ビル・エヴァンスは1980年に亡くなってから40年以上経過しても人気が衰えず、彼の音源が発掘され続けている。彼の代表作である『ワルツ・フォー・デビー』は日本のジャズCDの年間売上チャートでトップの座を維持している。エヴァンスの日本での初公開作品から1966年までの作品が紹介されており、レコード会社を通じてのマーケティングによりその人気が高まっていたことが明らかにされている。その後、彼の音楽は映画音楽のオーケストラにもカバーされるなど、広く愛され続けている。
Author: Shinji Ikegami
Even more than 40 years after his death in 1980, the pianist Bill Evans continues to enjoy immense popularity. Recently, newly discovered recordings have been released one after another, generating buzz each time, and his popularity shows no sign of waning. His masterpiece “Waltz for Debbie” continues to top the annual sales charts for jazz CDs in Japan. Evans’ first public performance in Japan was in 1962, titled “Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard” (now known as “Sunday at the Village Vanguard”). Following that, in 1963, shortly after the 236th episode, “The Art of Bill Evans” (now “Waltz for Debbie”) was released, and Evans’ recordings continued to grow rapidly. During the four years from 1963 to 1966, there were only a few domestically released records bearing the name “Bill Evans,” including singles. An average of 6 titles were released per year during that time. It is correct to think that Evans did not make many albums at that time. However, those records are no longer available. Let’s take a look at the titles released domestically during those periods (the labels are original labels).
1963
● “The Art of Bill Evans” (Riverside)
As mentioned earlier, this is the current title “Waltz for Debbie.”
● Bill Evans & Jim Hall “The Dark Current”
The current title is “Undercurrent,” the latest work at that time.
● “Moonlight” (Riverside)
The current title is “Moonlight,” which was also the last work.
(and so on…)
1965
● “Trio ’64” (Brio)
The latest work at that time.
● “Dig It!!” (Riverside)
Part of a compilation series “Punch Jazz Series” in collaboration with the magazine “Heibon Punch.”
(and so on…)
1966
● “Bill Evans” (Riverside)
A 2-disc set that includes “Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard” and “The Art of Bill Evans.”
● “Art by Bill Evans” (Riverside)
Released as the first installment of the Riverside Sound Source compilation series “Great Jazz Artistry Series.”
(and so on…)
Starting in 1963, in Japan, new releases of Bill Evans’ work began to be issued one after another, and even older releases began to be referred to as “new discs.” There were also rare singles and compilations that seemed to have resulted from changes in distribution companies, highlighting Evans in jazz releases. Evans was mentioned in “Marketing” by record companies. In a popularity poll by Swing Journal, Evans was not marked in 1961, rose to 11th place in 1962, jumped to 5th place in 1963, continued at 3rd place from 1964, and finally reached the top in 1967. This was, of course, due to Evans’ talent. However, without such large-scale releases and promotion, his trend and subsequent evaluations might have changed slightly. Surprisingly, he became a member of an orchestra that covered movie music.
Author: Shinji Ikegami
Freelance editor and writer specializing in jazz. Published an e-book series “Learning Jazz History Through Subscription.” As an editor, authored “Masahiro Goto’s 500 Classic Jazz Vocals” (Shogakukan Shinsho), “Takao Ogawa’s Miles Davis Encyclopedia” (Shinko Music Entertainment), and more. Authored “Introduction to Jazz” (Sekaibunka-sha). Monthly personality on Kamakura FM’s jazz program “The World Wants Jazz.”