Revered Pianist Orrin Evans Continues Touring Schedule with Appearances in San Jose, SF, Seattle, Portland and Denver
Featuring Luques Curtis and Jeff “Tain” Watts
Following a relentless summer touring schedule which included many performances with The Bad Plus, two residencies with Evans’ raucous, hard-driving Captain Black Big Band and a series of collaborations with some of the most exciting names in jazz, consummate pianist Orrin Evans continues his musical journey with a trio tour, introducing audiences in the midwest to Evans’ unmistakable instrumental facility and compositional prowess. Audiences will be treated with selections of Evans compositions from a catalogue of releases that span the last two decades.
The Orrin Evans Trio featuring internationally renowned bassist Luques Curtis, and veteran drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts will tour throughout the West Coast and the Midwest this October, starting with a performance at Art Boutiki in San Jose, CA on October 7th. Next, the trio will perform at The Black Cat in San Francisco, CA. Heading to the Mid-west, the trio will perform at The 1905 in Portland, OR on October 10th. Tickets are $20 and the show begins at 7:00. Traveling to Seattle, WA, the ensemble will perform at Town Hall Seattle – The Forum for Earshot Festival on October 11th. Tickets are $28, and the show begins at 8:00. Lastly, the group will travel to Denver, CO to perform at Dazzle. Tickets begin at $15 and the show starts at 6:30.
This fall tour comes at a time of growth in the trajectory of Evans’ remarkable career. Since the release of Never Stop II, his debut as a member of the famed trio The Bad Plus, the artist is celebrating a newfound recognition, being named “Rising Star” on piano in the 66th Annual Downbeat International Critics Poll and being hailed by the New York Times as “a viable candidate for jazz’s most resourceful and invigorating contemporary pianist.” “The last year and a half of touring with The Bad Plus has been amazing,” Evans says, “but it’s also been eye-opening. It’s been educational to learn that my name hasn’t reached certain audiences as a bandleader.” Evans aims to educate audiences about his music and gain new fans internationally, while doing what he loves to do “playing music with family.”
More About the Artist:
Born in Trenton, NJ but raised in Philadelphia, acoustic pianist Orrin Evans was among the “Young Lions” of straight-ahead jazz who emerged in the 1990s. His main focus is hard bop, although he has occasionally detoured into soul-jazz and R&B when backing such vocalists as Denise King and his wife, Dawn Warren. Influenced by McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, among others, Evans graduated from high school in the early 1990s and studied at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ before going on to study privately with Kenny Barron and be employed as a sideman by Bobby Watson, Ralph Peterson, Duane Eubanks, singer Lenora Zenzalai-Helm and others. Evans recorded his first CD as a leader, The Orrin Evans Trio, for his own Black Entertainment label in 1994. After that, he signed with Criss Cross and recorded Justin Time in 1997, Captain Black in 1998 and Grown Folks Bizness in 1999. Listen to the Band followed a year later, with Blessed Ones and Meant to Shine following soon, continuing his yearly release schedule. Now a member of The Bad Plus, Evans tours frequently with trio while also acting as bandleader of his own trio and the Captain Black Big Band.
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| October 7, 2019 | Art Boutiki, San Jose, CA | TICKETS/INFO |
| October 8-9, 2019 | Black Cat, San Francisco, CA | TICKETS/INFO |
| October 10, 2019 | The 1905, Portland, OR | TICKETS/INFO |
| October 11, 2019 | Earshot Festival, Seattle WA | TICKETS/INFO |
| October 12, 2019 | Dazzle, Denver, CO | TICKETS/INFO |