Paul Warburton on Working with Bill Evans

[Bob Branstetter]

I received a phone call today from my old friend Paul Warburton. He said that several people had asked him to write about his experiece in working with the late Bill Evans and his trio. He asked me to post a series of email messages that he sent to me starting in late 2001 after I had asked him to tell me about his experience with Bill Evans. The posts are unedited except for the removal of some personal stuff. I think you will all find it of interest.

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Sept 27, 2001

Yea, I thought you knew--I worked with Bill & Philly Joe for about a month in 1964. Didn't record. Your friend probably read an article in Bass Player magazine-October '96.
It was the best thing I ever did--I was 23--I'll tell you about it some time


Sept 28, 2001

I'll give you the details in chapters-I don't talk about this much-it's kind of sacred to me, but you guys have always shown such an interest in my work, I guess you deserve to be bored to death.
I got the call from Bill on a gig I was doing down in Colorado Springs with Don Grusin. My wife at the time called me on a break to tell me Bill had called from San Francisco to hire me on Pat Morans recommendation. Pat was a great lady pianist who I played with alot, including some dates with Buddy Defranco. Scott LaFaro made his first record with Pat when he was living in LA--Anyway, I thought the call was a put-on. To get a call in those days from Bill Evans was like winning the Power-Ball Lottery--------To be continued


Oct 14, 2001
I lost the first installment of this, so i'm not sure where I left off. Anyway, my wife caught me on a break on the gig I was on in Colorado Springs and told me to expect a call from Bill Evans on my next break. I told her it was probably Pat Moran and some friends of mine on the west coast just putting me on.
Sure enough, an hour later i get the call-"This is Bill Evans" I say " Bull **** and I'm Jesus Christ" " No really it's Bill Evans the piano player. Can you come out to San Francisco and play with me and Philly Joe Jones at The Jazz Workshop for a month?
I still don't believe him so he puts his wife Elaine on the phone.(the one who later committed suicide in NY by throwing herself under a subway train.) I say"You send me a plane ticket for me & the bass and you're on. I didn't even get nervous or excited because I was so sure it was a joke.
The next day I get a call from United Airlines.......