Bill Evans
Piano Solo on
Flamenco Sketches

About

Taking the 2nd solo, this piano improvisation spans one chorus of the 24-bar form at a ballad tempo of 59 BPM. Co-composed by Davis and Bill Evans, the piece consists of a sequence of five scales or modes through which each soloist moves at their own pace, with no predetermined number of measures spent on any given scale. This tune consists of five scales, which are each played as long as each soloists wishes until the series is completed. Bill Evans's path was as follows:

• 8 bars of C ionian (CMaj7)
• 4 bars of Ab mixolydian (Ab7sus)
• 8 bars of Bb ionian (BbMaj7)
• 4 bars of D phrygian (EbMaj7(#11)/D)
• 4 bars of G dorian (Gm7)

Note, like Cannonball, he chose to spend more time on the brighter ionian modes. Situated between Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's alto sax solo and Miles Davis's turn on trumpet, it occupies a pivotal spot in the arrangement.

Bill Evans was 29 to 30 years old at the time.