There comes a moment on pianist Orrin Evans’ new CD when he takes on Gamble & Huff’s “The Sounds of Philadelphia,” quietly passing through the tune alone. The piece is powerful and tragic, a resonant meditation on the gap between jazz and R&B and perhaps the shortcomings of his adopted town.
Evans also dips into Luther Vandross’ “A Brand New Day” from the 1975 musical The Wiz, but the tune is a much more orthodox outing, with Evans flying across the keys and pulling chords out like fresh kindling. Throughout this trio session, he burnishes his own modernist chops while paying debts to fellow pianists Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner.
Working with bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards, Evans sounds hard-driving, percussive, and always willing to confront nubby issues. A liquid take of “Someday My Prince Will Come” becomes a welcome respite. – Karl Stark
