''Affinity'' is an album by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

released in 1979, featuring Belgian harmonica player

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

. Bill Evans plays a

Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

on many of the tracks. It is the recording debut for bassist Marc Johnson.

Reception

With the exception of a four star Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide review, the majority of recorded reception for the Affinity album came significantly later than its original release. Overall, reviewers maintain positive notes about the work.

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author.Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles an ...

on Allmusic says, "Excellent if not essential music that Evans generally uplifts".

Track listing

# "I Do It for Your Love" (

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

) – 7:16 # "Sno' Peas" (

Phil Markowitz Phil Markowitz (born September 6, 1952 in Brooklyn, New York) is a jazz pianist and educator. Discography As leader * ''Sno' Peas'' (Ken Music, 1991) * ''In the Woods'' (Passsage, 1996) * ''Taxi Ride'' (Passsage, 1998) * ''Catalysis'' (Sunnyside, ...

) – 5:51 # "

This Is All I Ask "This Is All I Ask" is a popular song written by Gordon Jenkins in 1958. Jenkins considered this his finest composition, and he recorded it in arrangements he wrote for Nat King Cole, Harry Nilsson, Tiny Tim (musician), Tiny Tim, Tony Bennett, and ...

" (

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Loui ...

) – 4:14 # " Days of Wine and Roses" (

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

) – 6:40 # "Jesus' Last Ballad" (

Gianni Bedori Gianni Bedori (25 November 1930 – 21 January 2005), also known as Johnny Sax, was an Italian jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist and composer. Career Born in Mantua, Bedori graduated in clarinet at the Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Mar ...

) – 5:52 # "Tomato Kiss" ( Larry Schneider) – 5:17 # "The Other Side of Midnight (Noelle's Theme)" (

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many son ...

) – 3:17 # "

Blue in Green "Blue in Green" is the third tune on Miles Davis' 1959 album, ''Kind of Blue''. One of two ballads on the LP (the other being "Flamenco Sketches"), the melody of "Blue in Green" is very modal, incorporating the presence of the Dorian, Mixolydi ...

" (

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, Bill Evans) – 4:09 # " Body & Soul" (

Edward Heyman Edward Heyman (March 14, 1907October 16, 1981) was an American lyricist and producer, best known for his lyrics to " Body and Soul," "When I Fall in Love," and " For Sentimental Reasons." He also contributed to a number of songs for films. Biogr ...

Robert Sour The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

Frank Eyton Frank Eyton (30 August 1894 – 11 November 1962) was an English popular music lyricist best known for co-writing the lyrics of Johnny Green's " Body and Soul" (1930) with Edward Heyman and Robert Sour. Frank Eyton biographyat Allmusic - retrieved ...

Johnny Green John Waldo Green (October 10, 1908 – May 15, 1989) was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, conductor and pianist. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his earli ...

) – 6:16

Personnel

– piano, keyboards * Marc Johnson – bass *

Eliot Zigmund Eliot Zigmund (born April 14, 1945) is an American jazz drummer, who has worked extensively as a session musician. Biography Zigmund studied at Mannes School of Music and City College of New York, where he graduated in 1969. After moving to Cali ...

– drums * Larry Schneider – flute, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone *

– harmonica Production notes * Helen Keane – producer *Frank Laico – engineer

Chart positions

References

External links

The Bill Evans Memorial Library
Bill Evans albums Toots Thielemans albums 1979 albums Warner Records albums {{1970s-jazz-album-stub