Bill Evans makes everything better

I've decided that for my semester long jazz arranging project, I will try to write a big band score to Bill Evans' "Peri's Scope". Consequently, I've been using my piano lesson to work mainly on that song, develop some voicings and alternate or substitute chords, and look at other things to make the music come alive and be more interesting in a big band arrangement. Of course, I have a brilliant recording of that song played by the Bill Evans Trio from "Portrait in Jazz", and I'm also fortunate enough to have a transcription of the song as well, allowing a deeper analysis of Bill Evans' playing and another source for ideas for the score.

So at my lesson the other night, my instructor and I listened to Peri's Scope twice through: once while looking at the transcription, once without looking at the transcription. When it got done, we talked about it a little bit, then my instructor played through it a little bit, just to experiment. He whizzed through the song with some pretty remarkable voicings and phrases and then about halfway through the second time he stopped, turned to me and said, "Everything goes better if you listen to Bill Evans first. Everything goes better if you listen to Bill Evans first. Not just piano playing, but everything!" To which I said, "So, if you listen to Bill Evans before doing your laundry, your clothes will come out cleaner." He just exclaimed, "Exactly!"

So, having trouble assembling that computer desk? Worried that your version of your mother's recipe for sloppy joes won't taste the same? Got a personnel review coming up? Listen to Bill Evans before you start. You'll be surprised and pleased by the results. My piano instructor and I promise.