William D. Evans (born February 9, 1958) is an American jazz saxophonist, who was a member of the Miles Davis group in the 1980s and has since led several of his own bands, including Push and Soulgrass. Evans plays tenor and soprano saxophones. He has recorded over 27 solo albums and received two Grammy Award nominations. He recorded an album called Bill Evans – Vans Joint with the WDR Big Band in 2009.
He has played a variety of music with his solo projects, including bluegrass, jazz, and funk. His early influences on saxophone were Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Steve Grossman, and Dave Liebman.
Biography Evans was born in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, United States. His father was a classical piano prodigy and until junior high school Evans studied classical piano. He attended Hinsdale Central High School and studied with Bunky Green and Joe Daly in Chicago while attending high school. Early in his studies he was able to hear such artists as Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.
Evans attended University of North Texas and William Paterson University, where he studied with Dave Liebman, an alumnus of trumpeter Miles Davis's early 1970s bands. Moving to New York city in 1979, he spent hours in lofts playing jazz standards and perfecting his improvisational style.
At the age of 22, he joined Miles Davis and was part of his comeback in the early to mid–1980s. He was instrumental in helping Davis put the group together, bringing in Mike Stern, Marcus Miller and John Scofield. Notable albums recorded with Davis include The Man With The Horn, We Want Miles, Star People, and Decoy. Evans is unrelated to pianist Bill Evans (1929–1980), who played with Davis in the 1950s.
He has played, toured and recorded with artists such as Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Michael Franks, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Les McCann, Mark Egan, Danny Gottlieb, Randy Brecker, The Allman Brothers Band, and Medeski Martin & Wood. He is the leader of Petite Blonde album with Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman, and Chuck Loeb.
He joined the reformed Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1984 and performed with them until they broke up in 1987. Beginning in 1990 he toured with his own band.
Two of his albums, Soul Insider and Soulgrass, were nominated for a Grammy Award. Soulgrass was combination of bluegrass and jazz fusion that featured Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Bruce Hornsby, and Vinnie Colaiuta.
Discography
As leader Year recorded Title Label Year released Notes 1983 Living in the Crest of a Wave Elektra Musician 1984 1985 The Alternative Man Blue Note 1985 1989 Summertime Jazz City 1989 1989 Let the Juice Loose: Bill Evans Group Live At Blue Note Tokyo Jazz City 1990 live at Blue Note Tokyo 1990 The Gambler: Bill Evans Live At Blue Note Tokyo 2 Jazz City 1990 live at Blue Note Tokyo 1993 Push Lipstick 1994 1994 Live in Europe Lipstick 1995 live 1995–1996 Escape Escapade 1996 1997 Starfish & The Moon Escapade 1997 1998 Touch ESC 1999 2000 Soul Insider ESC 2000 featuring Les McCann, Ricky Peterson, Dean Brown, John Scofield, James Genus, Tim Lefebvre, Steve Jordan, Don Alias, Vaneese Thomas, Lew Soloff, Conrad Herwig 2002 Big Fun ESC 2002 2004–2005 Soulgrass BHM 2005 2007 The Other Side of Something Intuition 2007 2008 Vans Joint BHM 2008 with the WDR Big Band 2012 Dragonfly Vansman 2012 2014 Soulgrass Live in Moscow Vansman 2014 2016 Rise Above Vansman 2016 2011 The East End Jazzline 2019 featuring Etienne Mbappe, Wolfgang Haffner, WDR Big Band 2018 Live Down Under Vansman 2019 featuring The Spykillers, Wolfgang Haffner, Simon Oslender, Gary Grainger2024 Who I Am Vansman 2024 featuring Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Max Mutzke, Victor Wooten, Till Brönner, Nils Landgren, Wolfgang Haffner
Co-leader with Hank Jones, Red Mitchell Moods Unlimited (Paddle Wheel, 1983) – rec. 1982
Co-leader with Randy Brecker, Robben Ford and Tom Scott Echoes of Ellington Vol. 1 (Verve, 1987) Echoes of Ellington Vol. 2 (Verve, 1988)
Co-leader with Victor Bailey, Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman and Chuck Loeb Petite Blonde (Lipstick, 1992) – live
Co-leader with Andy LaVerne, John Patitucci and Steve Davis Modern Days and Nights: Music of Cole Porter (Double-Time, 1997)
Co-leader with Randy Brecker Soul Bop Band Live (BHM, 2005)
Co-leader with Robben Ford The Sun Room (Ear, 2019) Common Ground (13J Productions, 2020)
As a member Elements Elements (Philo, 1982) Forward Motion (Antilles, 1984) Blown Away (Passport, 1986) Illumination (Novus, 1988) Liberal Arts (RCA, 1989) Spirit River (RCA, 1990)
Steps Ahead Steppin' Out with WDR Big Band (Jazzline, 2016)
As sideman With Victor Bailey Bottom's Up (Atlantic, 1989) Low Blow (ESC, 1999) That's Right (ESC, 2001)
With Miles Davis The Man with the Horn (Columbia, 1981) We Want Miles (Columbia, 1982) Star People (Columbia, 1983) Decoy (Columbia, 1984)
With Mark Egan A Touch of Light (GRP, 1988) Beyond Words (Bluemoon, 1991) Freedom Town (Wavetone, 2001) Truth Be Told (Wavetone, 2010)
With Michael Franks Skin Dive (Warner Bros., 1985) The Camera Never Lies (Warner Bros., 1987)
With Jeff Golub Unspoken Words (Gaia, 1988) Avenue Blue Featuring Jeff Golub (Bluemoon, 1994) Nightlife (Bluemoon, 1997)
With Danny Gottlieb Aquamarine (Atlantic, 1987) Whirlwind (Atlantic, 1989)
With Chuck Loeb Life Colors (DMP, 1990) Mediterranean (DMP, 1993)
With Mandoki Soulmates People in Room No. 8 (PolyGram, 1997) Out of Key with the Time (Sony, 2002) Soulmates (Paroli, 2002) Aquarelle (Neo, 2009)
With Lee Ritenour Alive in L.A. (GRP, 1997) This Is Love (i.e. Music, 1998)
With Aziza Mustafa Zadeh Dance of Fire (Columbia, 1995) Inspiration (Columbia, 2000)
With others Mahavishnu (John McLaughlin), Mahavishnu (Warner,1984) Andy Summers, Charming Snakes (Private Music, 1990) Gianfranco Continenza, The Past Inside The Present (ESC, 2007) Wolfgang Haffner, Dream Band Live In Concert (ACT, 2022)
References
External links
Official site