THE ORRIN EVANS TRIO OPENS A THREE-NIGHT ENGAGEMENT AT CLIFF BELL’S WITH VERVE AND PANACHE

Pianist Orrin Evans

I'm not sure if the jazz pianist Orrin Evans would take kindly to me believing he's unsung. The Philadelphia native belongs to a generation of jazz musicians that includes Christian McBride, Cyrus Chestnut, Joshua Redman, Jason Moran, James Carter, and Roy Hargrove. From where I sit, Evans deserves the same level of praise heaped on his peers. His track record is worth bragging about. For starters, he has 22 albums on the market, two Grammy nods, and a Downbeat Critics Poll Risings Star honor. I thought about the unsung thing Thursday night during his first of three scheduled concerts at Cliff Bell's with bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. They performed cuts from some of Evans's popular albums, opening with the standard All the Things You Are, followed by Smoke Rings. Burning through those numbers was just the beginning of the special night Evans had planned. The trio is the best context to witness Evans's genius and virtuosity. He didn't perform any of his originals. Instead, he called Ralph Peterson, Geri Allen, and Andrew Hill tunes. The trio played their compositions with verve and panache. The set felt like a tribute to those departed musicians. Hurst and Whitfield Jr. aren't Evans's regular band-mates, but they jelled perfectly. It was Hurst's first time playing with Evans. Their chemistry felt like they'd been on the road together for years. Hurst is a blessing to every band I've heard him swing in. Thursday evening, he walked the bass to the moon and back on every tune on the set-list. Whitfield Jr. received the lion's share of adulation from the audience. His drumkit was gasping for air after the workout he subjected it to on Ralph Peterson's Smoke Rings and Geri Allen's Feed the Fire. Like Peterson was, Whitfield is a drummer brimming with passion and fire. Evans turned the zoom lens on himself on the ballad OEM (Orrin Evans Maybe). His touch was soft as snowflakes landing on bales of cotton. It's worth braving the December cold to experience Evan's trio.