Bill Evans’s inaugural recording as a leader took place on September 18th and 27th of 1956. The result was Bill Evans: New Jazz Conceptions for the Riverside label. He was joined by Teddy Kotick on bass and Paul Motian on drums.
Devoting nearly half my life to the study of Evans and his music, I feel comfortable saying that the title, which was likely devised by his producer, Orrin Keepnews, is somewhat paradoxical; Evans offers little that I would consider to be new in the conceptual front on this album.
In the liner notes, Keepnews claims, “The most striking new element in Evans’ piano style lies in his use of extremely long melodic lines; his choruses are constructed in longer, more sustained units than is the case with almost any other pianist who comes to mind.”
Frankly, I find Evans’s approach to be steeped in the bebop aesthetic. His staccato attack on the piano on most tracks is akin to Lennie Tristano and his long, florid lines are reminiscent of Bud Powell. These reveal nothing of what would be Evans’s signature sound – he had yet to find his voice. As Gene Lees suggested, “[the record] is brittle in comparison” to what I feel is the pianist’s true debut album, “Everybody Digs Bill Evans.”
This Quiet Fire 