Piano Dialogues With Himself, Overdubbed
Bill Evans argues with himself across two pianos, and the conversation stays surprisingly loose.
Further Conversations with Myself is a 1967 album by pianist Bill Evans, and it extends a method he had already tried on Conversations with Myself: recording himself on multiple pianos through overdubbing. The difference here is that Evans used two piano tracks instead of three, which keeps the textures a little more open and the interplay a little more direct.
The overdubbing is the first thing you notice, but it is not the main thing. Evans is the only musician on the session, so there is no sideman to lean on or push against. Every idea comes from one mind, answered by another part of that same mind. The result is thoughtful, melodic playing that sounds spontaneous even though it was built in layers. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called it "A thoughtful and (despite the overdubbing) spontaneous sounding set of melodic music," and that is a fair way to describe what you hear.
As for where it fits, this is not the place to start with Evans. Listeners new to him are better served by his trio work, where his conversational style with bassist and drummer is most fully developed. This album suits listeners who already know his voice and want to hear it isolated and turned inward. It was nominated for a Grammy, and it has held up as a curious, quietly rewarding entry in his catalog.
Who's playing
Bill Evanspiano
