August 13 at 19.00 with “VEF Jazz Club” jazz music concert “Inspired by Bill Evans“VEF Kultūras pils will start the 2020/2021 concert season and thus will resume live concerts and events, but on September 22 the trio” Auziņš-Čudars-Arutyunyan “will perform in the atmosphere of the jazz club of the VEF Culture Palace Great Hall stage, which, for the first time, will play its new live program made in the spring of 2020 and recorded on the album. –
Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer whose impressionistic harmony, innovative interpretation of the traditional jazz repertoire, and ease of singing melodic lines have adorned the jazz scene for almost 30 years. He has been nominated for the Grammy Award 31 times, of which he has won the award 7 times. Leaving a significant impression not only on the jazz music genre, but also on the jazz community and listeners, Evans gave his last notes to the listeners in 1980, but they do not stop playing today.
In honor of the outstanding pianist’s work, Latvian musicians create a program that will include some of the composer’s most beautiful compositions. Pianist Krists Saržants, double bassist Toms Poišs, drummer Kaspars Kurdeko, as well as singer Evilena Protektore, with whom Latvijas Radio 3 “Klasika” met a few days before the concert, will take part in the concert.
Ieva Zeidmane: What exactly did Bill Evans inspire you?–
Evilena Protectors: Which he didn’t inspire … He was a wonderful pianist and composer, and his compositions coincide with my interests. He was an ingenious composer, as has been acknowledged by his colleagues, including Mailz Davis, with whom he has played and was the only white pianist in the famous Mailz “Kind of Blue”. I listened to an interview with Bill Evans manager Helen – she says that she survived very much because she was white and there were quite a few conflict situations with black musicians because she was white and played “black music”, but she was accepted – it was quite interesting. And these experiences are also reflected in his work. Many of him say that he was a very sensitive person and full of emotions, very much about the world – life was not easy for him, and this is also reflected in his compositions, although some are fast and energetic, more lyrical and experienced. It inspires me.
You mentioned the interview you listened to. This means that it is important for you to know more about the people themselves – not just understand the musical heritage?
Of course, because we jazz players often played jazz standards. When we take a piece, we play it in our own way – we take the piece and rework it so that it is our piece, but – to fully understand what it is about and why one or another harmonic moves, words or melodies are chosen, it is important to know human history, the story – why he did something, what he has experienced. This is especially true in words. Sometimes the words are written carelessly just to fit the rhythm, but in many cases – especially in Bill Evans’ music, the words reflect life, and it allows you to understand people, the composition and feel their composition differently.
August 16 will be Bill Evans’ 91st birthday. Does the concert have anything to do with it?
We think more about the fact that this year marks the fortieth anniversary of his departure. For a long time, we wanted to create a program with Christ that would be dedicated to Bill Evans – with his departure, the world lost a very talented person who had more to say.
Because he left at the age of 51 …
Yes, for various reasons he had a lot of health problems …
The Christ you mentioned is pianist Kristi Saržants – he will be one of the musicians in this concert. But there will be other musicians, right?
The wonderful Tom Poišs will be on the double bass, the charming Kaspars Kurdeko will play the drums.
When you visited Klasikas studio in January, you said that the concert is not a “jam session”. – because the concert has to be prepared, it has to be played in advance, and the musicians you will be working with this time are already well known to you.
Yes, quite well, but this time it is impossible to play Bill Evans in the “jam” version, because his compositions differ in that there is both an atypical number of bars and atypical harmonies – he had his own vision and understanding of music. as it should sound. While everything sounds very melodic and beautiful, in reality there’s everything and it’s not that easy to play it all. He also liked challenges – Bill has a piece “Five”, which consists of rhythmic challenges. It sounds very light and simple, but in reality there are all kinds of polyrhythmic things inside, which would be quite difficult to play in a simple “jam” version. There you have to be sure that all the members of the ensemble are either geniuses in reading from the page, or just know their composition very well.
But do you also like challenges?
But of course! If it weren’t for the challenge, it wouldn’t be fun, it would be boring.
Jazz is actually such a big challenge …
It’s a never-ending challenge, yes.
Speaking of Bill Evans, he often mentions the impressionistic harmonies he liked – RavēI found it interesting. Do you feel it?
Of course! It’s also very interesting – listening to Bill Evans’ compositions, you can immediately say that it is Bill Evans. It’s one of the very rare times when you may not know it’s Bill Evans’s compositions, but when you listen, you realize it is.
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