill Evans has influenced Modern Jazz and the generations of artists that followed him. Throughout his career and his works with various other artists, Bill Evans has cemented himself as one of the great influences on modern day Jazz. Bill Evans was drafted shortly after he began his music career on tour with Herbie Fields. After three years in the service, he continued on tour while taking graduate school classes at Manne College in New York. At Manne College, he encountered George Russell, a pianist and composer who had a great influence on modal jazz. George Russell wrote Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, which presented the
Evans had the ability to affect all types of Jazz. Chick Corea formed an Avant-garde group circle inspired by the Bill Evans trio. While Corea derived the harmony from the impressionistic style of chords from Evans and Herbie Hancock, he stayed true to the Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian rhythm. Bill Evans was also able to affect movies. The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) had a soundtrack that used jazz standards, including those particularly from Bill Evans. “The piano introduction of ‘Jack’s Theme’... is built on a phrase taken from bars 5 and 6 of the second chorus of the Bill Evans and Miles Davis composition ‘Blue in Green’ from the album Kind of Blue.” (Biggs). This type of influence on this track is seen throughout the whole soundtrack of the

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