Idiot interviews Bill Evans in 1972

[Christiern]

It was May 30, 1972 and Bill Evans had to subject himself to yet another interview, check out the guy's outfit! Parts of this is out of synch, but you can always read the subtitles!

The intro

Part 1

Part 2

[Chuck Nessa]

[catesta]

Very impressive!

Nice interview and I'd say your choice of the word stellar for the music is very fitting.

Now, about those clothes...

Looks like the dude behind the bar is wearing the same get up as the host. So, somebody there was trend setter.

[marcello]

Thanks Chris.

Maybe the one with Jimmy Heath will be uncovered,

You know, the one where you ask him something like "Do you like our set?' (it looks like a club) and Jimmy says something like "No, we're trying to get away from playing in clubs"!

Great music though with Jimmy, Curtis Fuller and a nasty looking Mtume.

[Christiern]

You either have a tape or a very good memory, Marcello! I recall Jimmy telling me--in the interview--that he does not like the term, "jazz." Many people didn't back then in the air of militancy. I also recall that Jimmy and I were seated at a table and when the camera was looking at Jimmy over my shoulder, his face was seen behind the smoke from my cigarette. Glad I kicked that nasty habit.

[Ron S]

Chris, some of your smoke is also visible during the Bill Evans interview. From that camera angle, it almost looks like you were blowing smoke in his face.

[Christiern]

I probably was! I quit not long after we finished taping the series.

[GregK]

Man, long hair doesn't do it for Bill! wow.

Growing up in Canada, I don't think I've ever seen that Labatt logo before.

[Christiern]

I think it was a real one. Our set designers were meticulous, they wanted the set to look like a real club--even bought a jukebox and filled it with jazz. It apparently worked, because when the show started airing coast to coast, we began getting cards and letters from all over--people were planning a NYC trip and wanted the address of the club. We weren't even in NYC, we were in Trenton.

[Teasing the Korean]

As I've stated elsewhere, the beard, long hair and leisure suit really scared me off of Bill's 70s records for a long time. I had to shut my eyes and take the leap, eventually, but it was worth it.

[David Gitin]

Thanks, Chris. It was a pleasure to see (and of course to muse over the subsequent fate of that album with George Russell).

[Guest Bill Barton]

Thanks, Chris! Superb music, fine interview, niiiiiiice threads and niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice subtitles

[user0815]

It apparently worked, because when the show started airing coast to coast, we began getting cards and letters from all over--people were planning a NYC trip and wanted the address of the club.

if it's on tv, it must be real !

[JSngry]

On a personal note, Chris, this is the first time I've heard your speaking voice, and I hear no trace of an accent. Just wondering if that was something you conscientiously worked at early on, or if it just happened naturally.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

On a personal note, Chris, this is the first time I've heard your speaking voice,

You missed the one with Prez?

[JSngry]

DOH!

My only excuse is that that one was CD Chris Albertson & this one is TV Chris Albertson, and have you ever seen them in the same room together at the same time, huh, have you?

[Christiern]

Languages have never been a problem for me, as far as accent goes. I speak Icelandic and Danish with an accent. My Mother lived in Iceland for many years and three of her husbands were Icelandic, my she never lost her Danish accent completely. When I was commuting to England (working with the BBC), I spent alternate months in NY and London and where I was inevitably affected how I spoke.

I probably did have a foreign accent at one point, but it was really more a case of mispronouncing words. For example, I would get my "v"s and "w"s mixed up, sipping Wee-o and ginger while watching T-wee, but I corrected that problem. When I was a disc jockey at AFRS and, later in the U.S., I did make an effort to sound more American than British. When people tried to pinpoint my accent, geographically, they often concluded that I was from the Midwest.

Forget about all that, what do y'all think of Bill Evan's performance on this show?

[connoisseur series500]

I enjoyed watching the links. As far as I could see, you did nothing to embarass yourself. Bill's interview was very revealing. His intellectualism and thoughtfulness came through very clearly, as did an apparent shyness. The music was great. Who else was on your show?

Edited March 16, 2008 by connoisseur series500

[Christiern]

I enjoyed watching the links. As far as I could see, you did nothing to embarass yourself. Bill's interview was very revealing. His intellectualism and thoughtfulness came through very clearly, as did an apparent shyness. The music was great. Who else was on your show?

Thank you for the kind words. Well, as to your question--you asked for it!

THE JAZZ SET

Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble

2/7/72

Roy Haynes (dms); and others.

*

Larry Johnson

2/15/72 (Air: 7/27/72)

Larry Johnson (vcls and gtr).

Clifford Jordan

2/22/72

Clifford Jordan (ts); George Coleman (ts); Stanley Cowell (p); Bill Lee (bs); Tootie Heath (dms); Dee Dee Bridgewater & Sheila Jordan (vcls).

Joe Lee Wilson

2/29/72

Joe Lee Wilson (vc); Rashied Ali (dms), and others.

Jimmy Heath All-Stars

3/6/72

Jimmy Heath (ts); Curtis Fuller (tb); Kenny Barron (p); Bill Lee (bs); Al Heath (dm); Mtume (congas).

Rashied Ali

3/14/72

Rashied Ali (dms); Carlos Ward (as, flute); Dave Burrell (p); Sirone Jones (bs).

*

Ray Draper & the New Island Social Club

3/21/72

Ray Draper (tuba, Bar. horn, vocals, percuss.); Atlee Chapman (valve tb); Clive Stevens (sop & ten sax); Bu Pleasant (organ, vocals); Stu Williamson (bs); Richard Crooks (dms).

*

Irene Reid

3/28/72 (Air: 7/13/72)

Irene Reid (vcls); and others.

*

Sam Wooding

4/11/72 (Air 8/3/72)

Sam Wooding (p); Louis Metcalfe (tp); Jimmy Wright (ts); Jimmy Shirley (g); Al Drears (dm); Rae Harrison (vcl).

Charles McGhee and The Gap

4/11/72

Charles McGhee (tp); and others.

*

Keno Duke

4/18/72 (Air: 7/6/72)

Keno Duke (dms); Frank Strozier (ts); and others.

Joe McPhee

4/18/72

Joe McPhee (tp, ts); Clifford Thornton (tp); Mike Kull (p); Harold Smith (dms).

*

Lonnie Liston Smith

4/25/72 (Air: 8/24/72)

Lonnie Liston Smith (el & acoustic piano); Jazzbo Alexander (flute); John Gilmore (sax); Cecil McBee (bs); Norman Connors (dms); Ná Ná (congas).

*

Jeremy Steig

4/25/72 (Air: 8/17/72)

Jeremy Steig (flute); Gene Perla (el. bass); Don Alias (dms).

*

Ted Curson

5/2/72 (Air: 9/7/72)

Ted Curson (tp, piccolo horn); Bill Barron (ts); Lee Scippers (vibes); Sam Jones (bs); Freddy Waits (dms).

*

Charles Mingus

5/9/72 (Air: 8/31/72)

Charles Mingus (bs); Lonnie Hillyer (tp); Charles McPherson (as); Bobby Jones (ts); John Foster (p); Roy Brooks (dms).

*

Ray Bryant Trio

5/16/72 (Air: 8/10/72

Ray Bryant (p); Harold Dodson (bs); Leroy Williams (dms).

*

Bobbi Humphrey

5/23/72 (Air: 9/21/72)

Bobbi Humphrey (flute); Harold Mabern (p); Bob Cranshaw (b); Mickey Roker (dms).

*

Bill Evans Trio

5/30/72 (Air: 9/14/72)

Bill Evans (p); Eddie Gomez (b); Marty Morrel (dms).

* PBS Network

list is incomplete

Edited March 16, 2008 by Christiern

[AndrewHill]

Wow! Thanks for posting this! Never heard Bill Evans speak for that matter!

[marcello]

Thanks for the list, Chris. I couldn't find it anywhere.

It nice you had Keno Duke and Charles McGhee, both of whom I saw a few times.

I think I have all of the Keno Duke LPs on Strata East.

Lonnie Liston Smith with John Gilmore?

Not to mention NaNa and Jazzbo.

Edited March 16, 2008 by marcello

[connoisseur series500]

Some good shows there for sure!

[Teasing the Korean]

What is the status of these tapes? Do they all exist? Any chance they could make it to DVD?

[Guest Bill Barton]

Wow! That's quite the eclectic list of performances, Chris. I seem to vaguely recall seeing at least a couple of The Jazz Set shows when they first aired. The only one on your list that rings a bell is the Jeremy Steig: I definitely saw that one.

Sam Wooding

Joe McPhee with Clifford Thornton

and that Clifford Jordan show looks like quite the line-up...

[Christiern]

Bill, I also did a 1-hour special w. Sam Wooding, where we recreated the living room of his Harlem apartment (with actual borrowd furniture an stuff of his, and sat at the table for a chicken dinner--as we so often did sans cameras. I wonder what happened to the tape of that show. Joe McPhee is an old friend and I had gotten to know Clifford Thornton well (through Joe) by the time he died.

To answer your question, TtK, I believe that New Jersey Television, where the show originated, reused the tapes, but that the Library of Congress has either originals (or copies of originals) for the 13 shows that aired on the PBS network. Parts of the Mingus show were used in the documentary, "Triumph of the Underdog" and--since clips pop up on YouTube, there obviously are obviously good copies of some of the shows around. How that Evans show got Japanese subtitles is a mystery to me--I was not aware of any of these shows having been shown overseas. Also, the people who post clips from the Jazz Set seem to be European. Go figure. I was stupid not to demand copies for myself, which--as co-producer and host--I probably could have gotten, at least on U-matic cassettes.

BTW, we also did a show with Randy Weston--I was sick, so Dan Morgenstern sat in for me on that one. I also want to say the having Bobbi Humphrey as a guest was aa bad mistake, but she at least brought with her musicians who could play.