Bill Evans

When you begin to teach jazz, the most dangerous thing is that you tend to teach style…I had eleven piano students, and I would say eight of them didn’t even want to know about chords or anything – they didn’t even want to do anything that anybody had ever done, because they didn’t want to be imitators. Well, of course, this is pretty naive…but nevertheless it does bring to light the fact that if you’re going to try to teach jazz…you must abstract the principles of music which have nothing to do with style, and this is exceedingly difficult. So there, the teaching of jazz is a very touchy point. It ends up where the jazz player, ultimately, if he’s going to be a serious jazz player, teaches himself.

Jazz isn’t a what, it’s a how.

Perhaps it is a peculiarity of mine that despite the fact that I am a professional performer, it is true that I have always preferred playing without an audience.

I say this because it’s a good message to give to young talents who feel as I used to. You hear musicians playing with great fluidity and complete conception early on, and you don’t have that ability. I didn’t. I had to know what I was doing. And ultimately it turned out that these people weren’t able to carry their thing very far. I found myself being more attracted to artists who have developed through the years and become better and deeper musicians.I believe in things that are developed through hard work.

I’m believe that all people are in possession of what might be called a ‘universal musical mind.’

Keep searching for that sound you hear in your head until it becomes a reality.

Musicians have a really big part to play in spreading messages because they’re able to reach a large portion of people on an emotional level. Artists reach people at their heart; it’s the only time we meet in one place and put our differences aside. When you’re in a forum listening to music, all you feel in that moment is love and the understanding.

If I’m not a jazz player all the time, I’ve at least been cued in to what I do by jazz.

People like the idea of the trio and so I did mostly trio.

I am attracted to Jazz music for the idea of being in the moment and communicating to people spontaneously.

The extreme dynamic and percussive possibilities of an acoustic guitar amplified through a bridge pickup have, over many years of performing, informed not only the way I play, but the way I write and sing too. My guitar taught me to sing in textures, from the roundest lingering harmonic to the sharpest snap of a pulled string. Being a percussion instrument as well as a melodic instrument, my guitar also teaches me about the relationship between rhythm and melody. Portable. Did I mention it also taught me about being portable?

Improvisation is the ability to talk to oneself.

As long as musicians have passion for spontaneity and creating something that’s never been before, Jazz will flourish.

Some people try to get very philosophical and cerebral about what they’re trying to say with jazz. You don’t need any prologues, you just play. If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.

I see my body as an instrument, rather than an ornament.

It’s easy in music to tell what’s good. It’s hard to tell what’s bad.

Sometimes I think I was making music through the wrong end of a magnifying glass.

Audiences are smart. They are not going to come out to see you unless you are honest.

I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.

Get out there and improvise and take chances and don’t be a perfectionist.

Love songs last because they are about feelings that don’t change.