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Bill Evans (1929 – 1980), born in Plainfield, New Jersey, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Evans is well known for his use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block chords, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines. He was classically trained at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana and the Mannes School of Music in New York City. In the mid 1950s, Evans worked with bandleader and theorist George Russell before joining Miles Davis's sextet in 1958. In late 1959, Evans left the Miles Davis band and formed a jazz trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. By the 1960s, Evans had formed a new trio featuring bassist Chuck Israel. In 1963, he recorded Conversations with Myself, a solo album using the unconventional technique of overdubbing over himself. Evans later worked with jazz double bassist Eddie Gómez for over a decade.