I came across this little treasure chest of Bill Evans transcriptions and wanted to share it with you all.
The document on Bill and his brother growing up is also an interesting read. I always find it rewarding to learn more about the lives and backgrounds of my favourite musicians. It gives me more insight into their sound and how it developed.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7uC6gjfzfAFWXlzMmxMRnRMZjg&usp=sharing
When using the transcriptions above, try to find the actual recording of him playing (YouTube is good for this) and really study it. Play along to try to absorb his phrasing and articulation and study the voicings he uses in his left hand.
If you’ve not studied transcriptions before, I’d recommend starting with ‘Blue In Green’ which is the 4th transcription in the document ‘Bill Evans: The Miscellany Of Rare Transcriptions’ which is in the folder above.
The version from the transcription is here:
It starts off as a ballad and then the tempo doubles into a swing feel… characteristic of his playing. Notice Bill’s left hand accompaniment towards the end of the tune - ‘Locked Hands’ style where he plays left hand voicings with each melody note - absolutely delightful!
Check out the PianoGroove tutorial on that locked hands style here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/locked-hands-improvisation/ - if you like that style, you can certainly learn a lot from this performance!!
