Bill$Evans$Trio:$Deliberate$Interplay$

5A$study$of$the$interplay$in$the$trio$formed$by$Bill$Evans,$Scott$LaFaro$and$Paul$Motian$

based$on$the$interaction$region$in$Autumn&Leaves&[stereo&take]$(Portrait&in&Jazz,$1959)5$

By#Ignacio#Azor#

Introduction*

The#goal#of#the#following#paper#is#to#analyze#the#musical#interaction#in#the#trio#

formed#by#Bill#Evans,#Scott#LaFaro#and#Paul#Motian#in#their#first#recording,#Portrait*in*

Jazz# (Evans#1959).#The#election#of# the# recording# is#not#arbitrary,# since# it# is# the# first#

time# that# they#planned#on#having#pure# interaction#passages# (Pettinger#1997,# 94)# in#

one#of#the#tracks:#Autumn*Leaves*[stereo#take],#which#I#analyze#extensively.#

# With# this# article# I# am# joining# the# conversation# started# by# Monson# in# Say*

Something:* Jazz* improvisation*and*interaction*(Monson#1996)# and#Robert#Hodson# in#*

Interaction,* Improvisation* and* Interplay* in* jazz# (Hodson# 2007)# about# interaction# in#

jazz.# I# will# do# it# by# analyzing# one# of# the# most# historically# relevant# examples# of#

interaction#for#many#reasons.#First,#the#Evans’s#trio#with#LaFaro#and#Motian#is#one#of#

the# most# influential# of# all# time.# Second,# the# three# musicians# were# aiming# for#

interaction# all# the# period# they# played# together,# since# Evans# explained# in# his# “three#

voices”#conception#of#the#trio:##

“I’m*hoping*the*trio*will*grow*in*the*direction*of*simultaneous*improvisation*rather*than*just*one*guy*blowing* followed*by*another*guy*blowing.* If* the*bass*player,* for* example,*hears* an* idea* and* he* wants* to* answer,* why* should* he* just* keep* playing* in* a* 4/4*background?*The*men*I’ll*work*with*have*learned*how*to*do*the*regular*kind*of*playing,*and*so*I*think*we*now*have*the*license*to*change*it.*After*all,*in*classical*composition,*you*

don’t* hear* a* part* remain* stagnant* until* it* becomes* a* solo.* There* are* transitional*development*passages*Ja*voice*begins*to*be*heard*more*and*more*and*finally*breaks*into*prominence”*(Pettinger#1997,#91)##

In# this#paper# I#want#to#show#the#magnitude#of# their#awareness,#reaction#time#

and#imagination#in#a#convenient#format#that#helps#the#understanding#of#the#matter.#

#

#

Analysis*of*the*interplay:## #

# In#the#released#take#of#Autumn*Leaves# there#is#a#region#right#after#the#head#in#

that#many#people#confused#with#a#bass#solo.#But#it#is#not.#Those#two#choruses#were#left#

consciously# for# interaction# between#musicians,# and# they# are# a# great# example# of# the#

“three#voices”#concept#that#Evans,#LaFaro#and#Motian#were#trying#to#achieve#in#their#

trio#(Pettinger#1997,#94).#The#following#is#a#detailed#analysis#of#the#musical#material#

presented# in# terms#of# interaction.# I#will#present#every# section#of# the# tune#and# I#will#

talk# about# the# interaction# between# the# members# of# the# trio,# using# diagrams# and#

shapes#on# the#score# to#make# the#reading#and#understanding#easier#and# faster.# I#will#

use#as#well#some#page#breaks#to#make#the#reading#more#pleasant.#

#

#

#

#

#

#

CHORUS$1:$

$A1$(bars$41548,$p.$6)$

Even#LaFaro#plays#by#himself#in#this#section,#Evans#is#paying#close#attention#to#

the#material#he’s#exposing.#In#particular,#he#takes#the#arpeggio#in#(1),#mixes#it#with#the#

motive# (2)#and#uses#both#as#an# inspiration# for#his# first# intervention# in# the# interplay#

eight#bars#later,#at#the#beginning#of#the#second#A.##

There# is# another# example# of# further# interaction# in# this# excerpt.# The# circled#

notes# in# the# transcription# show# an# oscillation# in# between#Db# and# C# that# later# on# is#

going#to#be#used#by#Evans#in#his#solo,#specifically#in#the#second#chorus#of#his#solo#(bars#

121\128).##

#

It# is# impressive# how# Evans# is# capable# of# remember# the# exposed# musical#

material#four#choruses#before#this#moment,#on#the#other#hand#this#ability#is#one#of#his#

trademarks,#as#a#deep#analysis#of#his#solos#would#reveal.##

#

A2$(bb.$49556,$p.$7):$

As#I#already#mentioned,#Evans# first# intervention# in#the#second#A# is#developed#

from# the#material# exposed# by# LaFaro# in# the# first# A# of# the# interplay# section.# On# the#

other#hand,# at# that#moment#LaFaro#keeps#developing# that#material,# and# this# is#why#

Evans#and#LaFaro’s#phrases#are#almost# identical# in#(1).#They#contain#the#same#notes#

and# end# in# the# same# beat.# Another# remarkable# fact# for# this# section# is# how# their#

phrases#don’t#step#on#each#other’s#phrase.#This#fact#can#be#measured#and#represented#

in# a# graph# looking# at#where# they# start# and# finish# their# phrases.# The# following# is# an#

analysis#on#where#Evans#and#LaFaro#start#and#end#the#phrases#in#their#improvisation.#

Maybe#this#is#why#they#sound#like#they#are#having#a#musical#conversation:#

#Phrase#beginning# Phrase#ending#

Evans#

# #

LaFaro#

# #

#

At#the#same#time,#Evans#keeps#quoting#the#oscillating#C\Db#exposed#by#LaFaro#

in#the#first#A,#as#the#reader#can#see#(circled#notes).#This#is#obvious#in#bar#54,#where#the#

pianist#emphasizes#it#a#lot.#As#we#will#see#further#on,#the#melodic#interaction#between#

LaFaro#and#Evans#is#a#common#factor#through#all#the#interplay#section.##

It#is#also#remarkable#that#Evans#chooses#to#play#in#parallel#octaves.#This#makes#

the# sound# bigger# without# the# need# of# playing# chords# and# therefore# giving# some#

freedom# to# the# harmony,# allowing# more# room# for# interaction.# It# is# a# way# of# being#

heard#allowing#the#others#being#heard#as#well,#and# it’s#coherent#with#his# idea#of# the#

trio#as#a#group#of#‘three#voices’.#

#

B$(bb.$57564,$p.8):$

Motian# joins# the# conversation# in# this# section# with# a# strong# rhythmic#motive#

that#goes#from#bar#58#till#bar#60#(2).#We#find#lots#of#interaction.#First,#LaFaro#plays#the#

first#F##in#his#solo#(1)#only#two#bars#after#Evans#does#the#same.#Right#after#that,#in#bar#

61,#Evans#takes#Motian’s#rhythmic#motive#and#paraphrases#it#playing#a#repeated#F#in#

the#piano# (3).# In# (4),# LaFaro# starts# an#8ths# note#phrase# starting# in# the#9th# of#Bb# that#

could# be# inspired# by# the# one# played# by# Motian# and# Evans.# In# (5),# Evans# takes# the#

melodic#shape#of#LaFaro’s#phrase#and#transposes#it#to#fit#the#changes,#starting#it#in#the#

9th#of#Eb#this#time.#We#could#summarize#the#interaction#of#this#section#by#the#following#

formulas:#

2 ⇒ 3 , 4 ; !!! 3 + (4) ⇒ (5)#

$

C$(bb.$65572,$p.9):$

In# the# C# section# of# this# first# chorus# of# interaction,# we# keep# seeing# lots# of#

interaction#between#Evans#and#LaFaro.#First,#he#ends#the#phrase#he#started#in#62#with#

a#minor#second#interval#in#beat#one#of#bar#65#(1).#Evans#will#do#the#same#a#bar#after#

that# (2).# So# even#he# is#playing# in#bar#65,#where#LaFaro#plays# the# end#of#his#phrase,#

Evans#keeps#listening#closely.#In#bar#67,#LaFaro#presents#a#descending#motive#that#is#

again# paraphrased# by# Evans,# who# uses# the# same# pitches# LaFaro# does# (4).# That#

descending#line#matches#at#the#same#time#the#shape#of#the#melody#in#the#last#section#

of#the#tune,#which#has#the#same#melodic#shape#as#you#can#see#in#the#following#figure.#

References#to#the#descending#line#of#the#melody#are#present#over#the#entire#track.#

In# bars# 69\71,# we# have# a# series# of# ‘coincidences’# hard# to# explain# from# an#

interaction#standpoint,#since#they#happen#simultaneously.#Despite#this,#since#they#had#

a#great#musical#affinity#and# their#phrases#are# so# logic,# it# could#be#possible# that# they#

could#intuit#what#the#other#one#was#going#to#play#and#responded#to#that# in#advance.#

Jazz# musicians# who# have# been# playing# together# for# a# while# are# able# to# predict#

sometimes#what# the# other# is# going# to# play.# So# in# (4),# (5)# and# specially# (6)#we# find#

counterpoint#material.#In#(4),#besides#both#play#really#similar#rhythm,#Evans#is#playing#

the# aforementioned# descending#motive# D\C\Bb#while# the# bassist# keeps# a# Bb,#which#

makes#oblique#motion.#In#(5),#we#find#an#example#of#parallel#motion#displaced#by#an#

8th#note.#The#most#impressive#and#difficult#to#explain#is#(6),#which#is#a#perfect#example#

of#contrary#motion.#One#could#think#at#this#point#that#this#analysis#may#be#going#too#

far#and#that#coincidences#just#happen.#One#could#also#think#that#this#passage#reflects#

the# huge#musical# affinity# and#mutual# understanding# Evans# and# LaFaro# had.#Motian#

stays#out#of#the#picture#and#just#adds#some#contrast#by#playing#simple#and#sparse#in#

the#first#four#bars#and#adding#a#rhythmic#motive#in#the#last#four.##

# This#section#is#the#one#with#more#interaction#so#far,#and#it’s#remarkable#that#it’s#

also#the#one#where#there’s#more#melodic#activity#during#the#head.#In#this#sense,#they#

respect#the#mood#of#the#tune.#

#

2nd$CHORUS$OF$INTERPLAY:$

A1$(bb.$73580):$

This#chorus#starts#with#a#really#long#phrase#by#LaFaro#that#continues#from#the#

last#section#(bb.#71\79).#Evans#starts#playing#in#bar#73,#copying#literally#what#LaFaro#

plays# the#bar#before# [(1)=(2)]#and#at# the#same#time#Motian#starts#a#phrase# that#will#

last#till#the#end#of#the#A1#section.#Right#after#that,#in#bar#74,#both#play#again#the#exact#

same#notes#at#the#same#time#(3).#Then#in#bars#78#and#79#both#play#a#phrase#with#the#

exact#same#length#(5#beats)#(4)#and#(5),#that#ends#with#a#bigger#interval#as#I#circled.##

A2$(bb.$81588)$

#

Same#as#the#last#section,#the#second#A#starts#with#a#long#phrase#by#LaFaro#that#

comes#from#the#last#section#[(6)#in#A1#goes#to#(1)#in#A2].#Evans#responds#to#this#phrase#

by#using#the#same#notes#and#developing#it#(2),#as#I#circled#in#the#score.#Bass#and#piano#

player#keep#interacting#in#(3)#and#(4).#LaFaro#starts#an#ascending#wide#range#phrase#

(3)#and#Evans#responds#with#a#line#with#the#same#characteristics#(4).#Both#(3)#and#(4)#

are# also# the# exact# same# length# again# (8# and# a# half# beats).# Motian# contributes# to#

homogeneity,#playing#a#phrase#that#connects#(1),#(2),#(3)#and#(4)#since#overlaps#with#

all#of#them.##

#

B$(bb.$89596,$p.12):$

#

This#section#is#different#from#the#preceding#ones,#and#interaction#seems#to#be#

less#intense.#Evans#leaves#less#space#between#his#phrases,#that#are#highly#motivic#and#

end#in#the#same#way#(1),#(2)#and#(3).#Less#space#means#less#interaction.#He#also#gets#

louder,#most#likely#because#he’s#announcing#his#solo,#which#will#come#right#after#this#

chorus.#It#could#also#be#a#contrasting#effect,#since#in#the#following#C#section#he#will#get#

spacey# and# softer# and# he# will# leave# the# octave# unison# figuration# to# start# playing#

voicings,#maybe# to#make# the#beginning# of# his# solo#more#dramatic.# So#maybe# in# this#

section#Evans#is#announcing#the#end#of#the#pure#interaction.##

C$(bb.$975105):$

#

As#I#said#in#the#last#paragraph,#in#this#section#the#trio#prepares#the#beginning#of#

the# piano# solo.# Evans# starts# playing# chords# for# the# first# time# in# the# whole# two#

interaction#choruses#playing#rhythmic#ideas#in#bars#98,#100,#101#and#102.#At#the#same#

time,#LaFaro#keeps#improvising,#and#Motian#keeps#leaves#even#more#space#than#in#the#

preceding# section,# answering# timidly# to# Evans# in# bars# 99,# 100# and# 101.# This#

combination#makes#a#smooth#transition#to#the#solo,#since#there#is#not#a#change#in#the#

approach# of# the# trio# except# for# Evans.# LaFaro# finishes# his# improvisation# with# an#

ostinato#similar#to#the#one#he#used#at#the#very#beginning#of#the#interaction#(bars#101#

and#102).#Subtle#changes#announce#therefore#the#upcoming#solo.#The#most#noticeable#

is#that#there#are#no#signs#of#interaction#in#this#whole#last#section.##

In#the#next#chorus,#which#will#be#the#first#of#the#four#that#form#Bill#Evan’s#solo,#LaFaro#

starts#walking,#Motian# plays# time# and# Evans# starts# high\energy,# playing# lines# in# his#

right#hand#and#chords#in#his#left.#So#the#roles#change#drastically.##

CONCLUSION:$

# I# think# the# goal# of# this# paper# was# successfully# covered.# I# analyzed# the#

interaction# between# three# revolutionary# players# in# the# piano# trio# setting,# and#

specifically# I#quantified# in#a#way# the#musical#understanding#between#Bill#Evans#and#

Scott# LaFaro# for# the# first# time.# This# is# related#with#what# other# authors# such# Ingrid#

Monson# and# Robert# Hodson# analyzed# on# jazz# interaction# before,# and# helps#

understanding# the# broader# topic# of#musical# interaction.# If# this#was# an# actual# article#

and#not#only#a#demo,#it#would#be#way#longer,#and#I#would#had#analyzed#the#interaction#

in# the# analogous# region# of# the# alternate# take# of# Autumn#Leaves.# Also# if# this#was# an#

actual# paper,# I# would# had# written# an# extra# one# about# in# which# locations# in# the#

measure#Bill#Evans# started#and# finished#his#phrases#by#analyzing#many#of#his# solos,#

since#I#know#he#has#a#tendency#to#finish#his#phrases#in#four#and#start#them#in#upbeat#of#

one,# being# this# one# of# his# trademarks.# Anyways,# this# paper# adventures# for# the# first#

time#in#an#invaluable#example#of#interaction#in#jazz#history,#and#one#of#the#most#well#

crafted.##

#

#

#

References:$#

Books:$#

Monson,#Ingrid.#1996.#Saying*something:*jazz*improvisation*and*interaction.##Chicago:#University#of#Chicago#press.##

#

Hodson,#Robert.#2007.#Interaction,*improvisation,*and*interplay*in*jazz.#New#York:#Routledge.#

#

Pettinger,#Peter.#1998.#Bill*Evans:*How*my*heart*sings!.#London:#Yale#University#Press.##

Shadwick,#Keith.#2002.#Bill*Evans:*everything*happens*to*me,*a*musical*biography.#San#Francisco:#Backbeat#Books.#

#

#

Albums:$#

Evans,#Bill.#1959.#Portrait*in*Jazz.#Riverside#OJCCD\088\2,#1987,#compact#disc.###

#

#

Other$media:$#

“George#Clabin#interviews#Bill#Evans#about#Scott#LaFaro#in#1966.”#YouTube#video.#

Posted#by#“chavrik,”#Aug#13,#2011.#http://youtu.be/IIzbINNrqcQ#

#

#

“ The#Universal#Mind#Of#Bill#Evans .”#YouTube#video.#Posted#by#“Rick#Stolk,”#January#9,#2011.#http://youtu.be/Nsnh21ae6YI#

#

#

“ Portrait'of'Bill'Evans'\!Orrin%Keepnews .”#YouTube#video.#Posted#by#“JazzVideoGuy,”#March#20,#2008.#http://youtu.be/Ahgg4G3xLZM#

#

“ Bill$Evans$Trio$on$Jazz$625!(FULL) .”#YouTube#video.#Posted#by#“Rick#Stolk,”#Jan#6,#2011.#http://youtu.be/aX7KkVanSEo#

#

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