# Bill Evans has explored a variety of musical settings that go well beyond the confines of traditional jazz: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/02/09/bill-evans-has-explored-a-variety-of-musical-settings-that-go-well-beyond-the-confines-of-traditional-jazz-video/
- Published: 2018-02-09T00:04:28+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**09.02. – Happy Birthday !!! Throughout his career as a solo artist, multi Grammy
nominated saxophonist Bill Evans has explored a variety of musical settings that
go well beyond the confines of traditional jazz, including hip-hop, fusion, reggae,
Brazilian and slamming funk. Evans steps into more adventurous territory on Soulgrass,
blending jazz, funk and roots music into a seamless and wholly unique hybrid of 
quintessentially American styles.**

Bill Evans started playing piano before switching to tenor sax in high school. After
one year of studying music at North Texas State University he transferred to William
Patterson College in New Jersey in 1978 and also began private studies with sax 
great and former Miles Davis sideman, Dave Liebman. Through Liebmans recommendation,
he was tapped by Miles in 1980 , at the age of 22, to play a key role in Miles celebrated
comeback band. Bill became Miles right-hand man and soloistic foil in concert and
on a series of recordings — 1981s The Man With The Horn, 1982s We Want Miles, 1983s
Star People and 1984s Decoy. After leaving Davis band in 1984, Evans joined John
McLaughlin in a reconstituted edition of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, appearing on 
1985s Mahavishnu and 1987s Adventures in Radioland. He also toured and recorded 
through the 80s with the band Elements (with keyboardist Cliff Carter, bassist Mark
Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb) and through the 90s with Petite Blonde (an all-
star fusion band he formed which was comprised of bassist Victor Bailey, drummer
Dennis Chambers, guitarist Chuck Loeb and Evans on tenor and soprano saxes) and 
also with former Police guitarist Andy Summers. More recently, Evans has toured 
Europe and the States with the Soulbop band, which he co-leads with trumpeter Randy
Brecker.

Bills solo debut came in 1984 with Living in the Crest of a Wave and he followed
up in 1985 with Alternative Man. In the early 90s, he was one of the first to blend
hip-hop and jazz in a musical way on a triumvirate of recordings — 1993s Push, 1994s
Live in Europe and 1995s Escape. He followed those groundbreaking recordings with
1997s Starfish and The Moon, 1999s Touch and 2001s Grammy nominated Soul Insider,
which featured a guest appearance by soul-jazz legend Les McCann. Bill followed 
that success with 2003s groove-oriented Big Fun, which featured a cameo spot by 
country star Willie Nelson. In 2005, BHM Records released the exhilarating Soul 
Bop Band Live, which captured the all-star group fronted by Evans and Randy Brecker
and featuring drummer Steve Smith, guitarist Hiram Bullock, bassist Victor Bailey
and pianist Dave Kikoski in full stride during a whirlwind summer tour last year.
His daring collaboration with Bela Fleck and Nashville session aces Sam Bush, Stuart
Duncan and Jerry Douglas on Soulgrass is Bill’s latest exploration in an ever-evolving
career.

The ground-breaking Soulgrass recording was nominated for a Grammy in 2005. Because
of his respect and adulation among fellow artists in the music world, Bill was able
to call upon the stellar musicians who appeared on the recording. Joining the great
saxophonist on this pioneering effort, which was recorded entirely in Nashville,
was banjo legend Bela Fleck. Bela was so taken with the project that he not only
played on but also co-produced 6 of the 10 tracks. Also joining Bill were progressive
bluegrass greats Sam Bush on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Jerry Douglas on
dobro and Pat Bergeson on acoustic guitar and harmonica. Other special guests includes
Bela Fleck Flecktones band mate Victor Wooten on electric bass, Vinnie Colaiuta 
on drums, Mark Egan on electric bass, Bruce Hornsby, Clifford Carter and Dave Kikoski
on keyboards, David Charles on percussion and John Scofield on guitar.

Evans says that the idea of exploring an adventurous and unlikely hybrid of bluegrass
and jazz was actually something he had in mind for years. Ive been an Americana 
fan ever since my Miles days. I liked the sound of mandolin, banjo, dobro and fiddle
and I thought that music had a very cool rhythmic approach, even though I never 
really knew the names of the players or the tunes. But I just connected with that
music in some way. So it had been in the back of my mind for years to do a project
like this. I had been listening to some Americana and bluegrass stuff. I had some
Bill Monroe CDs at home and also listened to recordings by Bruce Hornsby, the Flecktones
and that project that Bela did with Mark OConnor and Edgar Meyer, Appalachian Waltz.
So I was doing a lot of listening, just immersing myself in all of this Americana
music to inspire me in that mode. And once I got in there, I just started cranking
out the tunes, keeping these instruments in mind. Then when we all got together 
in the studio to record, I was pleased to see that it all fit like a glove.

Bill Evans has assembled another powerhouse touring band, featuring some of the 
most in-demand musicians on the scene. Bill Evans Soulgrass includes Joel Rosenblatt,
who toured with Spyrogyra for 11 years, multi-genre improviser on fiddle, Christian
Howes, and young banjo phenom Ryan Cavanaugh. Bill Evans now brings Soulgrass to
the US audiences who have been writing him for years to tour the states. Bill says,
Its amazing to see the ecstatic response from people every night who have never 
heard banjo, fiddle and saxophone together in this context. Bill Evans Soulgrass
has been described by the newspaper El Mundo from Madrid Spain as the most energizing
and fresh sounding blend of Americana and Funk, but Bills innovative music and high-
energy live shows speak for themselves. More currently, Bill finished his new and
latest CD titled “ The other side of something “ featuring, once again, Bela Fleck,
Victor Wooten, Sam Bush, Pat Bergeson, plus the addition of musicians like Dennis
Chambers, Richard Bona, and his current working band of Chris Howes, Joel Rosenblatt
and Ryan cavanaugh, etc. “ The other side of Something “ is the next step after “
Soulgrass”. Bill sings on the Cd as well as playing all of the saxes. Tenor, Alto,
Soprano, and Baritone. The music blends the styles of funk, soul, Amercana, with
Bills’ sense of melody and groove.

![Image result for bill evans saxophone](https://i0.wp.com/www.billevanssax.com/
wp-content/uploads/2016/02/se.jpg?w=640)

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