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Grant Gee Explores Jazz Legend Bill Evans' Grief
28 Aug
Summary
- Grant Gee directs a narrative film about jazz pianist Bill Evans.
- The film focuses on Evans' grief following bassist Scott LaFaro's death.
- Anders Danielsen Lie portrays Evans, also a musician and doctor.
Director Grant Gee, celebrated for documentaries on artists like David Bowie and Radiohead, shifts to narrative filmmaking with 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans.' This biopic delves into the turbulent life of the influential jazz pianist, known for his lyrical introspection and contributions to Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue.'
The film concentrates on a critical period in 1961, following Evans' profound grief after the death of his double bassist, Scott LaFaro. Gee, who initially encountered Evans through a striking photograph, was compelled to explore the pianist's inner world, a journey inspired by Owen Martell's novel.
Anders Danielsen Lie, who possesses a striking resemblance to Evans and is also a practicing doctor, embodies the pianist. Lie's deep childhood connection to Evans's music and his transcription of solos further enhance his portrayal.
The narrative navigates Evans's struggles with grief and his heroin addiction, employing a stark monochrome palette for 1961 and shifting to color for flash-forwards to the 1970s. These later scenes reveal the profound impact of his girlfriend Ellaine's suicide in 1973 and his brother Harry's in 1979.
Gee consciously avoids modern therapeutic language, instead reflecting the more stigmatized attitudes of the 1960s towards addiction. The film concludes with Evans performing 'Lucky to Be Me,' a choice that Gee found ironically sweet given the pianist's life.
