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List of compositions by Bill Evans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list contains the known compositions of Bill Evans. It is likely that some of his works have not survived or remain unpublished, for example, a piece titled "Very Little Suite", an assignment composed during his college years.

Name Year of composition Year of first recording First recording Notes
Are You All the Things 1974 Intuition A contrafact based on Jerome Kern's classic "All the Things You Are," which rearranges the words of its title
B Minor Waltz 1977 You Must Believe in Spring For ex-girlfriend Ellaine, who committed suicide.
Bill's Belle 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
Bill's Hit Tune 1979 We Will Meet Again
Blue in Green 1959 1959 Kind of Blue Miles Davis claimed authorship, but Evans, Earl Zindars, and many jazz historians have maintained that it was Evans who composed it (or at least co-wrote it).
C Minor Blues Chase 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
Carnival 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
Catch the Wind 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
Children's Play Song 1970 From Left to Right
Chromatic Tune 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
Comrade Conrad 1971 The Bill Evans Album The tune originated as a Crest toothpaste jingle. It was later elaborated and dedicated to Conrad Mendenhall, a friend who had died in a car accident.[1]
Displacement 1956 New Jazz Conceptions
Epilogue 1959 Everybody Digs Bill Evans Short solo
Evanesque 1980 (unfinished) Completed and first recorded by Eliane Elias on her tribute album Something for You (2008)
Five 1956 New Jazz Conceptions Like many jazz tunes, it's based on the chords of "I Got Rhythm." It was for some years the Bill Evans Trio signature tune.
For Nenette 1978 New Conversations For Evans' wife. There is also a lyric version titled "In April"
Fudgesickle Built for Two 1962 Loose Blues Released in 1982
Fun Ride 1962 Loose Blues Released in 1982
Funkallero 1956 Tenderly: An Informal Session Recorded with Don Elliott and released posthumously in 2001
Funny Man 1967 Further Conversations with Myself
G Waltz 1967 California Here I Come
Here Is Something for You 1980 (unfinished) From a private cassette recording; completed and recorded with added lyrics by Eliane Elias on her tribute album Something for You (2008)
Interplay 1962 Interplay
It's Love – It's Christmas 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous, lyrics also by Bill Evans
Knit for Mary F 1980 Letter to Evan For fan Mary Franksen
Know What I Mean? 1961 Know What I Mean? Piece for Cannonball Adderley's homonymous album
Laurie 1979 1979 We Will Meet Again For girlfriend Laurie Verchomin
Letter to Evan 1979 The Paris Concert: Edition Two Written for his son Evan Evans, born in 1975
Loose Bloose 1962 Loose Blues Released in 1982
Maxine 1978 New Conversations For his stepdaughter, Nenette's daughter
My Bells 1962 Loose Blues Released in 1982; first appeared on Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra in 1966
N.Y.C.'s No Lark 1963 1963 Conversations with Myself Anagram of the name of pianist Sonny Clark, a personal friend who died in 1963
One For Helen 1966 Bill Evans at Town Hall For manager Helen Keane
Only Child
Orbit 1966 A Simple Matter of Conviction a.k.a. Unless It's You
Peace Piece 1958 Everybody Digs Bill Evans Improvised solo, loosely based on Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time"
Peri's Scope 1959 Portrait in Jazz For girlfriend Peri Cousins
Prologue 1966 Bill Evans at Town Hall Prologue to the solo titled "In Memory of His Father Harry L."
Re: Person I Knew 1962 Moon Beams Anagram of the name of his friend producer Orrin Keepnews
Remembering the Rain 1978 New Conversations
Show Type Tune 1962 How My Heart Sings!
A Simple Matter of Conviction 1966 A Simple Matter of Conviction
Since We Met 1974 Since We Met Dedicated to and titled by his wife Nanette
34 Skidoo 1962 How My Heart Sings!
Song for Helen 1978 New Conversations For manager Helen Keane
Song No.1 First recorded by Chick Corea in 2010
Story Line 1966 Bill Evans at Town Hall Part of the solo titled "In Memory of His Father Harry L."
Sugar Plum
The Opener
Theme (What You Gave) 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
There Came You 1962 Loose Blues Released in 1982
These Things Called Changes 1966 A Simple Matter of Conviction
Tiffany 1980 Turn Out the Stars:
The Final Village Vanguard Recordings
For Joe LaBarbera's daughter
Time Out for Chris
Time Remembered 1962 Loose Blues Released in 1982; first appeared on Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra in 1966
Turn Out the Stars 1966 Bill Evans at Town Hall First appeared in "In Memory of His Father Harry L.," an extended solo featuring other pieces; lyrics by Gene Lees
T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune) 1971 The Bill Evans Album Based on a tone row
T.T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune Two) 1973 The Tokyo Concert Based on a tone row
The Two Lonely People 1971 The Bill Evans Album Lyrics by Carol Hall for the performance of the song by Tony Bennett
Very Early 1949 (appr.) 1962 Moon Beams Evans's first-known tune composed when he was an undergraduate
Walkin' Up 1962 How My Heart Sings!
Waltz for Debby 1953 (appr.) 1956 New Jazz Conceptions Written for his then recently born niece; lyrics later added by Gene Lees
Waltz in E 1965–67 (appr.) Posthumous
We Will Meet Again 1977 You Must Believe in Spring For his brother Harry; lyrics by Bill Evans (heard in recordings by others such as Tierney Sutton)
Yet Ne'er Broken An anagram of the name of cocaine dealer Robert Kenney
Your Story 1980 Letter to Evan

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pettinger 2002, p. 205.

Sources

  • Pettinger, Peter (2002) [1999]. Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings (new ed.). Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09727-1.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Wetzel, Pascal (1996). Bill Evans Fake Book. Ludlow Music.