Flip the Script

Review In the days of the digital download and advanced ordering of new releases there are some records simply too good to wait for - this is one. When we last heard from Orrin Evans the release was Freedom. Evans pays homage to some of the Philly greats that influenced his sound and fueled his passion. Now we have Flip The Script which is simply Evans not reinventing the musical wheel or tossing out the stereotypical release of standards in an attempt for a quick and easy payday. Flip The Script is a brilliant and in some ways semi-autobiographical release highlighting the prolific talents of a pianist that may be still flying under some listeners radar. Evans is a man of passion and there is some interesting back story as to the original intent of the release. Never wavering from his stand on certain aspects of the industry is certainly admirable and in some ways a driving force behind this intoxicating release but in this case the music simply outshines anything else related to this story. One standard, three older Evans tunes never recorded and three brand new tunes work in perfect harmony to paint an artistic self portrait of beauty and elegance. One major change is the addition of Ben Wolfe who is one of the finest lyrical bassists working today. Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards are the rhythmic glue that allows the lyrical swing of Evans to take center stage without ever boarding on the self indulgent. "Clean House" is a delightful odd metered harmonic swing and has the trio firing on all cylinders. Evans is clearly driving the musical train and has never sounded better. Wolfe's lyrical flow is a welcome addition and Edwards doesn't play in the pocket - he is the pocket. "TC's Blues" is another Evans tune and a personal favorite from the release. A groove you can use. Music you feel with your hips and hear with your feet. Evans walks an effortless harmonic tightrope while again never falling pray to the self indulgent nature some piano trios immediately find. "Someday My Prince Will Come" is an exquisite ballad showing the emotional depth of Evans translated into his performance with grace and sensitivity eerily similar to that of the great Bill Evans. Flip The Script may arguably be Orrin Evans finest release to date. While Evans celebrates his passion and our views on what is right and what is wrong are polar opposites it does not matter. Evans intention is to push the music forward. Evans has a desire to educate the younger listener and by doing so hopefully bring more and certainly some much needed attention to more traditional or straight ahead jazz in general. How can you argue with that? A magnificent ebb and flow with a lyrical swing and shifting harmonic base that is on point every step of the way. 5 Stars --Brent Black, @ Critical Jazz Pianist Orrin Evans Flip the Script is a confident display of his trio's musical interplay that features bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Donald Edwards on ten great tracks. This straight-ahead session offers some daring swing, audacious hard-bop, and forward-thinking avant-garde improvisations in an evocative program. The recording includes six of Evans original compositions and four unique covers including Question, by the GRAMMYAward-winning bassist/composer Eric Revis, Luther Vandross Brand New Day, (from the Broadway musical The Wiz), Someday My Prince Will Come, and Gamble/Huff s The Sound of Philadelphia. The set opens with Eric Revis' Question, a composition that references several elements of Thelonious Monk s work but is a priceless vehicle for Evans creative piano chops. This set really burns and sets the tone for the entire recording. Next the trio finds more creativity in Evans own Clean House in which they mine their souls for more stunning straight-ahead success. Flip The Script is a daring work of genius that reveals Evans' self-assured piano playing and compositional integrity. It is an example of what today s jazz pianists should strive for when attempting to connect with their audiences. This piece is brilliant. By contrast, the quiet simplicity of When shows Evans introspective side and is a thing of pure beauty. The transcription of Brand New Day has a free-spirited, joyful arrangement for piano while Evans unique and refreshing cover of Someday My Prince Will Come has an abundance of exploratory highlights that help to redefine his version. Overall, this recording is among Orrin Evans best work and should be in your jazz collection right alongside other great piano trios. Buy Flip The Script today. --Sounds Of Timeless Jazz In the wrong hands, the contemporary piano trio can sound like a retread of piano trios since the dawn of popular music. In the right hands it remains a potent force: exciting, engaging, full of imagination and capable of flights of invention. The hands of Orrin Evans are the right hands. The Philadelphia-born pianist is approaching 20 years as a recording artist and, by the sound of Flip The Script, he's in one of hi
ASIN: B007W5JTQM
VSKU: DBV.B007W5JTQM.A
Condition: Acceptable
Author/Artist:Orrin Evans
Binding: Audio cd
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