.

.

Brian McMillen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival; July 13, 1978

.

___

.

Plane to Italy
…….For Bill Evans

A hazy clip from Finnish TV,
the year he died
Shot in a dimly-lit studio

Evans has just finished a concert and the interviewer,
reverently holds an oversized microphone
up to this world-weary gentle werewolf with blue pilot sunglasses
hunched over the piano bench, smoking and rocking gently
while the crew noisily breaks down the set around them

In a thoughtful New Jersey accent, Evans reflects on
working with Miles, his new trio –
“There’s no talking, it’s all done musically,”
and listening to his old recordings

His mane of chestnut hair, long and wavy,
no longer restrained with the Brylcreem of the 1960s
he muses about how they always use serious pictures, never smiling

Politely, he thanks the interviewer and
slowly rises from the bench
Another voice asks if he has time for a few more questions.
We have to run to catch a plane to Italy
It’s too late, I’m sorry.

.

.

_____

.

.

Watch the Bill Evans interview

.

.

___

.

.

Click for:

The Sunday Poem

More poetry on Jerry Jazz Musician

“Bluesette,” Salvatore Difalco’s winning story in the 67th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest

Information about how to submit your poetry or short fiction

Subscribe to the (free) Jerry Jazz Musician quarterly newsletter

Helping to support the ongoing publication of Jerry Jazz Musician, and to keep it commercial-free (thank you!)

.

___

.

.

Jerry Jazz Musician…human produced (and AI-free) since 1999

.

.

.