Articles

Falkner Evans: Marbles

By Jack Bowers

On his fifth recording as leader, pianist / composer Falkner Evans has expanded his group size from trio (the first three) and quintet (the fourth) to sextet with vibraphonist Steve Nelson added on three of the album's ten numbers, the first nine of which were written by Evans. Even though this was a one-off, Evans' teammates are skillful enough to make it sound like a working ensemble. One reason for this is that the rhythm section (bassist Belden Bullock, drummer ...

Falkner Evans: Marbles

By Jerome Wilson

Pianist Falkner Evans has been gradually expanding the size of his recording projects. He started out with a couple of trio discs, then made one with a quintet. On this latest offering, he fronts a three-horn sextet scored to sound like a bigger and fuller unit. He uses a front line of Michael Blake on tenor sax, Ted Nash on alto sax and Ron Horton on trumpet, that is blended into a cool, reedy sound which ebbs and ...

Falkner Evans: The Point of the Moon

By Jeff Dayton-Johnson

Pianist Falkner Evans is a distant relative of the great American novelist William Faulkner, by the same obscure Southern logic by which Al Gore and Gore Vidal are related. He is also a former pianist for the tight Western swing outfit Asleep at the Wheel and leader of an acclaimed piano trio.Evans's famed ancestor once wrote, “The past is never dead. It's not even past." Seen in the right light, this is not a bad axiom for 21st ...

Falkner Evans: The Point Of The Moon

By Mark Corroto

It is natural to equate a bit of hubris with jazz, but pianist Falkner Evans checks his ego at the door on The Point Of The Moon.Like his previous trio session, Arc (CAP, 2007), he returns with bassist Belden Bullock and drummer Matt Wilson, but supplements things with the horn frontline of tenor saxophonist Greg Tardy and trumpeter Ron Horton. If it weren't for Evans' name on The Point Of The Moon's cover, it might not seem like ...

Falkner Evans: Arc

By Christopher Shoe

Falkner Evans is an accomplished composer, and the number of ASCAP award-winning compositions present on Arc attests to that and more. Comprised of nine tunes, ranging from original material to jazz and pop standards, this statement from Evans' trio with bassist Belden Bullock and drummer Matt Wilson is sure to leave listeners with a pleasant aftertaste and a desire to come back for more. Evans' career has spanned a variety of musical genres and that has naturally ...

Falkner Evans: Arc

By Erik R. Quick

There has been considerable effort to redefine the means of expression regarding the standard jazz trio of piano, bass and drums. The world of contemporary popular music has been mined to provide unexpected material. Electronica furnishes additional textures which, perhaps, belie the inherent simplicity of a trio. Nevertheless, there are traditional stalwarts working to solidify the mainstream genre.

Pianist Falkner Evans' lack of cover story support within the industry is certainly not an indication that there ...

Falkner Evans: Climbing The Gates

By Mark Corroto

This recording by pianist Falkner Evans is a jazz critic's guilty pleasure. Sure, we are supposed to be combing the bins for the latest greatest high-wire jazz act. But sometimes a rock-solid traditional performance grabs hold of your ears and smiles result.

Such is the case of this Oklahoma-born artist turned New York resident. His playing bears the influences of Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Barron, Horace Parlan and Mulgrew Miller. Steeped in the language of jazz piano, Evans delivers ...