Orrin Evans is a complete musician. He has worked with Bobby Watson, Ravi Coltrane, and Wallace Roney, and he composes for and leads the Captain Black Big Band. As a pianist, Evans is a poised player with a deft technique,with roots in McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea. Evans’ new recording “Flip the Script” is an exceptional example of jazz piano in the modern setting. There’s a sort of nostalgic Blue Note vibe about this recording, which has a natural unprocessed quality. The powerhouse trio, with bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards plays with an aggressive tenor on Evans’ up-tempo tunes like “Flip the Script,” “Question,” and “TC’s Blues”. “Clean House” is a powerful modal composition in 3/4 time. Evans crafts an authoritative solo that balances his raw power and technical prowess. The two ballads on the record starkly contrast the fireworks of the uptempo tunes. Here, Evans allows the music to breathe. The harmonic movement is slow and allows melody to standout. “The Sound of Philadelphia” is gorgeous melody that sounds like it comes from a movie soundtrack. Highly recommended!
