Pianist-composer Orrin Evans makes music that can be confrontational, hard-edged, and vigorous yet has a melodic side that, like Charles Mingus, allows his pieces to go in many and varied directions. Evans has released a series of CDs on Posi-Tone Records that displays his many talents, from the forceful CaptainBlack Big Band to the trenchant sounds of Tar Baby (with the dynamic rhythm section of bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits) to his celebration of Philadelphia on “Freedom” to his tribute to saxophonist Bobby Watson on “Faith in Action.” His new CD, “Flip The Script“, leans more towards the aggressive (in a good sense) nature of Tar Baby, thanks (in part) to the work of bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards. Evans, to me, is a 21st Century Jaki Byard, someone who knows his history, understands the roots of jazz and is not a slave to tradition. At times, I hear the influence of Bud Powell in the forward motion of his solos (especially on the faster songs.) And, on ballads, such as “Someday My Prince Will Come“, there is a “painterly” touch to his delicate phrases, a sensitivity that embraces the quiet side.
Like Byard, all music is fair game to Evans. There is an elegiac solo piano reading of “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)”, the theme of “Soul Train” composed by the hit-making machine of Gamble & Huff. Although there is nothing in the notes, this bluesy and touching piece has to be a dedication to the late Don Cornelius. The Trio dances through a hard-bop adaptation of Luther Vandross’s “ABrand New Day“, with Wolfe’s furious “walking” bass and Edward’s percussive barrage driving the pianist forward. The title track barrels forward with Evans matching the intensity level of the rhythm section while creating memorable melodic lines. “Big Small” is an original blues tune, thick piano chords and short melodic phrases over the rock-solid bass lines and Edward’s fine drum work (he sounds as if he’s talking back to the piano during Evans’ solo.)
“Flip The Script” might just refer to a concept in which a person gives equal weight to the good and bad things in his life and chooses to take a positive attitude. Not easy for a musician to make his or her way through the world yet there is so much creativity to be found, not only in the world of jazz but also in classical, hip hop and folk. Orrin Evans creates music that can make you dance, make you sit back and get lost in the quiet melodies; it should make you see that there are so many possibilities if you allow your creativity to flow.
In the wrong hands, the contemporary piano trio can sound like a retread of piano trios since the dawn of popular music. In the right hands it remains a potent force: exciting, engaging, full of imagination and capable of flights of invention. The hands of Orrin Evans are the right hands. The Philadelphia-born pianist is approaching 20 years as a recording artist and, by the sound of Flip The Script, he’s in one of his most creative periods to date.
Evans’ other projects include the Captain Black Big Band—whose eponymous 2011 Posi-Tone debut was a full-on big band blowout—and Tarbaby, a small band with an edgier, darker, sound whose End Of Fear (Posi-Tone) was one of 2010’s finest releases. Flip The Script is a more straight-ahead recording, but it still shines with an inventiveness and an emotional directness, heightened through the strong interplay between Evans, bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards.
Much of the music on Flip The Script is characterized by a high-energy drive, with tunes such as “Clean House” and “Flip The Script” utilizing a fast-paced, aggressive and breathtaking approach. “The Answer” shares the drive of the faster numbers, thanks especially to Edwards’ drums, but the pace is reduced a little on this swinging tune.
The slower tunes are equally inspiring: speed and strength give way to control and emotional engagement from all three players to form a set of resonant and powerful melodies. “Big Small” is a very slow blues on which Evans’ percussive lines and Wolfe’s fat, lowdown, tones contrast with Edwards’ lighter patterns. “When” is more downbeat—a romantic, flowing, ballad.
Evans includes four contrasting cover versions. The slightly fractured rhythms and repeated phrases of “Question,” by Tarbaby bassist Eric Revis, give the tune a strong bebop feel as well as a sense of fun. Evans invests “Someday My Prince Will Come” with a bluesy mood, an air of uncertainty that eschews the swing and optimism of Dave Brubeck or Bill Evans’ versions to hark back to the tune’s first appearance on the soundtrack of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs(1937).
Two soul tunes also put in an appearance. Luther Vandross’ “A Brand New Day” swings strongly, Edwards and Wolfe driving the rhythm as Evans opens up with hard-hitting but melodic piano. Evan’s solo performance of Gamble and Huff’s “The Sound Of Philadelphia” (the theme tune toSoul Train) is exquisite. Another slow, almost funereal, tempo finds Evans exploring new avenues within the song, drawing out a reflective melancholy, a longing for times past, that is genuinely affecting.
Evans already has an exceptionally strong discography, so to describe Flip The Script as one of his finest is to give it high praise indeed, which is exactly what it deserves. It’s going to take a lot of pushing and shoving to get Flip The Script out of the 2012 Best Of lists.
Pianist Orrin Evans’ Flip the Scriptis a confident display of his trio’s musical interplay that features bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards on ten great tracks. This straight-ahead session offers some daring swing, audacious hard-bop, and forward-thinking avant-garde improvisations in an evocative program. The recording includes six of Evans’ original compositions and four unique covers including “Question,” by the GRAMMYAward-winning bassist/composer Eric Revis, Luther Vandross’ “Brand New Day,” (from the Broadway musical The Wiz), “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and Gamble/Huff’s “The Sound of Philadelphia.”
The set opens with Eric Revis’ “Question,” a composition that references several elements of Thelonious Monk’s work but is a priceless vehicle for Evans’ creative piano chops. This set really burns and sets the tone for the entire recording. Next the trio finds more creativity in Evans’ own “Clean House” in which they mine their souls for more stunning straight-ahead success. “Flip The Script” is a daring work of genius that reveals Evans’ self-assured piano playing and compositional integrity. It is an example of what today’s jazz pianists should strive for when attempting to connect with their audiences. This piece is brilliant. By contrast, the quiet simplicity of “When” shows Evans’ introspective side and is a thing of pure beauty.
The transcription of “Brand New Day” has a free-spirited, joyful arrangement for piano while Evans’ unique and refreshing cover of “Someday My Prince Will Come” has an abundance of exploratory highlights that help to redefine his version. Overall, this recording is among Orrin Evans’ best work and should be in your jazz collection right alongside other great piano trios. Buy Flip The Script today.
In the days of the digital download and advanced ordering of new releases there are some records simply too good to wait for – this is one.
When we last heard from Orrin Evans the release was Freedom. Evans pays homage to some of the Philly greats that influenced his sound and fueled his passion. Now we have Flip The Script which is simply Evans not reinventing the musical wheel or tossing out the stereotypical release of standards in an attempt for a quick and easy payday. Flip The Script is a brilliant and in some ways semi-autobiographical release highlighting the prolific talents of a pianist that may be still flying under some listeners radar.
Evans is a man of passion and there is some interesting back story as to the original intent of the release. Never wavering from his stand on certain aspects of the industry is certainly admirable and in some ways a driving force behind this intoxicating release but in this case the music simply outshines anything else related to this story. One standard, three older Evans tunes never recorded and three brand new tunes work in perfect harmony to paint an artistic self portrait of beauty and elegance.
One major change is the addition of Ben Wolfe who is one of the finest lyrical bassists working today. Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards are the rhythmic glue that allows the lyrical swing of Evans to take center stage without ever boarding on the self indulgent. “Clean House” is a delightful odd metered harmonic swing and has the trio firing on all cylinders. Evans is clearly driving the musical train and has never sounded better. Wolfe’s lyrical flow is a welcome addition and Edwards doesn’t play in the pocket – he is the pocket. “TC’s Blues” is another Evans tune and a personal favorite from the release. A groove you can use. Music you feel with your hips and hear with your feet. Evans walks an effortless harmonic tightrope while again never falling pray to the self indulgent nature some piano trios immediately find. “Someday My Prince Will Come” is an exquisite ballad showing the emotional depth of Evans translated into his performance with grace and sensitivity eerily similar to that of the great Bill Evans. Flip The Script may arguably be Orrin Evans finest release to date.
While Evans celebrates his passion and our views on what is right and what is wrong are polar opposites it does not matter. Evans intention is to push the music forward. Evans has a desire to educate the younger listener and by doing so hopefully bring more and certainly some much needed attention to more traditional or straight ahead jazz in general.
How can you argue with that?
A magnificent ebb and flow with a lyrical swing and shifting harmonic base that is on point every step of the way.
ORRIN EVANS/Flip the Script: With a new trio, Evans plays piano like it’s a bebop instrument using it to anchor a straight ahead date with a lot of modern jazz overtones. Left leaning but not from the church basement, this is seasoned, high octane piano trio music that goes from racket to joyful noise to pulse pounding. Sitting down jazz for those not afraid to push the pedal to the metal, it’s loaded with the stuff hipsters should really be appreciating instead of images of what they are appreciating. Hot stuff.
8100
RALPH BOWEN/Total Eclipse: The kind of New York sax man that’s a jazzbo’s jazzbo, he’s a real player that doesn’t show up to mess around. His third for the label finds him continuing to consolidate his position at the head of the class. A straight up, straight ahead date that’s in the tradition and in the pocket, there’s some serious playing here that’s going to grab you by the ear and not let go. Well done
8097
Jazz without passion is kind of like lite beer. Why bother?
A former editor once advised the necessity to separate the individual from their art in matters of critical review. There are cases however when an artist makes his or her outspoken notoriety as much of their career making the process increasingly difficult. Truth be told the same applies to some critics as well leaving us with a musical push…
Suffice it say to Orrin Evans is an individual of great passion and even greater talent on the the piano bench and Freedom may well be his finest release to date. Displaying a keen sense of history and the sincerity of honoring those that blazed the trail for himself as well as other Philadelphia artists, the aptly title Freedom is not the typical piano trio. Freedom finds Evans paying his musical respects to some Philly greats including Shirley Scott and Mickey Roker and in a slightly more accessible while still adventurous fashion. There is a decidedly more straight ahead swing toFreedom with stunning ballads placed well within the mix to allow for a wonderful ebb and flow to this somewhat personal release. “Dita” is rhythmically punctuated piece reminiscent of some early McCoy Tyner, an engaging work of great depth and harmonic development. Evans solo piano work on the Herbie Hancock classic “Just Enough” begs the question is there a solo piano project on the back burner and if not then why not? The African-rhythms featured on “Oasis” highlight Evans syncopated musical DNA and his affection for dynamic tension with a lyrical sense of purpose. “Hodge Podge” may best highlight the synergy this ensemble can forge while maintaining an incredibly tight cohesion and overall swing.
Freedom is as musically diverse a release as Evans has produced while remaining surprisingly accessible in the face of the more intense work of The Captain Black Big Band which was still garnering critical acclaim whenFreedom was released. While I seldom read other critics, Jazz Times Michael West referred to the overall aesthetic of Freedom as wobbly with nothing to back up his claim. Taste is of course subjective. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the critical reflection of art, culture and nature. If West was expecting a more cohesive straight ahead trio churning out a dozen of the same standards as every other piano trio then he simply does not understand the recording or never read the press release. The aesthetics make Freedom work. A variety of arrangements and musical subtleties symbolizing the varying influences of individuals that contributed so much in the development of the artist that is Orrin Evans.Freedom is far from wobbly but instead a wonderful sonic mosaic held together by a gifted artist.
Freedom is as solid and engaging a piano ensemble as you will find. A tremendous addition to any library.
With over 20 years experience as a recording artist and composer, saxophonist Ralph Bowen has a mastery of straight-ahead jazz that is immediately apparent on Power Play, his third album for the Posi-Tone label. Bowen’s first two Posi-Tone releases, 2009′s Dedicated and 2010′s Due Reverence were quintet recordings. For Power Play, he trims down to an all-new quartet lineup, but it still swings.
On the album’s opener, “K. D.’s Blues,” Bowen jumps straight in with a hard-edged tenor riff that soon develops into a powerful and melodic solo. Drummer Donald Edwards and bassist Kenny Davis, who was Bowen’s band mate for a few years in the ’80s group Out Of The Blue, also impress from the off, creating a driving rhythm that characterizes…
… much of the recording.
Pianist Orrin Evans matches Bowen solo for solo across Power Play. On the snaky “Drumheller Valley,” Evans delivers the opening riff with confidence, while his beautifully varied solo has a soulful vibe which contrasts well with Bowen’s more bop-ish approach. He’s equally stylish when he joins Davis and Edwards to underpin Bowen’s lead playing. It’s Bowen’s warm and lyrical playing that’s to the fore on Guy Wood’s standard, “My One And Only Love” but the performance is a genuine quartet affair, with the rhythm players’ relaxed, and relaxing, approach central to the mood of the song.
While Bowen’s tenor saxophone might be the most prominent instrument on the album—it’s also the instrument of choice for both of the CD’s cover photos—he delivers some of his finest playing, with soprano, on his lovely ballads “Jessica” and “A Solar Romance.”
Power Play is an apposite title: for saxophonist Ralph Bowen is certainly one of the most powerful players in contemporary jazz. But power alone is seldom, if ever, enough, and Bowen combines power with exceptional control, feeling and tone. The rest of the quartet shares Bowen’s characteristics, ensuring that this collection of tunes is constantly rewarding.
Freedom contains a curious patchwork of styles—none of them, ironically, free. Pianist Orrin Evans and his trio (Dwayne Burno on bass, Byron Landham or Anwar Marshall on drums), plus tenor saxophonist Larry McKenna on two songs, tackle various aspects of mainstream jazz. For example, the complex postbop “One for Honor” precedes the riffy, Golson-esque “Gray’s Ferry,” which in turn leads to the darkly modal “Shades of Green.” The programming can be jarring. Nevertheless, each tune is beautifully executed, with great ensemble chemistry and a keen ear for nuance.
If they’re straight-ahead pieces, though, Evans isn’t content to leave them that way. Often these are subtle tweaks, like the dissonant descending vamp in his solo on “Time After Time” or the juxtaposition of European keyboard mannerisms against interlocking African rhythms (featuring both drummers) on “Oasis.” Sometimes it’s more overt; on “Time,” Evans discovers a cross-rhythmic syncopation that he likes enough to reuse on “Hodge Podge” and “As Is.” But he never loses sight of his bandmates, or the mood: While Burno and Marshall double down on the rhythmic tension of “Hodge Podge,” Evans creates abstractions that spiral like an ever-tightening spring, and then emits quick flares of release before pressing even further in his next phrase. It’s a masterstroke of precision and interplay.
Burno and the drummers are crucial to the music’s success—especially Burno, whose bass has a zesty wood sound that he manipulates with joy. McKenna is weaker, playing stock hard-bop lines (on what are, not coincidentally, the basic hard-bop tunes); still, he has chops and a beefy presence. If Freedom’s overall aesthetic is wobbly, its quality is not.
Hot on the heels of his Captain Black Big Band release, pianist Orrin Evans delivers a swinging piano-trio tribute to his hometown of Philadelphia with Freedom. The disc has a contemplative feel with the occasional burst of frenetic energy. The direction is refreshing and telling of the maturity of Evans, who seems more concerned with artistic expression than technical posturing. With a style steeped in tradition, yet pushing forward ever-so-gently, Evans is able to show restraint while building layers of intensity, especially on the ballad “Dita”—Evans’ only compositional contribution to the date—and an imaginative solo piano rendering of Herbie Hancock’s “Just Enough,” which serves as a fitting wrap-up. The pianist takes more of a thrill-seeking approach on up-tempo numbers such as “Hodge Podge” and “As Is.”
Evans is supported by bassist Dwayne Burno and drummers Anwar Marshall and, long-time associate, Byron Landham, all Philly-bred musicians. The great tenor saxophonist and Philadelphia legend Larry McKenna adds insatiable swinging lines to a couple of tracks, including a straightforward rendition of “Time After Time.”
Last week, I caught up with Orrin Evans for an interview forAlternate Takes. The pianist, composer and band leader was in town for a gig at the Zinc Bar in Greenwich Village with his much-buzzed-about big band. A couple of songs into the second set, Evans turns his famously hospitable energy toward the audience, as he introduces the band. “Welcome to Captain Black Big Band. For those of you who have read my recent Facebook rants, Captain Black is the tobacco my Dad used to smoke,” Evans defends. “…but I am wearing a dashiki, so it can mean whatever you want it to!”
He proceeds to introduce the tune the band just played – “Captain Black.” He then jokes encouragingly to his predominately White audience. “Come on guys, you can take it,” speaking of all of the “Black” references being tossed in their laps at lightning speed. It is classic Orrin Evans fashion to make his audience laugh, think and cringe, all at the same time. His honesty, though sometimes tough to hear (depending on where you’re coming from) is distinctively wrapped in warmth and convincingly well-intentioned.
Evans’ recent “Facebook rants” about Blacks mobilizing in the jazz industry in terms of an increased level of participation and ownership on the business side, among some other topics, have received some heated backlash from a few, and even apprehension to concede from some of his Black contemporaries. For Evans, his philosophies are ingrained; the result of a household filled with robust cultural awareness and exposure, education, and a fierce intention to raise a child who was keenly aware, and secure with his identity. “My father was Professor of African American Studies for 30 years at Trenton State College, and Professor of English at Princeton University, and I grew up in the Black arts movement because he was also a playwright. Then I grew up with my mom who was an opera singer who came through Opera Ebony and Opera North which was the Black opera company, so in my house it was constantly ‘hold you head high.’” When it came to the cruel names his dark-complexioned sister was taunted by, Evans reflects on his parents’ response, citing just one of the countless teachable moments that they would take advantage of throughout his upbringing. “My father would grab all the kids in the neighborhood, and sit them on the steps and say ‘Check this out. This is Africa and this is why there are different complexions…’ So that’s how I grew up. So I can’t do anything different.”
Orrin Evans grew up in Philadelphia, PA, and emerged on the New York City jazz scene in the mid-90s after attending the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. A flourishing time for young jazz musicians, he was quickly recognized as an exceptional talent, and released his first album as a leader in 1994, and has at least ten more albums under his belt, to date. He has dozens of recording credits, and has played with an array of jazz and popular artists like Bobby Watson, Pharoah Sanders, Antonio Hart, Roy Hargrove,Mos Def, Common, Dave Douglas, Brandford Marsalis, Sean Jones, Ravi Coltrane, and The Mingus Big Band. He is a label executive, producer, arranger, educator and most recently, a big band director.
Captain Black Big Band is comprised of a combination of local and renowned jazz musicians from the Philadelphia and New York area and has included Ralph Bowen,Wayne Escoffery, Tia Fuller, Jaleel Shaw, Tatum Greenblatt, Brian Kilpatrick, Tim Warfield, Stafford Hunter, Frank Lacy, Brent White,Todd Marcus, Luques Curtis, Anwar Marshall, Gene Jackson, andDonald Edwards – – to name some. The album, which bears the same name as the band, is comprised of original tunes by Evans, Ralph Peterson, Gianluca Renzi and Todd Marcus. It is a joyous and meaningful assemblage of music, life and love, captured via live recording dates in both NYC and Philly. I was caught off guard when Evans explained the genesis of such an ambitious project. “The idea behind it was just boredom,” says Evans. “That’s the truth. Sometimes living in Philly, and that two hour commute to New York…I just wanted to do something. And I had just gotten back from Portugal where I led this big band of college students, and I thought, wow, that was kind of fun, and I said well maybe I’ll do this during my down time in Philly. Nothing more. But then when it started, I said this is really coming together. And I have to admit, I married the right partner. My wife was like alright, you’re bullshitting, we’re gonna do a record; gotta do the record. I just did this to be doing it, and it kinda grew into something. I called on other friends to fill in where some of the college students who were in Philly couldn’t handle. I called Gene Jackson and Donald Edwards, and a lot of other people. And I’ve never arranged for a big band. And the thing is, people think that I did all these arrangements. Charles Mingus didn’t do a lot of arrangements for his big band. I wrote the tunes and then I was blessed to have Todd Bashore do a pile of arrangements and so the band started coming together. And my thing is, what I’ve realized was like, New York…actually the industry…they want something to talk about. So, here it is; Orrin Evans’ next thing.”
If you’re trying to keeping up with Evans — good luck. High on energy and ideas, he’s already working on the next big band album, as well as a new release from his group Tar Baby; a trio that includes bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits. Based on a concept from African-American folklore, Tar Baby represents a powerful message. “I grew up with Uncle Remus. My father, like I said, was a playwright and used to read Uncle Remus stories. The story of the tar baby is pretty much that Br’er Rabbit wanted to trick everybody and you can grab the tar baby and you’re stuck on what is real. So we all got into a thing that tar baby is jazz. These other musicians — black, white, purple, green — don’t wanna grab onto. They don’t wanna get stuck on the concept that this is Black music. So there it is, and Tar Baby was born.”
Last year, Evans also released Faith In Action, which received critical acclaim. The album is a tribute to one of his most important mentors, Bobby Watson. A bold and inspiring homage, Faith In Action is a strong argument for playing the music of the living; a seemingly lost tradition in jazz today. “I’ve recorded Duane Eubanks tunes, a Chris Beck (a 20-something year old drummer from Philly) tune on my last record. A big part of it is that I have never forgotten where I came from. Everybody came through Bobby Watson, I don’t care who you are. If you’re in the same age range as me — between 32 and 55 – you came up through Bobby Watson. Frank Lacy came through Bobby Watson, Chris McBride. Roy Hargrove; his first recording date was with Bobby Watson. Benny Green. I mean, I can go down the list. Regardless of what people may think. People may say ‘Bobby’s cool…’ and Bobby is cool. Bobby may not be John Coltrane. Bobby may not be Kenny Garrett; I don’t really care. The point is, how did I get in the door? The problem is a lot of us forget where we came from. I remember being in the Metronome, and I was playing with Rodney Whitaker and Ralph Bowen. And remember seeing Bilal, Robert Glasper…all of them were there checking out the music. They’ve always been checking out the music. They will always talk about that time. That time meant something to them. The problem now is a lot of younger musicians are like ‘I’m just here,’ like they’re in Star Trek and they pressed a button and they morphed here. I cannot deny that I got in the door through Bobby Watson. He opened the door and let me in. That’s all that record was about. Let me play his music.”
Like so many before him, Evans has kept with the tradition of not just paying homage to those pivotal figures in his life, but utilizing jazz music’s vital role as a means of social commentary with his stirring composition, “Jena 6.” Songs like Ambrose Akinmusire’s “My Name is Oscar” and “Jena 6″ are unfortunate reminders of the world we live in. I asked about the importance of telling these stories in jazz. “Now it’s important to tell the story through the music and dot-dot-dot…whatever medium that is. And when you get the microphone and on Facebook and on Twitter, ‘cuz others need to hear that story. You never know. Like today is my mother’s birthday. But that’s important for me to tell tonight because I’m 36 years old and don’t have either one of my parents. But I still feel empowered. So, I tell that story because someone in that audience that I’m gonna play for tonight might have lost their mother, or may have lost their father. So it’s important for me to play “Jena 6,” because I’m telling a story just like Mingus’ “Fables of Faubus.” Just like Max, or Miles, but I can’t let it stop with playing a song. Because sometimes you play the song and nobody knows who Orval Faubes was. Nobody knows that he’s the dude who prevented desegregation in schools, so you have to say it, too.
It is perhaps the “saying” that many of today’s musicians are struggling with, especially in the shrinking music industry climate. “There’s tons of people that come to mind that are really willing to speak up. But there’s also a lot of people that are scared. They’re really scared because they’re all grabbing for the same thing. There’s four booking agents, there’s four managers, and those people are in control of… you look at the top jazz people who I love and respect. They’re like, if I wanna play there, I need to be cool with this person, so everyone is holding on to the little bit that they have. That’s number one. They don’t want to ruffle any feathers.”
For reasons understandable, Evans takes the relationships with his band mates seriously; especially off of the bandstand. The social climate seems to suggest that bringing up truthful points — not opinion — is enough for an artist to be labeled with unfair and assumed agendas or platforms. For Evans’ supporters (or supporters of any other Black jazz musician that dare have a mind to speak), there is an understanding that there may be consequence for any level of an agreeable attitude. To illustrate, two artists (whose names will not be mentioned here) have had their record labels contacted, and were specifically asked not to comment on Evans’ Facebook comments. Though Evans’ fans and supporters far outweigh the few who are taking issue, the horror of what that kind of action symbolizes in the grand scheme of things is worthy of the dedication of an entirely separate post. But for Evans, it is quite simple. “My lead alto player calls me an hour before you got here and couldn’t make it [for the Zinc Bar gig tonight]. So I’m thinking, is there a shortage of lead alto players in New York? No. Is there a shortage of lead alto players that are comfortable with my rants on Facebook? That have known me, known my wife, are familiar with my kids, and know where I’m coming from? Yes. So I’m like, shit.” Of course, Evans gets his altoist before the end of our time together, but his point is well taken. “I just need family around me. I wanna look at every person on that bandstand, and they know me. They know my family. That’s really important to me. Not just ‘cuz you the baddest cat. I can call the baddest cat. We all can.”
On his way back from Texas to New York to meet me for this interview, Evans’ described his appreciation for the flood of phone calls and text messages he received from an array of jazz industry figures as he walked through Newark airport. For Evans, the abundance of messages of hopes that he’ll continue to do this all important — if sometimes unpopular — enlightening, is motivation enough.
In terms of music, Evans is proving to be more prolific than ever. Recently placing in this year’s DownBeat Critics Poll in the Big Band category, and releasing the gorgeous and relentlessly swinging Freedom (Posi-Tone) and several projects coming down the pike, Evans is still one of jazz music’s top contenders. ♦