| Bill Evans | |
| Birth Name: | William D. Evans |
| Birth Date: | 8 February 1958 |
| Birth Place: | Clarendon Hills, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz, jazz fusion, bluegrass |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone |
| Years Active: | 1979–present |
| Label: | Elektra/Musician, Blue Note, Jazz City, Lipstick, ESC, BHM, Vansman |
| Associated Acts: | Miles Davis, Elements, Mahavishnu Orchestra |
William D. Evans (born February 8, 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 17 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.
He has played a variety of music with his solo projects, including bluegrass, jazz, and funk. His style is influenced by Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Steve Grossman, and Dave Liebman.
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 clarinet. He attended Hinsdale Central High School and studied with tenor saxophonist Vince Micko. 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. 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, Michael Franks, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Les McCann, Mark Egan, Danny Gottlieb, Ian Anderson, Randy Brecker, The Allman Brothers Band, and Medeski Martin & Wood. He is featured on the Petite Blonde album with Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman, and Chuck Loeb.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Evans was a member of the group Elements. 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.
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Year released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Living in the Crest of a Wave | 1984 | ||
| 1985? | The Alternative Man | 1985 | ||
| 1989 | Summertime | Jazz City | 1989 | |
| 1989 | Let the Juice Loose: Bill Evans Group Live At Blue Note Tokyo | Jazz City | 1990 | live at Blue Note Tokyo |
| 1990 | The Gambler: Bill Evans Live At Blue Note Tokyo 2 | Jazz City | 1990 | live at Blue Note Tokyo |
| 1993 | Push | Lipstick | 1994 | |
| 1994 | Live in Europe | Lipstick | 1995 | live |
| 1995–96 | Escape | Escapade | 1996 | |
| 1997? | Starfish & The Moon | Escapade | 1997 | |
| 1998 | Touch | ESC | 1999 | |
| 2000 | Soul Insider | ESC | 2000 | |
| 2002 | Big Fun | ESC | 2002 | |
| 2004–05 | Soulgrass | BHM | 2005 | |
| 2007 | The Other Side of Something | Intuition | 2007 | |
| 2012 | Dragonfly | Self-released | 2012 | |
| 2016 | Rise Above | Vansman | 2016 | |
| 2011 | The East End | Jazzline | 2019 | featuring Etienne Mbappe, Wolfgang Haffner, WDR Big Band Cologne |
| 2018 | Live Down Under | Not On Label | 2019 | featuring The Spykillers, 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 Dave Weckl, Mark Egan and WDR Big Band Cologne
Co-leader with Robben Ford
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 Wolfgang Haffner