Waltz for Debby
EVANS (arr. A. CHRISS)
About this Piece
Bill Evans (1929–1980) another proponent of West Coast/Cool Jazz, joined Miles Davis’s sextet in 1958 and was highly influential in Davis’s development of modal jazz. “Waltz For Debby” is among his best-known songs and is the title track of a 1962 album made with the famed trio that included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. The album, recorded live at the Village Vanguard, was the final effort by the trio as Scott LaFaro was killed in an automobile accident 10 days after the Vanguard gig. The song, a musical portrait of his niece, became a staple of Evans’s solo and ensemble appearances and recordings. —Thomas Neenan