''Letter to Evan'' is a live album by

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 m ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Bill Evans with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera recorded at

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sc ...

in 1980 about two months before his death. It was released on the Dreyfus Jazz label.Bill Evans discography
accessed March 23, 2010

Reception

The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars and states "Evans is heard with one of his finest trios... in surprisingly enthusiastic and creative form; there is no hint that the end is near... Easily recommended for true Bill Evans fans".Yanow, S
Allmusic Review
accessed August 5, 2011

Track listing

:''All compositions by Bill Evans except as indicated'' # " Emily" (

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

, Johnny Mercer) - 5:33 # " 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 ...

, Mercer) - 8:25 # "Knit for Mary F." - 6:07 # "

Like Someone in Love "Like Someone in Love" is a popular song composed in 1944 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written (along with "Sleigh Ride in July") for the 1944 film, ''Belle of the Yukon'', where it was sung by Dinah Shore. It was a hi ...

" ( Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 7:06 # "Your Story" - 3:56 # " Stella by Starlight" (

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Bes ...

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Biography Young is commonly said to ...

) - 8:26 # "

My Man's Gone Now "My Man's Gone Now" is an aria composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by DuBose Heyward, written for the opera '' Porgy and Bess'' (1935). Sung in the original production by Ruby Elzy, it has been covered by many singers, notably Ella Fitzgera ...

" (

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) - 6:07 # "Letter to Evan" - 8:03 :*Recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London, England on July 21, 1980

Personnel

* Bill Evans -

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

* Marc Johnson - bass * Joe LaBarbera - drums

References

{{Authority control Bill Evans live albums 1980 live albums Albums recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club