William John Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of The Bill Evans trio. His interpretations of of wide-ranging jazz, broadway and contemporary repertoire, his ways of using impressionist harmony and block chords, and his trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines, continue to influence jazz pianists today. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, he studied classical music at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Mannes School of Music, in New York City, where he majored in composition and received the Artist Diploma. In 1955, he moved to New York City, where he worked with bandleader and theorist George Russell. In 1958, Evans joined the Miles Davis Sextet, which in 1959, then immersed in modal jazz, recorded Kind of Blue, the best-selling jazz album ever.  His subsequent career solidified his reputation as the finest pianist of his generation.