Orrin Evans Trio • Blessed Ones

 

Biography by Thom Jurek
Orrin Evans is a jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. He is well-versed in hard and post-bop, neo-soul, and R&B. In addition to leading dates, he is a prolific first-call sideman, and is particularly adept at backing singers. After woodshedding in various bands, he formed the Black Entertainment label in 1995 to release his leader debut, The Trio. He signed with Criss Cross in 1996 and worked in a number of contexts: On 1997's Justin Time he led a quintet, and followed with the acclaimed octet outing Captain Black in 1998. Two more quintet albums -- Grown Folk Bizness and Listen to the Band -- followed in 1999. Evans spent several years recording for Imani, issuing outings such as LuvPark in 2003 and Tarbaby's self-titled debut in 2006. In 2010, he issued three recordings in different settings for Posi-Tone including Tarbaby's The End of Fear, the live Captain Black Big Band, and Freedom with a quintet. Tarbaby and the Captain Black Big Band continued to record and tour with fluctuating lineups, but the pianist issued titles under his own name, too, including 2013's acclaimed trio set ...It Was Beauty and the live quintet date Liberation Blues -- his first for the Smoke Sessions label. In 2018, Evans replaced pianist Ethan Iverson in Bad Plus and they recorded the all-original Never Stop II followed by 2019's Activate Infinity. He left BP in the spring of 2021, and in July released The Magic of Now.

Evans was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, a classical opera singer, introduced him to music early and he began taking piano lessons as a child. The vastly musical city afforded him the opportunity to study -- informally -- with jazz legends such as Trudy Pitts, Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, and others. He attended and graduated from the Girard Academic Music Program, and in 1993 was accepted into the Mason Gross School of The Arts at Rutgers University. While attending Mason Gross, he studied with Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen, Ralph Bowen, and Ted Dunbar.

Evans arrived in New York as one of the emerging class of Young Lions playing straight-ahead jazz, and hard bop in particular. Early on, he worked as a sideman with saxophonist Bobby Watson and drummer Ralph Peterson, as well as in the bands of Duane Eubanks, singer Lenora Zenzalai-Helm, and several others. In 1995 he set up the Black Entertainment label to release his debut leader date, The Trio, with bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer Byron Landham. Though the band played many club dates, Evans was busy working as a sideman with other musicians and couldn't undertake widespread touring.

He signed with Criss Cross in late 1996 and issued his label debut Justin Time in 1997, leading an "ortet" with Landham, trumpeter John Swana, saxophonist Tim Warfield (tenor sax), and bassist Rodney Whitaker. The record drew positive notice from critics. The octet outing Captain Black followed in 1998 with Warfield and Whitaker, but also included saxophonists Sam Newsome, Antonio Hart, and Ralph Bowen, as well as bassist Avishai Cohen and mentor Peterson on drums. 1999's Grown Folk Bizness offered a smaller version of the band, minus Warfield, Cohen, and Hart. Listen to the Band followed a year later and included drummer Nasheet Waits and Evans' old friend bassist Reid Anderson. Evans opened the new century with a new band, Seed, who issued a self-titled LP for Imani, as well as the quartet outing Blessed Ones -- with Eric Revis on bass -- and the mixed lineup outing Meant to Shine. What became obvious in observing the latter's personnel -- that included Revis, Bowen, and Newsome -- was how much stock Evans put into his personal and professional relationships: His recordings before and after this release feature many of the same players in ever-evolving settings; further, he is a first-call sideman for an astonishing variety of leaders.

In 2003, Evans formed Luvpark and issued its self-titled debut on Imani. In addition to Bowen, its lineup included drummer Donald Edwards, with guest vocals by his wife Dawn Warren-Evans and J.D. Walter. The following year he released Live at Widener University leading a quartet with Anderson, Waits, Newsome, and saxophonist J.D. Allen. After releasing Easy Now for Criss Cross, Evans formed the modernist Tarbaby, one of his most compelling bands. For its self-titled 2006 freshman offering, Evans brought back Allen, Revis, and Waits, and added young saxophonist Stacy Dillard. Tarbaby toured relentlessly with Evans adding and subtracting players in his lineup in order to accommodate busy schedules. In 2006 he issued Faith in Action; his first album for Posi-Tone, it featured Luques Curtis on bass. A revamped Tarbaby released The End of Fear in 2010, with trumpeter Nicholas Payton and saxophonist Oliver Lake playing alongside Allen, Waits, and Revis. The globally acclaimed album underscored Evans' ability to mold a slew of disparately matched players into a cohesive unit. That year also saw the release of a live self-titled offering from the Captain Black Big Band, and 2011's Freedom showcased a quintet outing that saw drummer/percussionist Byron Landham return to Evans' fold. 2012's Flip the Script indeed did, as one of Evans' somewhat rare trio offerings. The pianist worked on a slew of recordings that year, including Conrad Herwig's A Voice Through the Door and Wayne Escoffery's The Only Son of One. Evans returned to Criss Cross for It Was Beauty, with drummer Donald Edwards and a handful of alternating bass players. Tarbaby returned with two albums: Ballad of Sam Langford included Ambrose Akinmusire in the trumpet chair, while the live Fanon, recorded two years earlier, was released by RogueArt and included vanguard guitarist Marc Ducret in its lineup.

In 2014, Evans signed with the venerable jazz indie Smoke Sessions. His label debut was Liberation Blues with Curtis on bass and Bill Stewart on drums, and included guest spots from Allen and trumpeter Sean Jones, whose recordings Evans regularly appeared on. That year the pianist played on Edwards' Evolution of an Influenced Mind, and vocalist Michelle Lordi's debut album Drive. Evans closed out the year with Mother's Touch by the Captain Black Big Band.

2015's The Evolution of Oneself proved a special album for the pianist. It was the very first time he'd recorded with bassist Christian McBride (a fellow Philadelphian) and Detroit drummer Karriem Riggins. Evans had shared an apartment with the pair during his early years in New York, and had worked with them on bandstands a few times, but this date marked the first time they shared a studio. The 18-track set included a stellar array of originals and standards -- including an iconic cover of Philly sax legend Grover Washington, Jr.'s "A Secret Place" -- and featured guest guitarist Marvin Sewell on a few tracks. That year Evans also played on Warfield's Spherical: Dedicated to Thelonious Sphere Monk, and on vocalist Joanna Pascale's fourth album Wildflower. The following year, Evans released #knowingishalfthebattle with a lineup that included alternating guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and Kevin Eubanks, Mark Whitfield, Jr. on drums, and Curtis on bass. Captain Black Big Band's Presence was also released that year, and he guested on albums by Eubanks, Josh Lawrence, and Jones.

In 2018, the Bad Plus simultaneously announced the departure of founding pianist Ethan Iverson and Evans replaced him for the release of Never Stop II. Like its 2010 predecessor, it uncharacteristically featured only original material. In 2019, Evans toured intensely with the Bad Plus, and released the Captain Black Big Band's The Intangible Between.

In October the Bad Plus' new label, Edition Records, debuted with Activate Infinity to near-universal critical acclaim. Evans' tenure with the trio proved short-lived, however; in the spring of 2021 he announced his departure. In July he released The Magic of Now on Smoke Sessions, leading a quartet that included Stewart on drums, bassist Vicente Archer, and 23-year-old alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/orrin-evans-mn0000488518#biography

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Biografía de Thom Jurek
Orrin Evans es pianista de jazz, compositor y director de orquesta. Está bien versado en hard y post-bop, neo-soul y R & B. Además de liderar fechas, es un prolífico acompañante de primera llamada y es particularmente experto en coros. Después de trabajar en varias bandas, formó el sello Black Entertainment en 1995 para lanzar su debut como líder, The Trio. Firmó con Criss Cross en 1996 y trabajó en varios contextos: En Justin Time de 1997 dirigió un quinteto, y siguió con la aclamada salida del octeto Captain Black en 1998. Dos álbumes más de quinteto, Grown Folk Bizness y Listen to the Band, siguieron en 1999. Evans pasó varios años grabando para Imani, emitiendo salidas como LuvPark en 2003 y el debut homónimo de Tarbaby en 2006. En 2010, publicó tres grabaciones en diferentes escenarios para Posi-Tone, incluyendo The End of Fear de Tarbaby, the live Captain Black Big Band y Freedom with a quintet. Tarbaby y Captain Black Big Band continuaron grabando y girando con alineaciones fluctuantes, pero el pianista también emitió títulos con su propio nombre, incluido el aclamado trío de 2013, It Was Beauty y el quinteto en vivo date Liberation Blues , su primero para el sello Smoke Sessions. En 2018, Evans reemplazó al pianista Ethan Iverson en Bad Plus y grabaron Never Stop II, totalmente original, seguido de Activate Infinity de 2019. Dejó BP en la primavera de 2021 y en julio lanzó The Magic of Now.

Evans nació en Trenton, Nueva Jersey, pero se crió en Filadelfia, Pensilvania. Su madre, una cantante de ópera clásica, le introdujo temprano en la música y comenzó a tomar lecciones de piano cuando era niño. La gran ciudad musical le brindó la oportunidad de estudiar, de manera informal, con leyendas del jazz como Trudy Pitts, Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker y otros. Asistió y se graduó del Programa Académico de Música Girard, y en 1993 fue aceptado en la Escuela de Artes Mason Gross de la Universidad de Rutgers. Mientras asistía a Mason Gross, estudió con Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen, Ralph Bowen y Ted Dunbar.

Evans llegó a Nueva York como una de las clases emergentes de Young Lions tocando jazz directo y hard bop en particular. Al principio, trabajó como acompañante con el saxofonista Bobby Watson y el baterista Ralph Peterson, así como en las bandas de Duane Eubanks, la cantante Lenora Zenzalai-Helm y varios otros. En 1995 creó el sello Black Entertainment para lanzar su líder debut date, The Trio, con el bajista Matthew Parrish y el baterista Byron Landham. Aunque la banda tocó en muchas fechas de clubes, Evans estaba ocupado trabajando como acompañante con otros músicos y no podía realizar giras generalizadas.

Firmó con Criss Cross a fines de 1996 y lanzó su debut en el sello Justin Time en 1997, liderando un "ortet" con Landham, el trompetista John Swana, el saxofonista Tim Warfield (saxo tenor) y el bajista Rodney Whitaker. El disco atrajo críticas positivas de los críticos. La salida del octeto Captain Black siguió en 1998 con Warfield y Whitaker, pero también incluyó a los saxofonistas Sam Newsome, Antonio Hart y Ralph Bowen, así como al bajista Avishai Cohen y al mentor Peterson en la batería. Grown Folk Bizness de 1999 ofreció una versión más pequeña de la banda, menos Warfield, Cohen y Hart. Listen to the Band siguió un año después e incluyó al baterista Nasheet Waits y al viejo amigo de Evans, el bajista Reid Anderson. Evans abrió el nuevo siglo con una nueva banda, Seed, que lanzó un LP homónimo para Imani, así como la salida del cuarteto Blessed Ones, con Eric Revis al bajo , y la salida de formación mixta Destinada a Brillar. Lo que se hizo obvio al observar al personal de este último, que incluía a Revis, Bowen y Newsome, fue cuánto valor puso Evans en sus relaciones personales y profesionales: Sus grabaciones antes y después de este lanzamiento presentan a muchos de los mismos músicos en entornos en constante evolución; además, es un acompañante de primera llamada para una asombrosa variedad de líderes.

En 2003, Evans formó Luvpark y lanzó su debut homónimo en Imani. Además de Bowen, su formación incluía al baterista Donald Edwards, con las voces invitadas de su esposa Dawn Warren-Evans y J. D. Walter. Al año siguiente lanzó Live at Widener University liderando un cuarteto con Anderson, Waits, Newsome y el saxofonista J. D. Allen. Después de lanzar Easy Now para Criss Cross, Evans formó the modernist Tarbaby, una de sus bandas más convincentes. Para su oferta homónima de primer año de 2006, Evans trajo de regreso a Allen, Revis y Waits, y agregó a la joven saxofonista Stacy Dillard. Tarbaby realizó una gira implacable con Evans agregando y restando jugadores en su alineación para adaptarse a los horarios ocupados. En 2006 publicó Faith in Action; su primer álbum para Posi-Tone, presentaba a Luques Curtis al bajo. Un Tarbaby renovado lanzó The End of Fear en 2010, con el trompetista Nicholas Payton y el saxofonista Oliver Lake tocando junto a Allen, Waits y Revis. El álbum aclamado a nivel mundial subrayó la capacidad de Evans de moldear una gran cantidad de músicos dispares en una unidad cohesiva. Ese año también vio el lanzamiento de una oferta homónima en vivo de Captain Black Big Band, y Freedom de 2011 mostró una salida de quinteto en la que el baterista/percusionista Byron Landham regresó al redil de Evans. Flip the Script de 2012 de hecho lo hizo, como una de las ofertas de trío algo raras de Evans. El pianista trabajó en una gran cantidad de grabaciones ese año, incluidas A Voice Through the Door de Conrad Herwig y The Only Son of One de Wayne Escoffery. Evans regresó a Criss Cross por It Was Beauty, con el baterista Donald Edwards y un puñado de bajistas alternos. Tarbaby regresó con dos álbumes: Ballad of Sam Langford incluyó a Ambrose Akinmusire en la silla de trompeta, mientras que Fanon en vivo, grabado dos años antes, fue lanzado por RogueArt e incluyó al guitarrista de vanguard Marc Ducret en su formación.

En 2014, Evans firmó con el venerable jazz indie Smoke Sessions. Su debut en el sello fue Liberation Blues con Curtis al bajo y Bill Stewart a la batería, e incluyó anuncios invitados de Allen y el trompetista Sean Jones, en cuyas grabaciones Evans aparecía regularmente. Ese año, el pianista tocó en Evolution of an Influenced Mind de Edwards y en el álbum debut de la vocalista Michelle Lordi, Drive. Evans cerró el año con Mother's Touch de Captain Black Big Band.

El álbum de 2015 The Evolution of Oneself resultó ser un álbum especial para el pianista. Era la primera vez que grababa con el bajista Christian McBride (un compatriota de Filadelfia) y el baterista de Detroit Karriem Riggins. Evans había compartido un apartamento con la pareja durante sus primeros años en Nueva York, y había trabajado con ellos en los escenarios varias veces, pero esta fecha marcó la primera vez que compartieron un estudio. El set de 18 pistas incluía una variedad estelar de originales y estándares , incluida una versión icónica de "A Secret Place" de la leyenda del saxo de Filadelfia Grover Washington, Jr., y contó con el guitarrista invitado Marvin Sewell en algunas pistas. Ese año Evans también tocó en Spherical: Dedicated to Thelonious Sphere Monk de Warfield, y en el cuarto álbum de la vocalista Joanna Pascale, Wildflower.  Al año siguiente, Evans lanzó #knowingishalfthebattle con una formación que incluía guitarristas alternos Kurt Rosenwinkel y Kevin Eubanks, Mark Whitfield, Jr.a la batería y Curtis al bajo. Captain Black Big Band's Presence también fue lanzado ese año, y participó como invitado en álbumes de Eubanks, Josh Lawrence y Jones.

En 2018, Bad Plus anunció simultáneamente la partida del pianista fundador Ethan Iverson y Evans lo reemplazó para el lanzamiento de Never Stop II. Al igual que su predecesor de 2010, inusualmente presentaba solo material original. En 2019, Evans realizó una intensa gira con The Bad Plus y lanzó The Intangible Between de Captain Black Big Band.

En octubre, el nuevo sello de Bad Plus, Edition Records, debutó con Activate Infinity con elogios de la crítica casi universales. Sin embargo, la permanencia de Evans con el trío resultó efímera; en la primavera de 2021 anunció su partida. En julio lanzó The Magic of Now en Sesiones de Humo, liderando un cuarteto que incluía a Stewart a la batería, el bajista Vicente Archer y el saxofonista alto de 23 años Immanuel Wilkins.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/orrin-evans-mn0000488518#biography

orrinevansmusic.com ...

 

Tracks:
1 - Autumn Leaves - 8:14
Composed By – Jacques Prévert, Joseph Kosma
2 - Two Faces Of Nasheet8:30
Composed By – Freddie Waits
3 - Anysha I -     7:21
Composed By – Trudy Pitt
4 - Some Other Blues - 5:35
Composed By – John Coltrane
5 - Blessed One The Eternal Truth7:31
Composed By – Trudy Pitts
6 - The Inchworm - 7:53
Composed By – Frank Loesser
7 - Bright Size Life - 8:02
Composed By – Pat Metheny
8 - I Will Wait For You - 7:52
Composed By – Michel Legrand
9 - Anysha II -     7:37
Composed By – Trudy Pitts

Credits
    Design – Gerry Teekens, H. Bloemendaal
    Double Bass – Eric Revis
    Drums – Edgar Bateman (tracks: 4, 6), Nasheet Waits
    Engineer – Max Bolleman
    Executive-Producer – K. Hasselpflug
    Piano – Orrin Evans
    Producer – Gerry Teekens

Notes
Recorded in Brooklyn, NY, January 10, 2001
Recorded At – Systems Two

Genre: Jazz
Style: Post-Bop
Country: USA
Year: 2001

 

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