Pianist Orrin Evans Lets Go and Trusts Instincts
with Electrifying Band for #knowingishalfthebattle -
Available October 7 on Smoke Sessions Records
Album Release Performances:
November 17 - 20 | Jazz Standard with Kurt Rosenwinkel | New York, NY
December 28 - 30 | Chris' Jazz Cafe with Kevin Eubanks | Philadelphia, PA
"...Orrin Evans has lately been on a hot streak, advancing a pugnacious
and exploratory brand of post-bop." - The New York Times
No
child of the '80s could forget the closing moments of every "G.I. Joe"
cartoon: one of our heroes would teach a valuable life lesson about
saying 'no' to drugs or not talking to strangers, followed by the
familiar refrain, "And now you know... and knowing is half the battle!"
Pianist/composer Orrin Evans has parroted that line for decades, but says he's only recently come to realize what it truly means. On #knowingishalfthebattle, his third release for Smoke Sessions Records,
Evans shares his own lessons in life and music on a raw, electrifying
session that teams him with a pair of renowned guitarists who are also,
not coincidentally, native sons of Evans' own hometown of Philadelphia: Kevin Eubanks and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He's also joined by the latest in a long line of inspired rhythm sections, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr., along with up-and-coming saxophonist Caleb Wheeler Curtis and a longtime collaborator, vocalist M'Balia.
#knowingishalfthebattle
shows Evans coming to terms with what he's learned over his years on
and off the bandstand -- and more importantly, how to make use of that
knowledge. In large part, the answer he's come to involves letting go,
forgetting what's been learned and trusting the instincts that come
along with it. By inviting such virtuosic musicians into his world, he's
asking them to do the same and making new discoveries through a
collective act of forgetting.
"We're
taught that with knowledge comes power," Evans says. "Which is true,
but we never really realize that with knowledge comes responsibility.
Then we have to figure out how to forget. When you let go of everything
that you've been taught, the possibilities of what can happen on the
bandstand are endless."
That
kind of edge-walking spontaneity is familiar to anyone who's ever seen
Evans perform live, but it truly shines through on this recording, which
is invigorated by its thrilling sense of looseness and in-the-moment
invention. The "anything could happen" vibe draws visceral performances
from the full ensemble, but especially from the two six-string wizards
that join in for the session. Rosenwinkel is one of the most revered and
influential guitarists of his generation; Eubanks gained fame for his
15-year stint as the bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, but is also well respected for his work with jazz greats from Art Blakey to Dave Holland to Steve Coleman.
The
fact that the two are such different but equally distinctive
instrumentalists is an illustration of the title concept, Evans says.
"They're two guitarists, but they're two people who have taken the
guitar information and translated it in their own way. One uses a pick,
one doesn't; one uses a volume pedal more than the other, one plays with
more effects on their sound, one is coming from Wes Montgomery and the
other is coming from a different point; but they're both taking the
information they were given and doing something different with it."
Especially
exhilarating is the Caleb Wheeler Curtis composition "Heavy Hangs the
Head That Wears the Crown," which features the two guitar-slingers
working together to conjure a moody, atmospheric and mesmerizing
soundscape. But they're equally enthralling on their own, from
Rosenwinkel's soaring quicksilver runs on "Chiara," a piece by Chicago
pianist Curtis Clark that was introduced to Evans by saxophonist and
sometime Tarbaby collaborator Oliver Lake; to Eubanks' warped, twisting
eruptions on Carla Bley's "Calls."
The
latter evokes Evans' upbringing in the Church of God in Christ, which
began every service with a call to worship. Though not intended that way
by the composer, Evans uses the piece for a similar purpose, his
spirited singing of the melody gradually gathering the musicians to
express themselves.
The
church is one place where Evans garnered the knowledge that he brings
to bear in his music today. The album also pays homage to some of the
most influential people in his life, starting with his father,
playwright Donald Evans; one characteristically direct and pointed piece
of advice from the elder Evans gave "You Don't Need a License To Drive"
its title. Eubanks' blistering solo is followed by the pianist's own
trenchant turn and a concise but eloquent statement by Curtis, before
Evans and Eubanks reenter with a disruptive outburst.
"Doc's
Holiday" is named for another father figure, an older friend of Evans'
known informally as the "Mayor of Mt. Airy," the pianist's Philly
neighborhood. "I grew up with a protégé of my father's who became like
an older brother to me," Evans explains. "He passed away in 2007 and I
met Doc in 2006, so it was like the divine spirit took away one brother
and gave me another." The two voices in its melody reflect its subject's
adaptability, a notion that Evans aspires to and encourages in his own
sons. "You should be able to go to any part of Philadelphia or the world
and feel at home, whether you go to a function sponsored by the mayor
or hang with the biggest thug in West Philly. It's about being an
all-around guy."
Evans draws material from a wide variety of sources: "When Jen Came In," which he originally recorded on his 1995 debut Déjà Vu,
was penned by a college classmate, while the bluesy "Slife" was written
by bassist and videographer Jason Fifield, who tirelessly documents the
Philly jazz scene. "Kooks" is a David Bowie classic, first performed by
Evans' Captain Black Big Band on the night that the legendary rock icon
passed away, while "That's All" is a Songbook standard; both feature
the unique vocal stylings of M'Balia, whose work with Evans dates back
to his neo-soul group Luv Park.
"Zeni
Bea" is named for the two month-old daughter of Luques Curtis, who
makes her recording debut on the track, crying as the assembled artists
chant her name. Parenthood is another theme of the album (and another
source of/drain on knowledge). It's book-ended by a pair of tracks
produced by Evans' youngest son, Matthew, who chops and manipulates a
solo piano improvisation to create an electronic portrait of his father
and their relationship that places the concept of passing down knowledge
in a surprising context.
So now you know -- and... well, you know the rest.
"#knowingishalfthebattle" was recorded live in New York at
Sear Sound's Studio C
on a Sear-Avalon custom console at 96KHz/24bit
and mixed to ½" analog tape
using a Studer mastering deck.
Available in audiophile HD format.
Orrin Evans #knowingishalfthebattle Release Performances
November 17 - 20 | Jazz Standard w/ special guest Kurt Rosenwinkel | New York, NY
December 28 - 30 | Chris' Jazz Cafe w/ special guest Kevin Eubanks | Philadelphia, PA
Additional Orrin Evans Performances
Every Monday | Philly Meets New York @ Smoke Jazz & Supper Club | New York, NY
August 4 - 7 | Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (w/ Ben Wolfe) | New York, NY
August 6 | Litchfield Jazz Festival (w/ Darryl Johns & Steve Johns) | Litchfield, CT
August 12 | Deerhead Inn (w/ Brian Lynch) | Delaware Water Gap, PA
August 27 | Chris' Jazz Cafe (w/ Joanna Pascale) | Philadelphia, PA
August 31 | SOUTH (w/ Reggie Watkins) | Philadelphia, PA
September 2 | Chicago Jazz Festival (w/ TARBABY) | Chicago, IL
September 29 - October 2nd | Jazz Standard (w/ Steve Wilson) | New York, NY
October 15 & 16 | Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (w/ Matt Wilson Group) | New York, NY
October 22 | Bucks County Performing Arts Center (w/ Captain Black Big Band) | Yardley, PA
Orrin Evans · #
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: October 7, 2016
For more information on Smoke Sessions Records,
please visit SmokeSessionsRecords.com
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DL Media · 610-667-0501
Maureen McFadden · maureen@dlmediamusic.com
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