Bill Evans

Introducing Bill Evans, the saxophonist who needs no introduction! This virtuosic saxophonist hailing from Clarendon Hills Illinois is the main event at this huge Jazz Lugano festival this afternoon. I immediately have to jump in headfirst and talk about where the music that he plays comes from. Yes, he studied at one of the best Universities under Miles Davis but the soul that he manages to convey through his music is so deep routed, combining such flawless technique, if a little sloppy sometimes, of course I would rather get goose bumps over saying “wow”. Evans is truly one of those instrumentalists who has that balance between the two, and knows how to mix it accordingly catering to the audience. He demonstrates this fantastically in the solo of “Don’t Worry ‘bout Me” where he fills bars and bars with tasteful segments of music, endorsing his jazz routes and fusing them with a more bluesy orientated style of playing. A musician who truly knows how to put his stamp on a piece of music.

You could say that music was in William Evans' blood after his father was described as a classical piano prodigy. The young man was originally drawn to the saxophone after listening to artists such as Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz before having the opportunity to study with tenor saxophonist Vince Micko. He has gone on to have a successful career and has toured extensively across the world as he is simply captivating to watch.

Many guitarists hold a show on the power of their musical skills, yet there are fewer saxophonist. Bill Evans manages to do this with ease as he is accompanied by a number of other jazz fusion musicians to create a thoroughly involving show for his audience. He has chosen the songs tonight in order to really show off his musical capabilities and it works as the crowd simply explodes in applause at the end of every single song. He takes a final bow before one huge version of 'Changes' wraps up the show in an expert manner this evening.