Today, August 16th is the official release of my new CD “ Who I am “. Here are some links to check it out. This is solo CD # 26 for me but who’s counting. Its been blowing up on spotify and social media.
Here is a link to a chain of music platforms if you want to listen to it. Check it out. Its bad. haha. Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglass, Keith Carlock , Wolfgang Haffner, Nils landgren , Till Bronner, Victor Wooten , Simon Oslender among others.
FLASH !!! The new single “ I OWE YOU “ is out now !! The incredible singer Max Mutzke sounds amazing ! Backed by Wolfgang Haffner , Simon Oslender and myself , this track is STRONG . CHECK IT OUT !
Here is a link to the second single from “ who I am” that features Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas , Wolfgang Haffner, Simon Oslender, Klaus Fischer. Its kicks ****. Ha Ha. It is officially online july 5th. CHECK IT OUT !
https://orcd.co/billevansletthecreekrise
The First single for “ Who I am “ officially starts June 13th. Here is a link to take you there !! Tell your friends, cousins, neighbors, gym partners, drinking buddies, and whomever else likes good music !
https://orcd.co/roadtoilhagrande
AFTER ONE YEAR IN THE MAKING , MY 27TH SOLO CD IS NOW DONE !! MY LAST OFFICIAL SOLO RECORDING ( NOT COUNTING CO-LED CD’S ) WAS RELEASED IN 2017 CALLED “ RISE ABOVE “. “ WHO I AM “ FEATURES MANY OF MUSICIANS I HAVE A HISTORY PLAYING WITH IN THE PAST. SOME OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS ON THE PLANET. IT FEATURES : KEITH CARLOCK, BELA FLECK, JERRY DOUGLAS, VICTOR WOOTEN, JOHN MEDESKI , TILL BRONNER, WOLFGANG HAFFNER , SIMON OSLENDER AND MORE !
Tour dates on the TOUR page of my web site. NOTE : Im peforming at the Amazonas Jazz Festival In Manaus Brazil, in the middle of the amazon rainforest. Details on the tour page. Here is a link with more info : https://www.amazonasgreenjazzfestival.com.br/
Sold out shows at the Milano Italy Bluenote. May 13-14. Medeski, Pastorius, myself , Carlock.
Here we are in Ourense Spain , May 2nd , 2024. We start the tour today. Me, keith Carlock, John Medeski , Felix Pastorius…Please check tour dates.
Im excited and looking forward to the VansBand tour of Europe in May. John Medeski is one of the most creative musicians Ive ever met. Keith Carlock and Felix Pastorious are the best at what THEY do.
BLUES ALLEY WASHINGTON DC. FIRST APPEARANCE ! June 1-2.
Im playing this iconic club for the first time ever with an allstar band : Kevin hays on piano / vocals, Dennis Chambers - Drums, Gary Grainger- Bass.
September 4-7, 2024. Bill Evans and the VansBand Allstars to play 8 Shows In Tokyo Japan . Dave Weckl, Till Bronner, James Genus, Kevin Hays.
We lost one of the most gifted and soulful Guitar players Ive ever met or had the honor of playing with and calling my friend. Dean Brown lost his battle recently. We will truly miss his smile, sense of humor, and gift for making people feel good.
NEWS FLASH !!
The new Bill Evans Ultra light V1 mouthpiece is finally here ! Its the same exact copy of the original Brass Bill Evans Signature mouthpiece but made with a much lighter composite and very affordable price. This mouthpiece gets a huge penetrating sound. Ive used it on recordings and concerts for the past year and love it. Its available in silver, Brass and Black. There are subtle differences in each one. I love them all. Stay tuned for more information coming soon !
MODERN STANDARD SUPER GROUP. MYSELF, HARVEY MASON, NIELS LAN DOKY, DARRYL JONES.
Myself, Niels lan Doky, Felix Pastorius, Harvey Mason…Jazztakes Supergroup. Gronau, Germany. Kick Ass Band. April, 2023
Bill Evans Robben Ford Miles blues and beyond Band….with keith Carlock and darryl jones. Bluenote Tokyo , April 14-17 2023. Sold out the week !
Myself and Stanley Jordan will be playing as a guest with Leonid Patashka in Tel Aviv and Haifa , Israel jan 29th and feb 1st. Leonid is a fantastic Pianist with whom Ive played with before.
……I go out with the Jazztakes Supergroup with Darryl Jones , Harvey Mason and Nils Lan doky for 14 European concerts starting october 27th in Sweden - dates on the tour page .
*Note : I just went back on facebook after a one year hiatus. Billevanssax. Im on the road now in Europe , and will be posting selfies from the stage etc, as well as pics from my daily walks around different cities.
Well, I must say. I have toured ALOT the past 15 months.
Post Covid, it all started with Myself and Robben Ford touring Europe july 2021 with Wolfgang Haffner and Gary granger .
Richard leutner ( sound ) Wolfgang Haffner, Gary Grainger,Robben , Bill
A month or so later, the Stern /Evans band with Nicolas Viccaro on drums and tommy kennedy on bass.
Stern / Evans band , Milan Italy Bluenote. Fall , 2021
Nicolas is a force to reckon with on drums. He is one of the up coming stars on that instrument and currently lives in Paris France. THEN, I toured with the Wolfgang Haffner Dreamband. What a pleasure ! With Nils Langren and Randy Brecker. We toured all over Germany playing concert halls. Earlier this year , myself and Robben Ford did a 3 day stint at Ronnie Scotts in London followed by a big concert in Istanbul. That tour was followed by another tour with the Stern/ Evans band. This time featuring Dennis Chambers and Gary Grainger. Last summer , the Modern Standard Supergroup, with myself , Randy Brecker, Billy Cobham , Niels Lan Doky and Linley Marthe toured summer festivals.
Valladolid Spain selfie. The Modern Standard Supergroup. Me, Niels, Billy, Randy and linley. love Spain !
Magical night at the 2019 Wolfgang Haffner “Super show” In Nurenberg,Germany in front of 60,000 music fans. Thats Me joining max Mutzke in this clip. Max is going to be a guest on select shows with Myself and the Spykillers with Wolfgang Haffner and guests in the summer 2023. Thomas Quasthoff will also be Joining us on some shows as well as other surprise guest.
THE NEW CD IS FINALLY OUT ! MYSELF, ROBBEN, KEITH CARLOCK AND DARRYL JONES ! SPECIAL GUEST MAX MUTZKE !
Super excited to be joining the Wolfgang Haffner Dream band starting Nov 5th. Magical nights of music. I loved getting a chance to play with some of my favorite players on the planet. Every night will be a great experience ! join us !
This is the “ Don’t even think about missing it “ tour.
Mike Stern/ Bill Evans Band with Tom Kennedy and Nicolas Viccaro.
OCTOBER 11 STOCKHOLM (Sweden) FASCHING JAZZKLUBB http://www.fasching.se/
https://www.fasching.se/mike-stern-bill-evans-band/#2021-10-11T20-00
OCTOBER 12 STOCKHOLM (Sweden) FASCHING JAZZKLUBB http://www.fasching.se/
https://www.fasching.se/mike-stern-bill-evans-band/#2021-10-12T20-00
OCTOBER 13 GOTEBORG (Sweden) NEFERTITI AT VAALANDhttps://www.nefertiti.nu/
https://www.nefertiti.nu/arrangemang/mike-stern-bill-evans-band/
OCTOBER 14 MILANO (Italy) BLUENOTE http://www.bluenotemilano.com/
https://www.bluenotemilano.com/evento/concerto-mike-stern-bill-evans-band-14-ottobre-2021-milano/
OCTOBER 15 MILANO (Italy) BLUENOTE http://www.bluenotemilano.com/
https://www.bluenotemilano.com/evento/concerto-mike-stern-bill-evans-band-15-ottobre-2021-milano/
OCTOBER 16 MOGORO (Italy) TEATRO COMUNALEhttps://www.culturefestival.eu/
OCTOBER 17 Travel to Pecs / off
OCTOBER 18 PECS (Hungary) KODALY CENTRE https://www.kodalykozpont.hu/en
OCTOBER 19 BUDAPEST (Hungary) MOMKULT https://getcloserconcerts.com/
https://getcloserconcerts.com/koncert/mike-stern-bill-evans-band-2020/
OCTOBER 20 Day Off in Budapest
OCTOBER 21 Travel to Prerov / Off
OCTOBER 22 PREROV (Czech Rep) JAZZ PREROV https://csjf.cz/
https://csjf.cz/mike-stern-bill-evans-band-usa/
OCTOBER 23 Travel to Bratislava / Off
OCTOBER 24 BRATISLAVA (Slovakia) INCHEBO EXPO BRATISLAVA https://www.bjd.sk/en
OCTOBER 25 Travel to Dresden (6 Hours) / Off
OCTOBER 26 DRESEDN (Germany) OSTRA STUDIO https://www.jazztage-dresden.de/en/homepage/
https://www.jazztage-dresden.de/en/program/veranstaltung/feat_tom_kennedy_nicolas_viccaro/
OCTOBER 27 Travel to Horsholm / Off
OCTOBER 28 HORSHOLM (Denmark) TROMMEN https://trommen.dk/
https://trommen.dk/arrangementer/mike-stern-bill-evans-band/
OCTOBER 29 BACK HOMENOVEMBER- WOLFGANG HAFFNER DREAMBAND…KILLING BAND !! ME, RANDY BRECKER, NILS LANDGREN AND MORE- DATES TO FOLLOW ASAP !
TOXIC MONKEY EAST COAST USA TOUR TO BE POSTPONED !!!
POWERS THAT BE , ARE SEARCHING FOR A LATER DATE…SO SORRY..UGH. DAM ! DARN !
STEVE LUKATHER , KEITH CARLOCK, WILL LEE, STEVE WEINGART AND MYSELF .
12/01 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Annapolis
12/03 Cape Cod, MA The Music Room
12/04 Derry, NH Tupelo Music Hall
12/05 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
12/08 Jim Thorpe, PA Mauch Chunk Opera House
12/09 Philadelphia, PA City Winery
12/10 New York, NY Adler Hall at NY Society for Ethical NY
12/11 Newton, NJ Newton Theater
Im looking forward to playing ! If you’re in the Nashville, Leipers Fork area of TN, come on by. Its time to PLAY !
LIVE PLAYING ! REPEAT….LIVE PLAYING !
Those of us who make a living touring and playing concerts are being hit especially hard. I never dreamed that something could happen that would shut down the touring world. Never ! But , it did. I personally have dedicated my life to making music on the road. I have been blessed. I play the music that inspires me, with the musicians that inspire me to play it . It is a natural high. I have said more than once to an audience “ we play for free and get paid to travel . “ So true ! Its like food for us. When we don’t have that outlet for our expression , we feel strange, like we’re living in an alternative universe. I am constantly getting news like “ the tour is being moved “ or “ the dates are cancelled again “ or “ US Citizens are not allowed to fly to Europe now “ it feels bazaar. A bad dream. But I keep it in perspective. Its music. So many people lost their lives over the past year due to Covid, that just about anything else is diminished in its importance. So we move ahead and try to be productive and look forward to the future when things can get back to a new “ normal.” Remember….when you wake up in the morning, you have a choice. You can either be positive or negative. Choose positive and challenge yourself to making positive changes in your life that take advantage of these strange times. its sometimes not so easy to do, as I have to work on it all the time myself. Just do small changes if you find it difficult. It all adds up !
As a recap ( nov 21stst today ) ….Japan has been moved to sept 5-8 . The Mike stern / Bill Evans band to October 2021 and May 2022…and Me and Robben ford , Miles, Blues and Beyond will tour for a couple weeks this July in Europe. Fingers crossed this all happens !!
just an FYI. One of the great festivals in the world is the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival located in Playa Del Carmen Mexico. I had the pleasure of playing it with my band a couple years ago. The setting was incredible. The crystal clear blue water, amazing authentic Mexican cuisine, and some of the friendliest people on the planet. Take a look at a small video they made of my band during our show. There was over 20,000 people at the concert. Several awesome bands on the bill.
Over the past year me and my wife decided to move from upstate New York to Nashville Tennessee. . The vibe here is great. Musicians, Artists, you name it. In my opinion it has now become the center of the recording industry for this country.
Nashville is not just a country music town. Musicians from all over the world who play all kinds of music, live there. I have a lot of friends there as well. Change is good. Life is short. You can't be afraid to change, grow and try new things in different places . I have plans to create another Soulgrass band ( with a different name for the band ) with some new , original and inspiring young musicians. It will kick serious ***. You dig ! There is only one gear. Stay tuned !
I couldn’t be more excited to mention the Live stream of the first gig I did with the “ Bill Evans and the Spykillers ! with Wolfgang haffner. It was recorded in 2018 in Melbourne Australia at the “ Birds Basement “ Club.The show will be aired this Nov 26th at 2 different times so its easy to see in Europe and the States . Here is the info. Some lucky viewer will win a car. ( just kidding )
I love large outdoor venues! This pic is from Ourense, Spain.
This event is now postponed AGAIN until December or February 2021
Wolfgangs Luitpoldhain 2019, with Max Mutzke. KILLER SHOW!
Robben Ford and I had a big festival tour of Europe booked for this summer, 2020, with Wolfgang Haffner and Gary Grainger ( Blues, Miles and Beyond )… We are shifting our 2020 schedule to 2021 like many other musicians since Covid invaded our planet, so this tour is planned for summer 2021.
Singer Max Mutzke was slated to guest with us on several of our summer shows, so I’m really hoping we can have him on the schedule again for 2021 as well! He rocks and is truly a super talent.