Orrin Evans

The past nine months have been a nightmare for independent live music venues, and the one that looms the largest in Philadelphia’s jazz community, Chris’ Jazz Café, hasn’t been spared.

How is the jazz community in Philadelphia responding to the global pandemic? Jazz Night in America found a few different answers to that question.

Pianist Orrin Evans likes to refer to his extended music family as “The Village.” It’s an inviting and inclusive term that encompasses not only his ever-growing list of collaborators but his mentors and protégés, fans and friends, inspirations and supporters.

WRTI is proud to take part in this year’s Jazz Summit, presented by Jazz Philadelphia and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, in partnership with PECO, on October 9th and 10th. This year’s Summit is virtual, and will directly address the challenges facing the jazz world right now, with the theme "Resilience."

June 8, 2020. From founding the Captain Black Big Band in 2009 to replacing Ethan Iverson as The Bad Plus’s pianist in 2018, Philadelphia native Orrin Evans has never shied away from taking a leap into the musical unknown.

October 29, 2018. Even though jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Orrin Evans recently joined the boundary-bending trio The Bad Plus based in NYC, his local projects still remain on the forefront. The Captain Black Big Band has been his baby since 2007, and the new album, Presence, shows that Evans is present.

May 14, 2018. If you live in the Philadelphia area, chances are you know the name Josh Lawrence, even if you can’t remember why.  The trumpeter and composer has been a mainstay of the Philly jazz scene for years. On his new album Contrast, Lawrence and his band Color Theory create a kaleidoscope of shifting shades well worth a listen.

Listening to Joanna Pascale sing is like getting a big hug. Her voice is warm, wise and easy to love. The Philly native has put out fine solo albums previously, but nothing like Wildflower, a deeply felt record that freely mixes pop tunes, blues, and outlier standards.