BILL EVANS Vans Joint

Throughout his celebrated career, Bill Evans has explored a wide range of musical idioms, from straight ahead jazz to hip-hop, fusion, funk, soul, pop and bluegrass.
But on Vans Joint, he treads into some exciting new territory for the first time.
This triumphant collaboration between the veteran saxophonist-composer-bandleader and the 20-piece WDR Big Band Cologne is a match made in heaven. Recorded live in concert in Germany, this powerhouse offering features Evans with the dream rhythm tandem of electric bassist Mark Egan and drummer extraordinaire Dave Weckl fueling the well-oiled machine that is the WDR Big Band, under the direction of conductor-arranger Michael Abene. The results are exhilarating and even surprising to the saxophonist himself. “For me, to hear my charts with a big band just blew my mind,” says Evans. “Michael did such as great job. It was magical the way he enriched the songs, how he created colors and new harmonies in different sections and just took the music one step further. So it was a real trip to be involved in this project, and a lot of fun too.”