Late jazz icon’s estate distance themselves from new film ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’
The estate of late jazz icon Bill Evans has distanced itself from a new biopic.
Everybody Digs Bill Evans opened in UK cinemas on Friday (September 11), and is set to hit screens in the USA on December 4.
Directed by Grant Gee (who made the acclaimed Radiohead documentary Meeting People Is Easy), the film traces a difficult period of the late jazz icon’s life, with Anders Danielsen Lie taking on the starring role.
The script was adapted from Owen Martell’s 2013 novel Intermission, and sees Evans navigate grief following the death of his bass player Scott LaFaro in 1961.
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Ahead of the film’s release in US cinemas, Evans’ estate has revealed that it was made without their involvement.
In a now-deleted post on Evans’ official Instagram, they wrote: “We would like to clearly state that the soon to be released film Everybody Digs Bill Evans was made WITHOUT the endorsement, involvement or participation by the Estate of Bill Evans.
“We were not consulted during the making of the film, were not asked for our input, and have not been given an opportunity to view the film,” they added.
“That said, we are genuinely excited to see the film and hope that the film accurately represents Bill Evans, his life and music with the respect he deserves. We also hope the film finds success and brings new listeners to his extraordinary body of work,” the statement continued.
“Bill’s music and legacy mean everything to us, and we will always be grateful for the continued interest in his work.”
NME gave the film four stars, in a review that read: “Throughout the movie, a number of characters are devoured by forces that seem bigger than themselves – be they love, addiction, jealousy or indeed talent. Yet this is no pity party: when Bill and his parents sit down with the ‘Sunday At The Village Vanguard’, one of two classic albums produced from the performance depicted in the opening scene, their sense of wonderment is palpable.
“It’s Evans’ genius, rather than his tragedy, that lingers long after the final frame of Gee’s utterly absorbing film.”
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.