I saw the film Everybody Digs Bill Evans earlier this week, at the excellent Home Manchester. Despite (or maybe because of) the fact the film has a limited release, the cinema was surprisingly full. I’m assuming every jazz pianist in the area was in there.
The film deals with Evans’ breakdown following the death of friend and bass player Scott LaFaro in a car crash (oddly enough I talked about that in this post just a few months ago), and it’s an original take on the bass biopic.
It doesn’t lean into the cliché of smoky New York jazz clubs, soundtracked by Bill Evans’ more accessible pieces.
Nor does it fall into the trap of creating false conflict just to advance the drama. Bill Evans stays with his parents in their Florida retirement home in order to dry out and rebuild himself. His father’s jealousy and resentment are there simmering, below the surface, but the script doesn’t resort to false conflict, creating arguments and artificial shouting matches just to move the action on.
My one criticism of the film is that there is hardly any Bill Evans music in it. I don’t know why this is, maybe they couldn’t get the rights. There’s nothing wrong with the original soundtrack, it’s just that not why I went to see a Bill Evans Film. But then again, maybe the music wasn’t needed. The introspective nature of the film perfectly captures the introspective nature of Evans’ music.
I listened to You Must Believe in Spring on the way home. I’d recommend you give it a listen now.
