A near-total unknown when he landed in New York in 1955 to study with George Russell, Bill Evans quickly became famous as the most cerebral modern jazz pianist since Thelonious Monk. After a stint with Miles Davis that included the epochal Kind of Blue, Evans led his own trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian that ended with LaFaro's death in a 1961 car accident. After a period of seclusion, Evans returned with 1962's haunting and minimal Undercurrent. He maintained a steady presence in modern jazz until his death in 1980.