Paul Warburton on Working with Bill Evans

[Bob Branstetter]

Paul Warburton playing with the Bill Evans Trio

[Paul Warburton]

Alot of you wanted this, but I had misgivings about doing it because I didn't want it to be an ego trip. It certainly isn't.....
Thanks BB.

[Ken Smith]

Great story and recap. Thx Paul and Bob for sharing this with us.

I once got to sit in with Bill Evans at the Blue Note in NY around 1975 or so. I was friends with Marty Morell, Bill's drummer back then. I did some gigs with Marty back them when he was off the road and shot some pool on occasion and even had some dinners with him and his wife. Marty introduced me to Eddie and one time I went to Eddie's house and we played some Zimmerman Bass duets. That was a blast. One night while watching them play Eddie comes up to me and asks me, "hey Kenny (they called me Kenny then), wanna sit in on the last set (3am-4am)?" Of course I accepted..!

Playing opposite was Al Cohn with Ross Tompkins-Piano, maybe Shaugnessy on Drums but can't remember now and Chuck Israels-Bass. Chuck comes up to me at 2am as the Evans trio was getting on stage and says, "Kenny, I'm not feeling to well, would you mind playing the last set for me? You can just put my Bass (Alvisio Piattellini, c.1790) upstairs in the office after the set. I need to go home and get some rest".

Well, I accepted, played the set and put the Bass away fast because I was to play in the next set with Bill. Eddie started out and played a bit and then waived me up. I sat down on the stool with his Bass in hand smiled at Marty and then looked at Bill. Bill asks, "what would you like to play?".. Nervously I said "Green Dolphin Street". Bill starts playing, I gear up and then oh xxxx.. He's doing it in Eb! EVERYONE in NY plays it in C that I had worked with and NEVER played it in Eb in my life that I remembered unless I was playing along with some record. Well, I just listened, threw away any position type licks I had in my bag of tricks and played what I heard. It came off ok with maybe a chorus or two solo and then he took out the tune. Then Bill looks up at me and says softly "felt nice". I gave the Bass back to Eddie and walked off stage, 'tail between my legs' like a shamed dog and sat down. Afterwards I asked Marty in my own paranoid way if Bill liked my playing and Marty told me Bill says what he thinks or says nothing at all!

So, that's my Bill Evans story knowing maybe all the Bass players that have played with him but never know about PW until meeting him over on TB.

Paul, I bet your shoes felt a few sizes bigger after having worked with Bill. Just one tune with him has left me a life long memory.

[Ron Lacey]

Great story, thanks for sharing Paul and thanks for posting it Bob! Well worth the wait .

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Speechless. Simply speechless other than to say, "Thank You".

[stan haskins]

Yeah, thanks for letting us read that, Paul and Bob. Great stuff.

[Bob Branstetter]

I feel very fortunate to be one of Paul's many friends. I first remember hearing about him while I was touring with singer Marilyn Maye in 1964. We were working at a supper club in Denver when the great singer Johnny Desmond came into the club to see Marilyn and sat in for a set. While talking with Johnny after the set, he mentioned that he had heard about a Sunday afternoon jam session at a club called the Robin's Nest on top of Lookout Mountain where a lot of the best Denver jazz players would hang out. I went up to the club the following Sunday and the first thing I noticed was a bass hanging on a rope from the ceiling in the center of the room. When I asked about the bass, I was told that it was there mainly for the use of a young phenom bassist who was a friend of the (baritone sax player) owner of the club. Every one there kept raving about how great this phenom played. Someone told me that this young bass player was out on the road, but that Ray Brown had heard him play recently and was very impressed.

I didn't actually meet Paul until several years later when my wife Marcia and I were vacationing in Colorado. Paul was working a duo in a club with guitarist Dale Brunning. That was the first time in my life that I heard a bassist who was clearly the dominant player in a very good group. I remember well how melodic and flowing his solos were. (I can only dream of playing like Paul does - seemingly without effort.) After that, it became almost an annual event for us to go to Denver just to hear Paul play. Paul and I have been good friends for many years now, but he remains one of my all time favorite bassists and I'm looking forward to hearing him play again in the future. I think that it is truly unfortunate that he has not received more of the recognition he deserves by the public and the jazz community.

[Phil Maneri]

Originally Posted by Bob Branstetter

I think that it is truly unfortunate that he has not received more of the recognition he deserves by the public and the jazz community.

+1 For sure.

[Paul Warburton]

That drummer with Denny Zeitlin was Jerry Granelli by the way.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

, "hey Kenny (they called me Kenny then), -.

Hell, I call you " Kenny Boy " now.......

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Paul, I bet your shoes felt a few sizes bigger after having worked with Bill. Just one tune with him has left me a life long memory.

I did feel that ego punch when someone introduced me as 'Bill Evans' bass player........

[Bob Branstetter]

Paul, did you ever talk with Bill after playing with him in '64?

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Bob Branstetter

Paul, did you ever talk with Bill after playing with him in '64?

Yeah, I saw him serveral times, including 2 unforgettable times. First time when Ray Iverson brought Bill, Eddie, and Marty into the Senate Lounge here in Denver. The guys asked me to play. I did, but wished I hadn't......Eddie at this time had that nice Morelli, but strung with nylon wrapped strings....ouch!
The second time was when I was playing a commercial gig, subbing for another bass player. The bass player who took me to the airport for my gig with Bill was a Bill Evans groupy, so I knew Bill was in town.....sure enough this guy shows up with Bill.
The piano player was hell-bent on making sure I played a STRICKLY TWO BEAT bass kinda thing.....he lectures me with " yeah, we all know you're a hot shot jazz bassist " Goes to great lengths to assure himself of a jazz free gig!!! All before the gig.
You can see it coming can't You!!!!!!!!!
So Bill and Jerry walk in along with about 10 of Denver's hippest jazz musicians.
I say to this piano player while i'm coaxing out of my bass the most obvious 2 beat imagiinable: " LOOK, it's Bill Evans!"
" NO! " he says " Yes " I say.....now this ******* wants to start playing hip, playing his finest Bill voicings and looking at me like...." Come on, let's go...... " NO WAY MF " I'm playin' 2 beat. One of my proudest moments!
Bill's hip to what's going on on the bandstand, as well as about 10 of this guys peers!
To make matters worse for this guy, I introduce him to Bill. He says" Oh Bill, i'm sorry you had to hear me under these conditions!" Bill says "No problem, we all have had to do this. I noticed Paul was just playing 2 BEAT"
I really come out of this unscathed by anyone because when I play two-beat, I try to sound like Percy Heath!
One of the last times I saw him, it was some jazz fest. in L.A. He told me I would be perfect for Stan Getz. Funny, I ended up with Stan later on.
Then he called me too late when he had Mike Moore. He wanted to get together to " See how it felt " This never happened.
Unfortunately I went to hear him in SF right before he died. He was playing brilliantly, but he was on his way out...he gave me a last hug. It was like hugging a skeleton.......This, clearly, was Bills darker side...too bad for us..

[Matt Fong]

What a story!

Side note:
"To start things off with a bang, Don Thompson and
Terry Clarke are in the audience!"

O, Canada!...

That's really cool to hear about some of Canada's jazz greats and that Don was influenced by your playing, Paul.