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Home , Andy Bey, Charles Fambrough, Conrad Herwig, Craig Handy, Criss Cross Jazz, Eric Revis

...It Was Beauty

…a poised artist with an impressive template of ideas at his command. – New York Times

Pianist released his 20th recording “…It Was Beauty ” on Criss Cross which debuted the music on May 27th @ Blue Note, NYC ••• A Prodigious Producer, Evans Also Launched Likemind Collective With New CDs by Tarbaby, and JD Walter

Two time Grammy nominee and Pew Fellow, Orrin Evans has been recognized as one of the most distinctive and inventive pianists of his generation. In a short span of time Orrin has earned the titles of pianist, composer, bandleader, teacher, producer and arranger. The New York Times described the pianist as "... a poised artist with an impressive template of ideas at his command", a quality that has undoubtedly assisted in keeping Orrin at the forefront of the music scene.

The latest release by Evans, “It Was Beauty” marks his 20th recording as a leader and his seventh release for the label, Criss Cross, which he began recording for at age 21. In his 20-year plus career, he’s been critically acclaimed for his imposing chops, his propulsive take on rhythm and harmony alike. Over- looked has been the beauty he creates through his art form. For the project, Evans convened four bassists – Eric Revis, Ben Wolfe, , and Alex Claffy – and drummer Donald Edwards, all bandstand partners in recent years.

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...It Was Beauty

Likemind. Evans has a restless mind as an artist, producer and bandmate, compelling him to forge new paths for himself and artists of likemind. Maybe it’s a Philly thing. The recipient of a 2010 Pew Fellowship, there’s something about musicians that keeps them rooted to the idea of neighborhood and collective sourcing of ideas that can benefit all and move music forward to a new frontier. Evans has that questing approach to music, and while acclaimed as a pianist and composer, his talent as a producer and his knack for scouting new talent have not been as recognized.

Always pushing the boundaries of music – even questioning what it’s called – Evans attracts other brilliant, progressive musicians with a sound and style like no one else and organizes structures that can support them artistically and professionally. First he co-created Tarbaby, a collaborative concept with bass- ist Eric Revis and drummer . Now he’s forged Likemind, a larger concept of an artist collec- tive that currently includes his own music, Tarbaby’s and that of Revis and vocalist JD Walter.

Tarbaby is a sonic project and free-form collective that strives to preserve core elements that have made creative music what it is and generate organic situations where like-minded artists can participate and showcase the music’s mutable, ever-changing form. On May 15, they’ll release the self-produced Ballad of Sam Langford on Hipnotic with guests on , Lake back on tenor saxo- phone and Matthew Evans – Orrin’s son – on finger piano. Eric Revis. Bassist for ’ quintet for 16 years, Revis has a deep, woody tone and his play- ing is agile, melodic and distinctive. In 2012 Clean Feed Records released the stellar Parallax by Revis with , Ken Vandermark and Nasheet Waits. On May 15, Clean Feed will release the followup, City of Asylum, featuring and Kris Davis and produced by Revis. JD Walter. A purist and an innovator, Walter is a singer’s singer who’s been compared to and Milton Nascimento. Known for his virtuosic instrumental approach to his voice and dynamic use of electronics and looping, he’ll release his seventh CD, One Step Away, produced by Orrin Evans and Eric Revis for Tarbaby Productions.

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Biography

Growing up in a musical city like Philadelphia was extremely important to early development of Orrin's career. PHiladelphia afforded Orrin the opportunity to study informally with the likes of Trudy Pitts, Shirley Scott, , Bobby Durham, Edgar Bateman, Sid Simmons, and formally with William Whitaker, Jack Carr, and Charles Pettaway. In 1993, after attending Girard Aca- demic Music Program, Orrin was accepted into the Mason Gross School of the Arts at . While attending Mason Gross some of his teachers included , Joanne Brack- een, and Ted Dunbar. They instilled in him the impor- tance of the fundamentals of jazz as well as the necessity of listen- ing to and living the music. After moving to New York in 1996, Orrin was invited to join 's band "Horizon" on their Euro- pean tour. This opportunity introduced Orrin to the New York jazz scene. His recording and performing resume includes , Mos Def, Common, Pharoah Sanders, Antonio Hart, Carmen Lundy, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Ralph Bowen, The , , , Branford Marsalis, , Eddie Henderson, , Tim Warfield, , , and .

Orrin's recording career started in 1994 with a self-produced trio release called "The Trio" (re-released as "Deja Vu" on Imani Records) featuring Matthew Parrish on bass and Byron Landham on drums. He then went on to release six critically acclaimed recordings for the Criss Cross label. Orrin has also released recordings for and his own label, Imani Records. 2008 saw the release of the debut self-titled recording for the group Tarbaby, a co-lead band with drummer Nasheet Waits and bass- ist Eric Revis, and in 2010 they released "The End Of Fear" (Posi-Tone), in 2011 Tarbaby received a French American Cultural Exchange grant (FACE) from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation for the project “The Fanon Project” to be released on the Rogue Art record label Summer 2013. The Jazz Journalist Association presented Tarbaby with a 2013 JJA Jazz Award for “Short Form Jazz Video of the Year”. The fourth cd from Tarbaby “The Ballad of Sam Langford” will be released in June 2013 on Hipnotic Records. In 2010, Evans released "Faith In Action" (Posi-Tone) which is a tribute to his friend and mentor Bobby Watson. This record received much critical acclaim and Grammy consideration. In 2012, Evans released “Flip The Script” featur- ing Ben Wolfe and Donald Edwards which also received critical acclaim and landed on many “best of” lists for the year. Another wonderful project of Orrin's is his 17-piece Captain Black Big Band, whose self-titled record, released in 2011 on Posi-Tone, is culled from shows in Philadelphia and New York. CBBB’s follow up cd will be released in 2013, too. Orrin's greatest joy, besides spending time with his family, is producing projects for other artists like Sean Jones, and playing with his own band, which at different times features such notables as Ralph Peterson, Jr., , Ralph Bowen, Nasheet Waits, , Eric Revis, J.D. Allen, Stacy Dillard and Duane Eubanks.

www.OrrinEvansMusic.com

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Performance

MUSICIANS PERFORMED WITH

Kenny Barron, Andy Bey, Bilal, Ralph Bowen, , Abraham Burton, , Will Calhoun, Ravi Coltrane, , Common, Elvis Costello, Dave Douglas, Bobby Durham, Robin Eubanks, , Russell Gunn, , Roy Hargrove, , Antonio Hart, Miles Jaye, Denise King, , Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, Sam Newsome, Greg Osby, Ralph Peterson

FESTIVALS

Festhalle Viersen (Germany) Playboy Jazz Festival (CA) Guiamareas Jazz Festival (Portugal) Jazz Festival (CA) Pulsano Festival (Italy) Erie Blues & Jazz Festival (PA) Seixal Jazz Festival (Portugal) COTA Jazz Festival (PA) Verona Jazz Festival (Italy) Tri-C Jazz Fest (OH) St. Lucia Jazz Festival ( St. Lucia) Mellon Jazz Festival (PA) Oporto Jazz Festival (Portugal) Clifford Brown Jazz Festival (DE) Copenhagen Jazz Festival (Denmark) Freihofer Jazz Festival (NY) Wales Jazz Festival (England) Chicken Bone Beach Festival (NJ) Jazz Fest of Sevilla (Spain) Kansas City Blues & Jazz (MO) Cork Jazz Festival (Ireland) JVC Jazz Festival (NY) North Sea Jazz Festival () New Orleans Jazz & Heritage (LA) Estoril Jazz Festival (Portugal) Detroit Jazz Festival (MI) Vienna Jazz Festival (Austria) Mt. Hood Jazz Festival (CO) San Sebastian Jazz Festival (Spain) Telluride Jazz (CO) Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada) Jazz at Ravinia (IL) Ocho Rios Jazz Festival (Jamaica) Cape May Jazz Festival (NJ)

www.OrrinEvansMusic.com

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Discography

Recordings as a Leader

“...It Was Beauty” (2013) TARBABY “The Ballad Of Sam Langford” (2013) PosiTone “Flip The Script” (2012) PosiTone Records “Freedom” (2011) PosiTone Records “Captain Black Big Band” (2011) PosiTone Records “Faith In Action” (2010) PosiTone Records TARBABY “End of Fear” (2010) PosiTone Records Orrin Evans & Friends “Candlelight Live” (2010) TARBABY “TARBABY” (2009) Imani Records Orrin Evans “Trio Live-Mississippi” (2006) Imani Records Orrin Evans “Easy Now” (2005) Criss Cross Jazz LUVPARK “LUVPARK” (2004) Imani Records The Band “Live @ Widener University” (2004) Imani Orrin Evans “Meant to Shine” (2002) Palmetto Records Orrin Evans “Blessed Ones” (2001) Criss Cross Jazz Orrin Evans “Deja Vu” (2001) Imani Records SEED “SEED” (2000) Imani Records Orrin Evans “Listen to the Band” (1999) Criss Cross Jazz Orrin Evans “Grown Folks Bizness” (1998) Criss Cross Orrin Evans “Captain Black” (1997) Criss Cross Jazz Orrin Evans “Justin Time” (1996) Criss Cross Jazz Orrin Evans “The Trio” (1994) Black Entertainment

WWW.IMANI-RECORDS.COM

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Discography

Recordings as a Sideman

JD Walter “One Step Away” (2013) JD Walter “The Only Son of One” (2012) Sunnyside “A Voice Through The Door” (2012) Criss Cross Sean Jones “No Need For Words” (2011) Mack Avenue Ralph Bowen “Power Play” (2011) PosiTone Stacy Dillard “Good & Bad Memories” (2010) Criss Cross Kate Schutt “Telephone Game” (2008) ArtistShare Sean Jones “The Search Within” (2008) Mack Avenue Russell Gunn “Love Stories” (2008) High Note Records Conrad Herwig “A Jones for Bones Tones” (2007) Criss Cross Elizabeth Kontamanou “Back to My Groove” (2007) Nocturne Records Sean Jones “Kaleidoscope” (2007) Mack Avenue Records Russell Gunn “Playing Miles” (2007) High Note Records Sean Jones “Roots” (2006) Mack Avenue Records Donnie McCaslin “Soar” (2005) Mingus Big Band “I Am Three” (2005) Sunnyside Records Will Calhoun “Native Lands” (2005) Sean Jones “Gemini” (2005) Mack Avenue Records Ralph Bowen “Keep the Change” (2004) Criss Cross Records Eric Revis “Tales of a Stuttering Mime” (2004) 11:11 Records Sean Jones “Eternal Journey” (2004) Mack Avenue Records Ralph Peterson, Jr. “Tests of Time” (2003) Criss Cross Records Ralph Peterson, Jr. “Subliminal Seduction” (2002) Criss Cross Tomonao Hara “TonyCally” (2002) Zoo T Records JD Allen “Pharoah’s Children” (2002) Criss Cross Jazz Russell Gunn (2001) High Note Records Ralph Peterson, Jr. “Art of War” (2001) Criss Cross Records Bobby Watson “Live & Learn (2001) Palmetto Records Tomonao Hara “Pinocchio “ (2001) Zoo T Records Common “Like Water for Chocolate” (1999) Universal Records Will Calhoun “Live at the Blue Note” (1999) Half Note Records Alison Crockett “That’s Where You Go” (1999) Duane Eubanks “My Shining Hour” (1999) TCB Records Lenora Zenzalai Helm “Spirit Child” (1999) J-Curve Records Danny Walsh “Satellite” (1999) Ratamacue Records Landham Brothers (1998) Straight Street Records Bobby Watson “Quiet As It’s Kept” (1998) Red Records Denise King (1998) Redd King Records Denise King Quartet (1994) Eclectic Rich Adderly and Music Report (1993) RPM Records

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Educator

WORKSHOPS/MASTER CLASSES AWARDS AND GRANTS

Jazz Masterclass 2010 Grammy Nominations “Best Jazz Solo” & “Best Jazz Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA Recording” “Faith in Action” PosiTone Records 2010 Recipient Pew Fellowship in the Arts Jazz Masterclass 2006 PennPAT grant funded by Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Pew Brooklyn Conservatory, Queens, NY Charitable Trust, Vira I. Heinz Endowment, William Penn Foundation, PA Council on the Arts Teen Jazz Workshop Sessions 2005 PennPat grant funded by Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Pew Sedgwick Cultural Ctr., Philadelphia PA Charitable Trust, Vira I. Heinz Endowment, William Penn Foundation, PA Council on the Arts Jazz Performance Workshop 2003 American Composers Forum grant Gettysburg High School, Gettysburg, PA 2003 Scribe Video Community Visions grant 2003 PennPAT grant – funded by Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Pew Jazz Performance Workshop Charitable Trust, Vira I. Heinz Endowment, William Penn Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA Foundation, PA Council on the Arts 2002 SESAC National Performance Activity Award Jazz Theory Master Class “Meant to Shine” Palmetto Records Haverford College, PA 2002 Philadelphia Inquirer Top 10 Jazz CD “Meant to Shine” Jazz Performance Worskhop 2001 Meet the Composer grant Millbrook School, Millbrook NY 2001 PennPAT grant – funded by Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust, Vira I. Heinz Endowment, William Penn Jazz Performance Workshop Foundation, PA Council on the Arts A Place for Jazz, Schenectady NY 2000 Philadelphia City Paper “Best Jazz Success Story” Jazz Theory Master Class 1999 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition College of , NJ 1993 Grammy All American High School MVP 1992 Best High School Jazz Musician of Philadelphia Jazz Performance Workshop 1992 National Arts Recognition Scholarship Millsap College, Jackson, MS 1992 Bob Perkins Scholarship Award

Jazz Performance Workshop St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX

Jazz Performance Workshop EDUCATION , Boston, MA Community College of Pennsylvania Mason Gross College of the Arts Jazz Theory Workshop Rutgers University Emory and Henry College, VA PRIVATE STUDY Jazz Theory Workshop Kenny Baron (Jazz Piano) Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ Charles Pettaway (Classical Piano) Ralph Bowen (Improvisation) Jazz Theory Workshop Cheney University, Cheney, PA

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Residencies

Mr. Evans has spent years teaching middle school music curriculum, conducting large and small student jazz ensembles and teaching master classes and workshops to college students all over the world.

Performances/residencies include one of Orrin’s all-star bands.

In addition to the following programs, individual residency activities can also be crafted to meet your special needs.

Jazz Mini A mini-recital is a short concert, about 30 minutes long. The space for a minirecital must be intimate while providing an appropriate concert atmosphere. Mini-recitals can be presented to classes at a college, library, or high school music program. The recital can be followed by a Q&A session. Prefer 50 or less students.

Young Jazz This program is designed for K-8. Mr. Evans will introduce the children to one of our greatest cultural traditions, Jazz. Through an exciting interactive program the students will explore questions like ‘what is jazz?’ “where did the music originate?’ ‘how do musicians create this rich music?’ ‘who are the men and women responsible for this legacy?’ Preparation materials are available for this program. 30 student maximum OR no more than two classes at a time.

Jazz Prep The artist can meet with school jazz ensembles to read through ensemble charts, applying jazz improvisation techniques. Small group ensembles, large ensembles, big bands.

Jazz Master Student musicians perform works for the artist and receive advice on improvisation, repertoire, and technique. Students selected to perform in master classes should be prepared to benefit from the experience. Master classes can be held before a class or large audience, not to exceed 2 hours in length.

Jam Session Mr. Evans can be available for an informal jam session with students or adults. Helpful tips for participating in jam sessions, and how to get the most from sitting in. Musicians should bring their instruments, if possible.

Jazz Talk The artist can meet with schools or community groups at luncheons, teas, or dinners. These sessions can shed light on the workday activities and professional responsibility of a jazz musician. Who are some of his mentors? Where did he study? Who does he listen to? How much does he practice?

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] ...Special Programs

“Jazz & Tap” – Orrin Evans introduces Orrin Evans is a PennPAT (Pennsylvania audiences to Jazz and Tap Dance . Performing Artists on Tour) roster artist. More information available upon request. Non-profit and government organizations in the mid-Atlantic region may qualify for funding for performances and residencies. – Orrin’s “Captain Black Big Band” Including: DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, critically acclaimed 17 piece big band VA, WV, NC or U.S. Virgin Islands performs original and standards. More information available upon request.

“Song for My Father” Orrin Evans pays tribute to his late father, professor and playwright, Don Evans. This special perfor- mance includes musical selections from The Orrin Evans Quartet, as well as actors and actresses performing skits from some of Don Evans more popular plays like “A Lovesong for Miss Lydia”, “It’s Showdown Time”, or “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show”. Technical requirements provided upon request.

“Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” This program works well for MLK Day as well as Black History Month programs. A quartet or quintet will be joined by a guest vocalist as well as professor and poet Sonia Sanchez, as they remember a legendary leader with poetry, renditions of negro spirituals, and jazz. This program is available for schools and universities and can be coordinated with a lecture from Ms. Sanchez.

“It’s Electric!” Orrin Evans and the band LUVPARK explore electric jazz of the 70’s and 80’s, the role that R&B bands played on jazz, and the inception of “smooth jazz:. A variety of popular tunes are performed including selections from Herbie Hancock, Pat Methany, Grover Washington and a host of others. A Q&A session can also be included.

“Monk’s Music” This special program uncovers the music of the master, Thelonious Monk. Mr. Evans, a Thelonious Monk competition winner adds his own brand of odd meter playing to some of Monk’s more popular and some obscure tunes. This program is suitable for both solo piano and trio.

Charles Mingus “The Legacy Continues” Mr. Evans is a member of the Big Band, as well as the Mingus Dynasty Band and has performed the music of Mingus for audiences all over the world. In this setting a quartet takes on a new approach to the music, offering some fresh and innovative interpretations of the music of Charles Mingus.

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected] WWW.IMANI-RECORDS.COM

...Press Photos

...Links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REqNwhLVZM4 http://www.npr.org/event/music/171957041/orrin-evans-live-from-92y-tribeca-concert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=961KlYTZWUY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0TLrmv9eiw http://snd.sc/r0x0rE

Brian McKenna ph: 917.748.4337 P.O. Box 88 Pomona, NY 10970 [email protected]