The person that succeeds in anything has the realistic view point at the beginning

and knowing that the problem is large and that he has to take it a step at a time
and he has to enjoy the step by step procedure’ Bill Evans

Adepts will hear top blowers play a framework in which to improvise and try to copy
that rather than approaching it simply. Evans then proceeds to play one note, using
rhythm to create interest and plays something on which to build on rather than a
vague generalisation of the players they are trying to mimick, giving them nothing
but confusion when attempting to build from it

‘It is better to do something that is real…it might not be satisfactory but it

gives you something to build on because you know what you are doing

Be honest with your ability

Yet never loose you adventurous spirit but understand when you succeed and when you
do not succeed

1st Problem - Learn how the harmony works in the tune and learn how to substitute
the harmony and stay with it with immense concentration until that becomes
subconscious and then you can concentrate on the next problem that allows you to
do more, so on and so on

Took him 15 years until he felt like he had an expression ability

He states he didn’t have as much talent as other players so that gave him an
advantage because he didn’t have an immediate facility causing him to think more
analytically and forced him to build something

Most people don’t understand the immensity of the problem and either they feel
cannot conquer it or get inpatient and do not see it through

If you do understand the problem then you can understand the trip

When he came to New York to make it or break it he was faced with the problem of
how to become a professional jazz musician, to make a living, and came to the
conclusion that all he had to do was to take care of the music, even if he was
making it in a closet, and ‘if I really do that someone is going to come up along,
open it up and say, “hey we need you”’

‘Isn’t it terrible that there is a war here, and er starvation there and poverty
there, and what am I as a human being going to do about this whole thing, you know?
Well gosh if you try to accept every problem you are just going to go insane. See
you have to choose some field in which you operate at you best capacity and as
much will then serve as an influence to detour all these other things that you
know, you are worrying about with my truest belief then all these other things
will be affected as I desire them to be affected as much as I can affect them’

The knack of a good teacher is when when to feed him and when to draw back’ Harry
Evans