Bill Evans cover

Bill Evans

by Peter Pettinger

Universally acknowledged as one of the most influential of all jazz pianists. Bill Evans (1929-1980) brought an unequaled finesse of touch to the keyboard. Classically trained on flute, violin, and piano, Evans chose jazz - specifically, the jazz piano trio - as the medium for his life's achievement. Peter Pettinger's biography tells Evans's story for the first time. Based on extensive research and conversations with many of Evans's friends and colleagues, as well as Pettinger's firsthand memories of performances at the Village Vanguard in New York and Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, it describes the life, the musicmaking, and the legacy of this major American jazz artist. Pettinger assesses Evans's recordings and analyzes his expressive technique, tone production, approach to group playing, and compositional methods. With a full discography and dozens of photographs, the volume will be welcomed by jazz fans and general readers alike.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?