Category: Reviews

www.allaboutjazz.com

by Bruce Lindsay

Faith In Action is Orrin Evans’ first album on Posi-Tone Records and serves to further enhance the reputation of this New York-based pianist. The album is, in part, a tribute to and interpretation of the music of his friend and mentor, saxophonist Bobby Watson, who contributes five of the twelve tunes. It’s a fine tribute, indeed, and demonstrates Evans’ own talents as a player and interpreter.

Evans’ own compositions have immediate impact—especially the opening “Don’t Call Me Wally,” which is driven not only by Evans’ hard-hitting piano but by some fine rhythm work from drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Luques Curtis. “MAT-Matt” is complex and changeable, regularly shifting rhythmically and stylistically. In its opening section the band plays freely, before Evans shifts to a repetitive, percussive, style. Before long, the trio enters a hard bop section via a short burst of swinging lyricism, until Waits’ brief solo drum part takes the tune into a slow and reflective ending. The more playful “Two Steppin With Dawn” features drummer Gene Jackson, with Evans returning to a hard-hitting and percussive style. Jackson suits this number admirably, hitting just the right groove to maintain the tune’s dynamism.

Watson’s compositions have the greatest emotional impact, however. “Faith In Action” is a gorgeous tune which Evans interprets with skill and empathy. On “Beattitudes,” Evans performs solo on another beautiful tune, once again finding an emotional connection that is clearly expressed in his playing. Best of all is “Love Remains,” with Waits and Curtis once again outstanding, while Evans is at his most delicate and affecting.

Faith In Action succeeds as a tribute to Bobby Watson, but it also succeeds as a demonstration of Evans’ talents, and as an enjoyable, creative recording by musicians at the top of their game.

Track listing: Don’t Call Me Wally; Faith in Action; Wheel Within a Wheel; Appointment in Milano; Matthew’s Song; Beattitudes; MAT-Matt; Love Remains; Two Steppin with Dawn; Why Not.

Personnel: Orrin Evans: piano; Luques Curtis: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums (1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10); Rocky Bryant: drums (3); Gene Jackson: drums (5, 9).

by by Michael G. Nastos

Jazz pianist Orrin Evans has been knocking on the door of stardom in jazz for a full decade, but with Faith in Action, it seems he’s really hit his stride. As a performer he’s a more confident improviser willing to take chances, while also retaining a sweetness and lighthearted approach that reflects the romantic inside. These ten tracks are equally split compositionally between him and obvious mentor Bobby Watson, all in trio settings with bassist Luques Curtis and with drummer Nasheet Waits featured on seven tracks; Waits is replaced on two cuts by Gene Jackson and on another track by Rocky Bryant. How Evans plays in giddy highs or serene lows is impressive, with little gray area shown or needed. Tunes by Watson are quite well-known, but without horns are still full and rich. The title track was made famous by John Hicks simply as “Faith,” a brilliant 6/8 in 4/4 organ of beauty as Evans digs into its ultimately pristine melody. Watson’s most acclaimed composition when he was with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, “Wheel Within a Wheel” is spare but no less vibrant; “Appointment in Milano” is a modal two-fisted bopper where Evans goes a bit out and crazed; while “Love Remains” is an ultimate romantic, late-night, steamy piece built for intimacy. Evans wrote “Don’t Call Me Wally” in a delightful funk to swing beat, deft but still lean; “MAT-Matt” is very combustible and spontaneous, stopping and starting back up; and “Why Not” closes in a easy swing unlike the rest. Summarily this is the most ambitious effort, and also one that shows the innate common sense of Orrin Evans. He is no longer emerging, but now established as a skilled and experienced young to middle-aged mainstream jazzman who should be around making great music for a long time.

www.winnipegfreepress.com
ORRIN EVANS

Faith in Action (Posi-Tone)

Pianist Orrin Evans leads a crack trio here on a 10-tune disc that is largely a tribute to alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, who gave Evans an early break.

Evans is a daring, lyrical player, and he and band-mates bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Nasheet Waits make terrific music that is entertaining, challenging and just plain enjoyable.

Evans’ compositions include the opener Don’t Call Me Wally, with its hints of Monk, and the terrific Two Steppin’ with Dawn. Evans is a joy to listen to, especially in a trio of this calibre.

www.winnipegfreepress.com

ORRIN EVANS

Faith in Action (Posi-Tone)

Pianist Orrin Evans leads a crack trio here on a 10-tune disc that is largely a tribute to alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, who gave Evans an early break.

Evans is a daring, lyrical player, and he and band-mates bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Nasheet Waits make terrific music that is entertaining, challenging and just plain enjoyable.

Evans’ compositions include the opener Don’t Call Me Wally, with its hints of Monk, and the terrific Two Steppin’ with Dawn. Evans is a joy to listen to, especially in a trio of this calibre. ‘Ö’Ö’Ö’Ö

— Chris Smith

www.popmatters.com

by Michael Kabran

Favorite Piano Album:
Orrin Evans—Faith in Action (Posi-Tone)
I’ll be one of the first jazz fans to admit it: the jazz piano trio format usually bores me to tears and makes me value my Nation of Ulysses albums as if they were the last drops of Alagash Curieux in the universe (though, I usually do anyway). While there are certainly some phenomenal piano trio albums in the history of jazz—Oscar Peterson, Brad Mehldau, Bill Evans, to name a few—most of the trio albums I’ve heard in recent years were self-indulgent exercises in musical masturbation. They essentially served as demo recordings, creating a relatively inexpensive means for the pianist to obtain gigs and earn coveted positions in the bands of larger fish. That being said, young jazz tuna (the term “lion” is so overused!) Orrin Evans’ latest effort, Faith in Action, is one of the best trio recordings I’ve heard in recent time. I’ll cut to the chase: it’s accessible, filled with bluesy solos, swinging rhythms, and playful harmonies. Most importantly, this music is overflowing with emotion, passion, soul, and humor—and all from a trio! Drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Luques Curtis kill.

www.examiner.com

Orrin Evans- Faith in Action (Posi-tone Records)
(Recorded at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn.)

Pianist Evans’ CD is primarily a collection of interpretations of Bobby Watson’s compositions. The end result is a beautiful album- open, elegant, vibrant. Faith in Action is a great starting point for anyone unfamiliar with Evans’ unwavering musical prowess or the great Watson.

Standout Tracks: Wheel Within A Wheel; Appointment in Milano; Beattitudes; MAT-Matt; Love Remains.

www.philly.com
Orrin Evans
Faith In Action
(Posi-Tone Records ***1/2)

You’ve got to like the deep lyricism that Orrin Evans puts forth here. The bandleader, composer, pianist, label owner, booking agent, and former Germantown Friends School music teacher looks back to the early years of his career on this trio recording.

The set pays rich tribute to alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, who gave Evans an early break when the often-Philly-based pianist was on the rise in the mid-1990s. Half of the 10 tunes are by Watson, including the handsome ballad “Beattitudes.”

The playing here is magisterial, daring at times and quiet at others. Thelonious Monk clearly influences Evans’ puckish moments and clotted chords on the Evans original “Don’t Call Me Wally” though Evans is so far his own man that it’s a delight.

Evans’ trio, mostly with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Nasheet Waits, represents a high point in his work. – Karl Stark