We will be screening "Time Remembered", Bruce Spiegel’s acclaimed documentary about the life and music of the great jazz pianist Bill Evans, followed by Q&A, and live music with the Dave Thompson Trio, with Dave on piano, John Wiitala on bass, and David Rokeach on drums. The film covers Bill’s entire life, from early childhood with his brother Harry, to his days with Miles Davis, and his seminal trios with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian; Chuck Israels, Eddie Gomez, Marty Morell, and Eliot Zigmund; and finally with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera. The film is filled with footage of Bill’s performances and interviews, and conversations with Bill’s friends and fellow musicians about their time with him.
Bruce Spiegel was a producer/editor at CBS News/48 Hours for 25 years. During that time, he produced, edited and directed a number of films and documentaries. In 2002 he co-produced the award-winning TV documentary “9-11” which won both an Emmy (2002) and Peabody Award (2003). In 2012, alongside Wynton Marsalis and Hugh Masakela (South African music legend), Spiegel co-produced a CBS News/48 Hours TV documentary titled “Nelson Mandela: Father of a Nation”. He spent eight years making “Time Remembered”, traveling all over the US to create this remarkable film, interviewing Bill’s friends, fellow musicians, and family members, to weave together this compelling, heartfelt story of Bill’s life and music. The film appeared in more than 50 film festivals worldwide in 2018, winning 18 awards. More can be seen at billevanstimeremembered.com
David Thompson has been performing and teaching for the past 30 years. He grew up in Berkeley, and spent most of his life here, before moving to Ohio eight years ago. He studied with George Shearing and Joanne Brackeen in New York, and with Don Haas in the SF Bay Area. He has composed film scores, and music for documentaries and independent film productions, including projects for the Sierra Club. For the past two years, he has been traveling throughout the US, presenting masterclasses on the life and music of Bill Evans, hosting showings of “Time Remembered”, Bruce Spiegel’s acclaimed documentary about jazz pianist Bill Evans. David also performs at jazz clubs and jazz festivals around the US, and was the guest artist at the 2019 University of Akron Jazz Festival this past March. His solo CD, Introspect, was met with critical acclaim, including reviews by Marc Myers of The Wall Street Journal and Jazzwax.com, and Grammy award-winning writer Neil Tesser of Chicagojazz.com. David currently resides in Medina, Ohio, where he teaches and performs when home from travels. davidthompsonjazz.com