William John \"Bill\" Evans (August 16| 1929 äóñ September 15| 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mostly worked in a trio setting. Evans' use of impressionist harmony| inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire| block chords| and trademark rhythmically independent| \"singing\" melodic lines continue to influence jazz pianists today. Born in Plainfield| New Jersey in 1929| he was classically trained| and studied at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Mannes School of Music| where he majored in composition and received the Artist Diploma. In 1955| he moved to New York City| where he worked with bandleader and theorist George Russell. In 1958| Evans joined Miles Davis's sextet| where he was to have a profound influence. In 1959| the band| then immersed in modal jazz| recorded Kind of Blue| the best-selling jazz album of all time. In late 1959| Evans left the Miles Davis band and began his career as a leader with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian| a group now regarded as a seminal modern jazz trio. In 1961| ten days after recording the highly acclaimed Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby| LaFaro died in a car accident. After months of seclusion| Evans re-emerged with a new trio| featuring bassist Chuck Israels. In 1963| Evans recorded Conversations with Myself| an innovative solo album using the unconventional (in jazz solo recordings) technique of overdubbing over himself. In 1966| he met bassist Eddie Gí_mez| with whom he would work for eleven years. Several successful albums followed| such as Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival| Alone and The Bill Evans Album| among others. Many of his compositions| such as \"Waltz for Debby\"| have become standards and have been played and recorded by many artists. Evans was honored with 31 Grammy nominations and seven awards| and was inducted in the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.
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