Happy recent birthday to the brilliant Orrin Evans! I've learned a lot from both listening to how Orrin plays and also from how he interacts with the scene. A vibrant personality.
50 Shades Of O: Orrin Evans' 50th Birthday Celebration is happening over a few nights. I am representing the Wisconsin contingent at Chris's Jazz Cafe in Philly tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, for a piano jam including Marc Cary, ELEW, and Orrin himself. Special guests TBA. Should be a heck of a party!
A week from today, Wednesday April 9, I’m at Bar Bayeux in Brooklyn with Simón Willson and Vinnie Sperrazza. Two sets, 8 and 9:30 pm. This is part of the series curated by the excellent saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh.
Both legs of the March European tour, 7 solo concerts and 9 trio concerts, were successful. The audiences were there, and I met many interesting people.
Thomas Morgan and Kendrick Scott proved to be terrific match. Dangerous!
I did my first solo piano recording at Casa del Jazz yesterday, it went very well! Some of these tracks on the INTO THE DARK theme will certainly see release. Thanks to Luciano Linzi for his Casa del Jazz support; also many thanks to my booking agent, Ralph Gluch.
After it was all over, I walked around Rome, where Mother Nature turned on some beautiful twilight visuals:
Welcome the esteemed Loren Schoenberg to Substack! for example on newly-discovered footage of Dizzy Gillespie with Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt
Robert Doerschuk interviews Oscar Peterson in 1980
Robert C. Gilbert on Don Ellis, Gene Hackman & The French Connection
Vinnie Sperrazza on Donald Bailey (part one)
more soon
I was lucky enough to hear Orrin's birthday celebration at the Bop Stop at the Music Settlement in Cleveland and it was great fun. He's playing something for everyone (no spoilers). Catch it by all means if you can.