--- product_id: 8618978 title: "Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings" brand: "mr. peter pettingerpeter pettinger" price: "£24.65" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8618978-bill-evans-how-my-heart-sings store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings **Brand:** mr. peter pettingerpeter pettinger **Price:** £24.65 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings by mr. peter pettingerpeter pettinger - **How much does it cost?** £24.65 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8618978-bill-evans-how-my-heart-sings) ## Best For - mr. peter pettingerpeter pettinger enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted mr. peter pettingerpeter pettinger brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings ## Images ![Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41P4Rmv3RnL.jpg) ![Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51R6d1kd61L.jpg) ![Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Vt5HRyiHL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solid, welcome biography and resource. *by S***L on Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2002* I've enjoyed Pettinger's unpretentious study of Evans' life and music as much as any comparable jazz title that comes to mind. The British author admits that he never met Bill Evans and has little to offer in the way of exclusive, privileged information about a subject whose personal habits might tempt lesser writers to manufacture salacious prose along with much amateur psychoanalyzing. Having lowered the expectations, Pettinger proceeds to give a personal biography of the man and chronological account of the musical career that is ultimately a remarkably illuminating portrait of a jazz artist.Admittedly, the book is essential reading primarily for the listener who already counts himself among Evans' admirers and is aware of the pianist's artistry and influence. More than likely, such a reader will find many of his suspicions validated--from the pianist's rigorous classical training to his self-effacing personality to his discomfort as a member of Miles Davis' Quintet to his creative rejuvenation during the last year and months of his life. In addition, he will undoubtedly discover, on practically every page, something unexpected--Evans' affinity for Russian language and culture (clearly demonstrated on the pianist's brooding, darkly dramatic, extended introductions to "Nardis"), his curious attraction to garish '70's clothing styles, his strange personal and musical relationship with "speed" buddy Philly Joe Jones.Pettinger knows enough about music, pianos, and piano playing to insure that his discussion of the music is accessible and instructive without becoming erudite or pedantic. Although it would be, in my opinion, impossible to overstate the influence, sophistication, and singular beauty of Evans' music, Pettinger wisely does not try to do so. The definitive work on the extraordinary moment in music history for which Evans is responsible remains to be written. But Pettinger's book is certainly a worthy start. And the plentiful discography is clearly presented and annotated--in itself worth the price of the book to any collector of Evans' extraordinary recorded legacy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A SYMPATHETIC BIOGRAPHY OF A GREAT, GREAT ARTIST *by D***R on Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2015* Pettinger, who is a classical concert pianist and teaches at Cambridge, has written a detailed and sympathetic biography of the great jazz pianist Bill Evans (1929-80), who combined in one person a consummate musical talent, a usually sunny spirituality and all the low cravings and repeated disappointments of the confirmed junkie. By now, the story is generally known: inducted into the Miles Davis quintet/sextet and playing a major role in the famed Kind of Blue session, Evans moved from lesser drugs to heroin and in no time was hooked for the rest of his short life (fifty-one years). Reluctant at first to record on his own –he wasn’t sure he had that much to say—he broke through to jazz audiences with a live album at the Village Vanguard, featuring along with Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. The music they played didn’t appear all that revolutionary but it was, featuring a level of melodic and rhythmic interplay among the three musicians that was unparalleled in jazz then or now. While Evans’s playing might appear at times little more than cocktail music, it was informed by his deep understanding of harmonics. No other pianist I know of spent as much time on the voicings of his music –the more time you spend listening to what Evans played on a good day (he had bad days too, sometimes on record), the more you got out of it. Pettinger’s book is more about the music than anything else. His background as a performing artist helps him in communicating what is unique and permanent about Evans’s music. Pettinger discusses the vicissitudes of Evans’s often rocky personal life but does not obsess over it. I susoect that anyone who reads this book will appreciate Evans’ exceptional music even more. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An excellent view from the inside out *by E***. on Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2009* I am familiar with a great deal of Bill Evans' music and because of its very intimate & personal nature, thought I knew Bill, too.Well, I only knew part of the story. Bill - like most of us - was a very complex being and his life was full of many ups & downs. Drugs, poverty, suicides . . . these were familiar themes to Bill who, despite the struggles and the sadness, managed to create some of the most sublimely beautiful music any human has ever laid to tape.This book captures and delivers Bill's life & music in intimate detail, many of which are downright befuddling: Bill, on the surface the consummate urbanite, attended college in Louisiana (of all places), and actually enjoyed the slower pace of Southern life. While in school, Bill was the quarterback of the football team(!) and after his death, was returned to Louisiana for burial next to his beloved brother Harry. Crazy stuff for a music-loving kid from New Jersey . . .Bill's music and the people he encountered and worked with are detailed as well, including the relationship he shared with Miles Davis. Though they remained lifelong friends and influenced each other immensely, Bill apparently left the Kind of Blue-era sextet as a result of "reverse racism", whereby Bill took the heat for being the only white guy in the group. The book reveals that most of the "heat" came from Miles himself . . .I have a special interest in Bill Evans and his music and therefore found his life story an interesting read; if you share this interest, then this is the book for you. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8618978-bill-evans-how-my-heart-sings](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8618978-bill-evans-how-my-heart-sings) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-03*