Sunday at the Village

Anyone listening to contemporary jazz piano is very likely to tune

into the legacy of Bill Evans, particularly when confronted by the

work of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Brad

Mehldau. These artists collectively display various elements of

his style, ranging from reflection to subtlety and taste in the

extreme. His importance to the development of jazz is

unquestionable, the words of British jazz critic Barry McRae

being the perfect summation: 'A brilliant pianist who somehow

managed to disguise the fact, Bill Evans never paraded his

technique but, like all true virtuosi, he made no mistakes. His

home was the piano trio and he brought to piano, bass and

drums an orchestral awareness and expansiveness that belied

the size of the group.'