Bill Evans (saxophonist)

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Bill Evans
Bill Evans (saxophonist) 2004-07-24.jpg
Evans in Warsaw, Poland, July 24, 2004
Background information
Birth nameWilliam D. Evans
Born (1958-02-09) February 9, 1958 (age 66)
Clarendon Hills, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Jazz, jazz fusion, bluegrass
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s) Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Years active1979–present
Labels Elektra/Musician, Blue Note, Jazz City, Lipstick, ESC, BHM, Vansman
Website www.billevanssax.com

William D. Evans (born February 9, 1958) is an American jazz saxophonist, [1] who was a member of the Miles Davis group in the 1980s and has since led several of his own bands, including Push and Soulgrass. [2] Evans plays tenor and soprano saxophones. He has recorded over 27 solo albums and received two Grammy Award nominations. He recorded an award-winning album called Bill Evans – Vans Joint with the WDR Big Band in 2009.

Contents

He has played a variety of music with his solo projects, including bluegrass, jazz, and funk. His early influences on saxophone were Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Steve Grossman, and Dave Liebman.

Biography

Evans was born in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, United States. [1] His father was a classical piano prodigy and until junior high school Evans studied classical piano. He attended Hinsdale Central High School and studied with Bunky green and joe daly in Chicago while attending high school . Early in his studies he was able to hear such artists as Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.

Evans attended University of North Texas and William Paterson University, where he studied with Dave Liebman, an alumnus of trumpeter Miles Davis's early 1970s bands. Moving to New York city in 1979, he spent countless hours in lofts playing jazz standards and perfecting his improvisational style.

At the age of 22, he joined Miles Davis and was part of his comeback in the early to mid–1980s.He was instrumental in helping Davis put the group together, bringing in Mike stern, Marcus Miller and John Scofield. [2] Notable albums recorded with Davis include The Man With The Horn , We Want Miles , Star People , and Decoy . Evans is unrelated to pianist Bill Evans (1929–1980), who played with Davis in the 1950s. [1]

He has played, toured and recorded with artists such as Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, [2] Michael Franks, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Les McCann, Mark Egan, Danny Gottlieb, Randy Brecker, The Allman Brothers Band, and Medeski Martin & Wood. He is the leader of Petite Blonde album [2] with Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman, and Chuck Loeb.

He joined the reformed Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1984 and performed with them until they broke up in 1987. [1] Beginning in 1990 he toured with his own band. [1]

Two of his albums, Soul Insider and Soulgrass, were nominated for a Grammy Award. Soulgrass was combination of bluegrass and jazz fusion that featured Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Bruce Hornsby, and Vinnie Colaiuta.

Discography

Bill Evans in Berlin Bill-evans.jpg
Bill Evans in Berlin
Bill Evans live @ Leverkusener Jazztage 2019 Bill Evans & The Spykillers! feat. Wolfgang Haffner- Leverkusener Jazztage 2019-2713.jpg
Bill Evans live @ Leverkusener Jazztage 2019

As leader

Year recordedTitleLabelYear releasedNotes
1983Living in the Crest of a Wave Elektra Musician 1984
1985The Alternative Man Blue Note 1985
1989SummertimeJazz City1989
1989Let the Juice Loose: Bill Evans Group Live At Blue Note TokyoJazz City1990live at Blue Note Tokyo
1990The Gambler: Bill Evans Live At Blue Note Tokyo 2Jazz City1990live at Blue Note Tokyo
1993PushLipstick1994
1994Live in EuropeLipstick1995live
1995–96EscapeEscapade1996
1997Starfish & The MoonEscapade1997
1998TouchESC1999
2000Soul InsiderESC2000
2002Big FunESC2002
2004–05SoulgrassBHM2005
2007The Other Side of SomethingIntuition2007
2008" Vans Joint" with the WDR Big Band BHM
2012DragonflyVansman Records2012
2014Soulgrass Live in MoscowVansman Records
2016Rise AboveVansman Records2016
2011The East EndJazzline2019featuring Etienne Mbappe, Wolfgang Haffner, WDR Big Band Cologne
2018Live Down UnderVansman Records2019featuring The Spykillers, [[Wolfgang Haffner, Simon Oslender, Gary Grainger
2024" who I am "Vansman Recordsfeaturing Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglass, Max mutzke, Victor Wooten, Till Bronner, Nils Landgren , Wolfgang Haffner

Co-leader with Hank Jones, Red Mitchell

Co-leader with Randy Brecker, Robben Ford and Tom Scott

Co-leader with Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman and Chuck Loeb

Co-leader with Andy LaVerne, John Patitucci and Steve Davis

Co-leader with Randy Brecker

Co-leader with Robben Ford

As a member

Elements

Steps Ahead

As sideman

With Victor Bailey

With Miles Davis

With Mark Egan

With Michael Franks

With Jeff Golub

With Danny Gottlieb

With Chuck Loeb

With Mahavishnu (John McLaughlin)

With Mandoki Soulmates

With Lee Ritenour

With Aziza Mustafa Zadeh

With Andy Summers

With Gianfranco Continenza

With Wolfgang Haffner

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 441. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Yanow, Scott. "Biography: Bill Evans". AllMusic . Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza Feat. Bill Evans & Scott Kinsey – The Past Inside The Present". Discogs . Archived from the original on April 30, 2019.
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