We're at 183 West 10th St. If it's 17:00 EST, it's time for the first house at Small's. At present, in common with many venues across the globe, the Greenwich Village jazz spot is unable to admit an audience but that hasn't put a stop to its regular live stream gigs. This evening Josh Evans was returning to one of his regular haunts.
As cameras went live Josh Evans and his band mates could be seen milling around Small's cramped space preparing for this evening's performance. Our MC loomed into view, a brief introduction: The Josh Evans Quintet! Trumpet, sax, piano, bass and drums. All five musicians are established names on the New York scene. Collectively they present an impressive resumé. It is probably correct to say only one of them has made it over to BSH's Tyneside heartland - drummer Nasheet Waits on tour with John Escreet back in 2010.
In his mid-thirties, trumpeter Evans' compositions embrace groove, swing and freer elements suggesting something of Ornette's aesthetic. Five compositions, one hour plus in which to play them, Evans offering solo space to each of his band mates, principally saxophonist Marcus Strickland and pianist Davis Whitfield. Themes or inspirations included a piece Evans sprung on his quintet celebrating Robert Hill, a sharecroppers' union organiser, rightly describing his subject as a 'hero'. As his band mates looked at the charts Evans said: I hope this works, these gentlemen have never seen this before. It worked alright! Five great musicians making something of what was in front of them. Excellent. Note to self...must catch this band in concert.
A tune written by, or in praise of, McCoy Tyner (Evans' announcements weren't on a mic), featured a magnificent display of drumming from Waits. The only thing that could have topped it was being there. To close, Evans presented two parts from a suite of music (the subject ancient Mali?), the first part slow, the second moving through the gears to take it out. Small's, it's the new Kansas Smitty's.
Russell
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