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Summary: Bill Evans--the companion
Review: Reading this book, I was struck how, compared to biographies of figures from other fields, biographies of jazz figures really have no set mold. Perhaps that's because there aren't very many "definitive" jazz bios out there that define the field (the best books tend to remain autobiographies, like those of Hampton Hawes or Art Pepper; or bundles of quick but incisive sketches like Whitney Balliett's _American Musicians II_). Unlike, say, a novelist, a jazz musician doesn't produce artworks that are obviously enhanced by a biographical reading, nor (conversely) do they provide much useful information for a biographer. There are good books out there, but they range wildly from books basically interested in the life & its socal context (Hadju's _Lush Life_) to those that are highly technical in their focus on the music (Porter's _John Coltrane_). & of course there's lots of bad stuff out there by hacks like Leslie Gourse.So where does Pettinger's book fit in this? Think of it as if it were retitled _Bill Evans: A Companion_, & you'll be happy with it. It's got the basic facts of the life, & more; & it often has revealing information (for instance, it's fascinating to know Evans' favourite author was Thomas Hardy); but it's basically a recording-by-recording companion to his musicial output. Pettinger was a classical pianist, & his slant is useful in some ways, unhelpful in others. He's immensely articulate & revealing about Evans' piano technique, for instance, but says virtually nothing about his harmonic innovations, which are precisely where Evans' influence on subsequent generations has been most pervasive. Some of his judgments will anger jazz fans: for instance, that Rudy Van Gelder was a terrible sound engineer (see p.136); or that Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh play too sharp (p.242); or that when played as a ballad "Lover Man" is "vapid" (p.148). On the other hand he's very useful & detailed on demonstrating how classical music informed Evans' music. This is unlikely to be the final word on Evans. But it's a good start, & will reward any fan of Evans' music.
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Summary: Critics Miss the Boat on This One!
Review: Setting aside the strange comment that "this book was written by someone who knows nothing about jazz," which is, and virtually everyone who has written about this book agrees, simply not true, I wonder why more people didn't understand the gentle essence of what Pettinger is really saying. We can't read a book and get to know Bill Evans because very, very few people, if any, actually knew Bill Evans. The man let his music define who he was, how he felt, what he believed, etc. If you read this book, which I thought was wonderful, and are still searching for the real Bill Evans, you will only be disappointed. Pettinger paints a clear picture: the man was his music and there isn't much else there. Sure, a great writer, on the scale of say, Norman Mailer, could craft an image of bits and fragments but would they be true to the subject? How My Heart Sings is probably true to the subject and would have been applauded by Evans himself. Of course, we'll never know.
Rating: 
Summary: Close
Review: There is a great book in the life of Bill Evans. Contributor to one of Miles Davis' greatest groups and indespensible to the resultant recording 'Kind of Blue'. Founder and core of the great Bill Evans Trio with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Touring and recording from the late 1950's up until late September of 1980 creating often profound music and redefining the sound of jazz piano, Evans is one of the real giants of the music. Unfortunately, this is not that great book. The descriptions of the recordings are excellent and the author provided real insight into how the music itself works. The story of Bill Evans the person is not told here. Bill never springs to life in the pages of this book as he does on his recordings. The intelligent, articulate and apparently humorous fellow eludes us in this biography.
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Summary: Terribly dissapointing, dry account of Bill Evans' music
Review: This academic, totally dissapointing book was obviously written by an admirer of Bill's who had zero first hand knowledge of his subject. The book is primarily a series of opinions/conjecture following Bill's professional career.Every recording session and gig was analyzed and the author gave his personal opinions regarding the quality of Evans'playing and its importance in the history of jazz. Much of the material was recycled from famous sources that most of Evans' fans already know, and painfully little was revealed about Bill's life. Being a pianist himself, the author had a good knowledge of pianism, and some good insights into Bill's piano technique, etc. But I'm left wondering why this book was written, and published. This book pales in comparison the the biographies recently released about Art Tatum and Bud Powell, in which the subjects came to life.The author should have written an article of appreciation for Bill's work rather that a long, boring book that did nothing to quench the thirst for knowledge that Bill Evans fans were hoping for.
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Summary: A biography that concentrates on the music of Bill Evans.
Review: This biography, by a writer who is himself a professional pianist, concentrates on Bill Evans' music. He discusses each of Evans' many recordings, and goes into some detail about the technical aspects of how he improvised so brillantly. Evans's life, however, is covered with pretty much the bare minimum of details. Thus, his drug addiction is discussed only when absolutely necessary, as is the suicide of a long-time lover. Having read many other biographies that wallow in such details, I don't believe the reader misses very much. Anyone interested in Bill Evans is interested in him because of his music, not his problems. This book is an invaluable guide to that music.
Rating:
Summary: A biography that concentrates on the music of Bill Evans.
Review: This biography, by a writer who is himself a professional pianist, concentrates on Bill Evans' music. He discusses each of Evans' many recordings, and goes into some detail about the technical aspects of how he improvised so brillantly. Evans's life, however, is covered with pretty much the bare minimum of details. Thus, his drug addiction is discussed only when absolutely necessary, as is the suicide of a long-time lover. Having read many other biographies that wallow in such details, I don't believe the reader misses very much. Anyone interested in Bill Evans is interested in him because of his music, not his problems. This book is an invaluable guide to that music.
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Summary: Evans Encylopedia lacks soul
Review: This book is like one of those holographic images at a science fair - you can see the image clearly, even from different sides - but you can never touch it, hold it or otherwise feel it. After reading through this highly-detailed text I believe I could answer any Jeopardy question on Bill Evans, but that I don't really know much more about the man.
I won't re-hash what so many other reviewers have put so well, but emphasize a few points. First, this book is by a musician for musicians, or at least jazz lovers. Pettinger could have been much more technical in his descriptions and most readers would have understood. Second, there must be some people out there that could provide more color on Evans to help understand why he himself could not hear the repetition in his work over time. That is, why his own attempts are re-inventing himself personally and musically failed.
Sadly, it may be almost too late (2004) or will be in the next 20 years to interview those with firsthand experiences with Evans to try to capture the essence of this musical genius, who's life work changed so much.
Rating: 
Summary: Get to know the life of Bill Evans
Review: This book is more of a commented discography than a biograhpy, at least as compared to most bios. The story of Bill's life is presented here more through his recordings than anything else. The early part of his life is sketched briefly, but once he started making records, each individual disc is mentioned, and the circumstances discussed. For fans of Bill Evans, who tend to be obsessive, this is the ideal guide to his work. While some of the author's judgements about the quality of certain recordings or live performances are perhaps a bit subjective, this is the companion that all Bill Evans fans must have.
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Summary: The only book on Bill Evans with a major drawback
Review: This books covers extensively the theoretical and practical aspect of the music of Bill Evans (e.g. recordings, concerts) but unfortunately does not life up to my expactations if it comes to a BIOgraphy of the artist. Only sparse information on his private life, very little first-hand accounts by former fellow musicians and almost no elaboration on his personality. From my point of view it is worth reading, not only since this is the only biography on Bill Evans, but it seems to be obvious to me that the author tried to write this book with as little thourough work as possible on the biographical aspect of Bill Evans life. He almost exclusively relies on an account of recording sessions and concerts where he gives a valuable insight into the music of this important jazz pianist.
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Summary: An Essential Book for Bill Evans Fans
Review: What a joy to read this insightful book about Bill Evans, the artist and his work. Yes, he had personal problems, but not on the keyboard or composition paper. If you know music and play an instrument, you will truly appreciate the descriptions of Bill Evans' his musical craft. If you don't understand music theory, this book will stretch and challenge you. There's also plenty of information on all his recordings, performances, colleagues, etc. And, of course the most fun is to sit back and listen to Evans music as you read the book. P.S. This book should not be allowed to be "out-of-stock".
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