[.ca] The Artistry of Bill Evans (ISBN 089898551X)

one of the better transcription collections:
This is actually Volume 2 (1995), and contains EIGHT (not eighty) transcriptions of Bill Evans piano parts off the recordings. This collection is better than Vol. 1. First, vol. 1 did not transcribe the comping behind the bass solos. Second, vol. 1 focused on the late Fantasy & early Warner Bros. recordings (1970s), while this collection ranges from the first trio on Riverside, some Verve solo and trio sides, and solo sides from Fantasy. Gripe: when transcribing trio recordings, is it too much to ask that the bass part also be transcribed? Songs: "Autumn Leaves" (mono version), "Spring is Here," and "What is This Thing Called Love" from PORTRAIT IN JAZZ; "Here's That Rainy Day" from ALONE; "I Should Care" and "Make Someone Happy" from TOWN HALL; "The Touch of Your Lips" and "What Kind of Fool am I" from ALONE (AGAIN). No extras (vol. 1 had a short essay and photos).

TRANSCRIPTIONS I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! THANKS:
FOR THOSE WHO STRUGGLE TRYING TO TRANSCRIBE BILL EVANS PIANO SESSIONS, THIS IS A GODSENT. EXCELLENT SELECTIONS OF SOME OF HIS GREATEST RECORDINGS. JUST TO HAVE "I SHOULD CARE" IS PRICELESS. THIS WILL BE AT THE TOP OF ANY PIANO MUSICAN'S LIBRARY OF STANDARDS. A TERRIFIC BARGAIN KNOWING THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO ACCURATE TRANSCRIBING.

Great effort but not without errors:
I know how difficult it is to transcribe the equivocal voicings of Bill Evans' chords, particularly the left hand. Mostly the book is a painstaking and an accurate transcription ,but not always. There are some mistakes (accidentals missing), and an impenetrable Cm11 voicing in one piece, while the LH chord in part of "I should Care" is one inversion too low (I should Care - "Funny how sheep can send you to sleep"). This last is an example of how fond Bill was of the semitone buzz. I think he preferred voicings for G7 like (going up from just below middle C) B E F A (which is of course G9,13 really) to F A B E (a tritone lower)

Fun sheet music:
Always fun to play Bill Evans sheet music, including this one,,this exact note to note from,, records : You must believe in spring, I will say goodbye, Since we meet (& others). Try 'But Beautiful' from stunning 'Since we meet' album,, Seascape. One of best Jazz sheet music.

Dig in to this!:
I have spent many hours with the transcriptions included in this book and I plan to spend many more. For those serious enough to invest the time and energy, this compilation allows one to dissect the beautiful complexities of Evans' playing. I found myself working on playing only a few bars at a time after which I would challenge myself to use the chord voicings or melodic figures on other tunes and in different contexts. Bill Evans is a musician's musician. And that is the reason this set of transcriptions contains such a wealth of information about jazz. Anyone serious about jazz deserves to spend time with this compilation.