External links
- "Waltz for Debby" at jazzstandards.com
| "Waltz for Debby" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Bill Evans | |
| from the album New Jazz Conceptions | |
| Released | 1956 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 1:20 |
| Composer(s) | Bill Evans |
| Lyricist(s) | Gene Lees |
"Waltz for Debby" is a jazz standard composed by pianist Bill Evans, which became "his most famous tune." [1] He first recorded it as a brief solo piano piece on his debut album, New Jazz Conceptions (1956). Lyrics were added about six years later by Evans's friend Gene Lees. [2] "Debby" in the composition's title refers to Evans's then 3-year-old niece, Debby Evans, whom he often took to the beach. [3]
The "definitive performance" of the piece is usually considered to be the live recording from the third set on 25 June 1961 at the Village Vanguard by the classic Bill Evans Trio featuring bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. [4] (It was also recorded as part of the second set, and that less famous version, take 1, has been made available on various releases as a bonus track.)
Evans later accompanied vocal versions of the waltz by both Monica Zetterlund (in Swedish) and Tony Bennett (the only time Evans made a recording with the Gene Lees lyrics). Including many posthumous releases, several dozen recordings of the waltz by Evans are now in circulation. His final recording of it dates from 7 September 1980, live at the Keystone Korner, just eight days before he died. [5]
The waltz has been widely covered and recorded more than 300 times. [6] Ted Gioia notes that in about 20% of cover versions, "Debby" is misspelled as "Debbie." [7] "Waltz for Debby" is known in Swedish by the name "Monicas Vals"; lyrics were written by Beppe Wolgers; and in Finnish by the name "Ankin Valssi"; lyrics were written by Jukka Kuoppamäki. [8]
Evans had a particular fondness for the waltz form: Of his 50+ original compositions, at least 10 are waltzes, including "Very Early" (1949), "G Waltz" (1967), "B Minor Waltz" (1977), and "We Will Meet Again" (1977), [9] and he frequently performed waltzes by others, such as Earl Zindars's "Elsa" and Gary McFarland's "Gary's Theme." [10]
On New Jazz Conceptions (1956):
On Waltz for Debby (1961):
William John Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines continue to influence jazz pianists today.
New Jazz Conceptions is the debut album by jazz musician Bill Evans, released in 1957 on Riverside Records.
Sunday at the Village Vanguard is a live album by jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans and his Trio consisting of Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian. Released in 1961, the album is routinely ranked as one of the best live jazz recordings of all time.
Monica Zetterlund was a Swedish jazz singer and actress. Through her lifetime, she starred in over 10 Swedish film productions and recorded over 20 studio albums. She gained international fame through her collaborative album with Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby.
The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album is a 1975 studio album by singer Tony Bennett and pianist Bill Evans.
Waltz for Debby is a live album by jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans and his trio consisting of Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian. It was released in 1962.
Together Again is a 1977 studio album by singer Tony Bennett and jazz pianist Bill Evans. It was originally issued on Bennett's own Improv Records label, which went out of business later that year, but was subsequently reissued on Concord.
"Blue in Green" is the third piece on Miles Davis' 1959 album Kind of Blue. One of two ballads on the recording, the melody of "Blue in Green" is modal, incorporating Dorian, Mixolydian, and Lydian modes. This is the only piece on the album which does not feature alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley.
You Must Believe in Spring is an album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, recorded by him with bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Eliot Zigmund in August 1977 and released in February 1981, shortly after Evans's death in September 1980.
Donald John Sebesky was an American composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz trombonist. He was a multi-instrumentalist and could play a number of other instruments: keyboards, electric piano, organ, accordion, and clavinet.
Marty Morell is a jazz drummer who was a member of the Bill Evans Trio for seven years—longer than any other drummer. Before joining Evans, he worked with the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims Quintet, Red Allen, Gary McFarland, Steve Kuhn, and Gábor Szabó.
Alone is a solo piano album by jazz musician Bill Evans, recorded in the fall of 1968 for Verve Records, featuring a particularly notable 14+-minute performance of the jazz standard "Never Let Me Go." Evans contributed notes to the album, including the following statement:
Perhaps the hours of greatest pleasure in my life have come about as a result of the capacity of the piano to be in itself a complete expressive musical medium. In retrospect, I think that these countless hours of aloneness with music unified the directive energy of my life. At those times when I have achieved this sense of oneness while playing alone, the many technical or analytic aspects of the music happened of themselves with positive rightness which always served to remind me that to understand music most profoundly one only has to be listening well. 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. This has nothing to do with my desire to communicate or not, but rather I think just a problem of personal self-consciousness which had to be conquered through discipline and concentration. Yet, to know one is truly alone with one’s instrument and music has always been an attractive and conducive situation for me to find my best playing level. Therefore, what I desired to present in a solo piano recording was especially this unique feeling.
At Shelly's Manne-Hole is a live album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, released in 1963 as his last recording for the Riverside label. The trio featured Chuck Israels, who followed Scott LaFaro on bass in autumn 1961, and Larry Bunker on drums, who just joined the reformed trio, after Paul Motian had left. An additional eight performances recorded during the trio's May, 1963 engagement at Shelly's Manne-Hole were released on the album Time Remembered.
The Bill Evans Album is an album by the jazz pianist Bill Evans, released in 1971 on the Columbia label. It is his first album to feature all compositions written, arranged and performed by him. It was the first recording in which Evans used a Fender Rhodes piano.
Alone (Again) is a solo piano album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, recorded in December 1975. A follow-up to his earlier solo album Alone, it was released in 1977 on Fantasy Records and reissued on CD in 1994 by Original Jazz Classics. At the time it was recorded, Evans had been playing an increasing number of solo dates and was inspired after hearing Marian McPartland play solo in Monterey. Evans's manager Helen Keane commented:
As much as Bill enjoyed playing alone at home, and although by this time he regularly included a solo section in his concert program, he found recording in this context very difficult. It was probably the only area he felt insecure about musically, and the fact that he'd gotten a Grammy for Alone didn't seem to help.
Waltz for Debby is a 1964 album in English and Swedish by the trio of American jazz pianist Bill Evans and the Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund. Evans met her on a tour of Sweden and was "bowled over" by her EP recording of "Waltz for Debby" with a Swedish text titled "Monica Vals." Evans's manager, Helen Keane, set up a recording session for them at the end of the Swedish tour.
The New Crystal Silence is a 2008 live jazz album by pianist Chick Corea and vibraphonist Gary Burton. It was released in a two-disc set. The first disc was recorded on May 10 and 12, 2007, at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. The second disc was recorded on July 7, 2007, at Bjornsonhuset in Molde, Norway, except for the track "Señor Mouse", which was recorded July 13, 2007, at the Auditorio de Tenerife in Canary Island, Spain.
Since We Met is a live album by jazz pianist Bill Evans with Eddie Gómez and Marty Morell, recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City in 1974 and released on the Fantasy label in 1976. Additional recordings from Evans's 1974 Village Vanguard performances were also issued on the album Re: Person I Knew, released posthumously in 1981. Since We Met was digitally remastered and reissued as a CD in 1991 on Original Jazz Classics.
Midnight in San Juan is a smooth jazz studio album by Earl Klugh released on February 19, 1991. The album was a commercial success as it reached No.1 on many jazz radio and retail charts, including hitting No.1 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums charts. In this release, Klugh lays heavy emphasis on Latin and Caribbean elements. Two songs on the album feature legendary NEA Jazz Master Jean "Toots" Thielemans on the harmonica and Grammy Award winner Don Sebesky as conductor and arranger.
