I have just bought Bill Evans 'There Must Be Spring'. eing fairly new to jazz, can anyone recommend any similar music/artists I might try?

Give Thelonious Monk a try, he actually wrote 'Round Midnight. Certainly original, really innovative and always interesting. There's a really cheap CBS box-set out (about £16), with 5 high quality albums in it, all well recorded in the 1960s. Oh and what a genious Bill Evans was! An absolute legend.

Chick Corea's classical romantic style owes much to Bill Evans, so you could have a listen to some of his more straight-ahead acoustic piano works if you're not already familiar with them. Another is the great Keith Jarrett, who has his eccentricities and excesses but is very much in this mould as well, as is John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet. You can't go wrong with any of these guys.

I can recommend Keith Jarrett's standards trio. They have done upwards of 20 albums plus several DVDs. A good point to start would be "standards live" his new one "yesterdays" and the more upbeat 2cd set "whisper not"

Another player worth looking at is Brad Mehldau. Again a good starting point is his art of the trio recordings (of which there are about 6) no 3 called songbook is a good way into him, also his album "introducing" Some critics compare him with Bill Evans, a comparison mehldau vehemently disregards. he does have his own soundworld which is occassionally reminiscent of Evans. it is hard to ignore the influence of Evans music on all pianists coming after him.

Gwylim Simcock is also very notable.

Also Bobo Stenson, Tord Gustavson.

Check out Eliane Elias. You have to be careful as she has quite a wide variety (of which I like all, but you may not like the more bossa sounding material). But her Bill Evans tribute album was amazing. And I say that as someone who has most Bill Evans.

My recommendation would have to be Michel Petrucciani, the sadly missed French pianist whose style was said to have been influenced by Bill Evans as well as Jarrett. You might like to check out 'The Prayer' from 'Pianism' (Blue Note) or 'You are my Waltz' on 'Marvellous' (Dreyfus). Enjoy.

Could try Mingus Plays Piano, Duke Ellington Money Jungle ( I think it's called ).

I'd also try Ahmed Jamal (who it was said influenced Miles - Miles said so himself!) and Abdullah Ibrahim especially "Waters from an Ancient Well". As far as other Bill Evans CDs - if you can still get it, try "Blue in Green" (he wrote it for Miles on "Kind of Blue"), Trio '65, Everyone Digs Bill Evans, Live at Montreux '68 and Bill Evans at Shelley's Mann Hole. All great and all live. Like Errol Garner, Bill Evans was better live IMHO.

Yes, listen to people such as Keith Jarrett (eg, "My Foolish Heart", a 2-CD set recorded live, and there are also a couple of 2-DVD sets recorded in Japan ("Standards I / II" and "Japan 93 / 96") and Brad Mehldau ("Introducing Brad Mehldau" is a great one to start with). But, if you have enjoyed Bill Evans on first acquaintance, there's a mass of other material by him - in all, well over 100 studio and live CDs - that is worth exploring: his famous first trio with Scott LaFaro on bass was brilliant (eg, "Portrait in Jazz" and "Sunday at the Village Vanguard"); he recorded some great stuff in the 60s (eg, "How My Heart Sings" and "Bill Evans at Town Hall"); "You Must Believe in Spring" from 1977; and his last, great, trio in 1979-80 (eg, "The Paris Concert" (in 2 separate CDs), and "The Artist's Choice - highlights from 'Turn Out the Stars'" (which captures choicest pieces from his final appearance at the Village Vanguard). And, of course, he was a vital part of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue", the greatest jazz album of all. Not to mention a number of other key Bill Evans albums, such as his multi-track "Conversations" albums and his wonderful duet albums with Jim Hall on guitar (especially "Undercurrent"). For more information, there are a couple of outstanding biographies about Bill - "How My Heart Sings" by Peter Pettinger (which I marginally prefer, for its greater readability and more detailed discography) and "Everything Happens to Me" by Keith Shadwick. Good listening. Bob Wright

I recommend "A Waltz for Debbie" and the "Conversations with myself" albums.

But be a bit careful because there are at least 3 CDs called "Waltz for Debby". The best is from 1961 (recorded on the same famous occasion as "Sunday at the Village Vanguard"), and this is probably the one that Bill Peters has in mind. But another winner with this title is the album from 1964 which Bill recorded with the Swedish singer/actress Monica Zetterlund (which is under her name). (Bill composed the piece "Waltz for Debby", named for his niece, and first recorded it in his first album, "New Jazz Conceptions" in 1956.) Bob Wright

Try keith jarrett or my personal favorite Esbjorn svennson trio

What a terrific strand! Thanks to David R for starting it. All the pianists mentioned are favourites, but one who hasn't yet been mentioned is Bill Charlap. Try his albums, e.g. Stardust, Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap and The American Soul. Enjoy!

I agree about Bill Charlap too. His albums also include a session of duets with Warren Vache on cornet, "2gether", which is absolutely superb. Or there's the great, mercurial, Oscar Peterson who sadly died around Christmas 2006. His most famous album, with his most celebrated trio, is "Night Train", but, for me, his album "Oscar Peterson Trio + One" (with the one being Clark Terry, brilliant on trumpet and flugelhorn) is a must. Or there's Hampton Hawes, for funky bebop piano. His original trio recordings from 1956 are great, but his slightly later album "The Sermon" is also special - 7 numbers with a gospel flavour followed by an absolutely stunning blues. And also discover why "The Sermon" wasn't released for almost 30 years. Or, again, there's Hank Jones, the eldest of 3 great jazz brothers, who was 90 last year and is still going strong. Try "You Are There" by singer Roberta Gambarini and Hank, who went into the studio with a list of possible numbers to record and emerged just a few hours later with an album completed. Start scratching at the surface - there's a whole world of great music to be found! Bob Wright

Hi!

Though not in the style of jazz piano you are after (but should have a listen to) are two favourites of mine, the beautiful Gene Harris & the sublime Art Tatum.

Rob.

Undercurrent -Duos with Bill Evans and Jim Hall (guitar). Still so miraculously fresh after 17 years in my world and thousands of playings. Music of exceptional beauty. Desert Island candidate.

Jazz is best when heard live and too many of the pianists mentioned are dead!

Besides Gwilym Simcock I rate Ivo Neame (born 1981) a British jazz pianist and saxophonist.
He is a member of London's Loop Collective, and leads his own trio as well as performing in many bands sheltering under this umbrella.

His trio has performed at jazz festivals and venues such as Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and Vortex Jazz Club. His debut album, Swirls and Eddies was released in 2007, and featured Phil Donkin (bass) and George Hart (drums).

He studied jazz saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music, London in a yeargroup that included pianist Gwilym Simcock, and was mentored by Martin Speake and Steve Buckley, as well as F-IRE Collective founder Barack Schmool.

He has performed with artists such as Guy Barker, Julian Siegel, Stan Sulzmann, Mathew Herbert, Jim Mullen, and Tim Garland.

He is touring this Spring with Jasper Hoiby and should not be missed.

I always enjoy listening to Red Garland with the trio he worked with under Miles, also Wynton Kelly is a favorite of mine and Barry Harris who is still alive and performed in London last Year..wish I could have gone!
I also love listening to Claude Williamson at the piano with or without the Bud Shank group of the 50's.

Everybody Digs Bill Evans is my favourite jazz piano album, but Waltz For Deby and Portrait in Jazz are almost as good.
Also The Koln Concert by Keith Jarrett and Night Train by Oscar Peterson.
Herbie Hancok's Maiden Voyage is also great

Once you have discovered Bill Evans you have reached the pinnacle. I can say this though, Eliane Elias is terrific and I suggest the album entitled Something for You. Her piano is great, her singing OK but warm and gentle. By the way, I think the album you bought may be called 'You Must Believe in Spring."
Go for the 8 CD box called The Last Waltz. It is divine.

one of the best young pianist on the scene at the moment in my opinion must be leon greening ,he swings like the clappers ,with touches of horice silver and bud powell but can play as melodicly as bill evans. if you get the chance check him out.

Errol Garner is my favourite, but you may like to go to my site and lilsten to some of the stuff on my playlist and read what I have to say on Jazz. http://pawild.net/alanherper

"Solo in Memory of his Father" from Bill Evans at Town Hall. You will cry.

Why not check out two excellent UK pianists both influenced by Evans, namely David Newton and Geoff Eales. Both have several CDs currently available.