For more than two decades, pianist/composer Orrin Evans has made an art form of the unexpected. Releasing more than 25 albums without the support of a major label, Evans has become the model of a fiercely independent artist who’s made a habit of rattling the jazz world’s confining cages. His wide-ranging projects span mutable small group settings and the raucous Captain Black Big Band, (nominated for a Grammy in 2019), the nerve-rattling collective trio Tarbaby and becoming the first new member of The Bad Plus in the trio’s nearly 20-year history. Evans has collaborated with a who’s-who of modern jazz including Nicholas Payton, Sean Jones, Oliver Lake, JD Allen, Christian McBride, Eric Revis, Buster Williams, Karriem Riggins, Nasheet Waits, Kevin Eubanks and Kurt Rosenwinkel, among countless others.
Terreno Comum was born out of a commissioned project by The August Wilson African American Cultural Center. The ensemble is composed of some of the most acclaimed musicians in modern Jazz and Brazilian music, featuring pianist and musical director Orrin Evans, vocalist Alexia Bomtempo, bassist Vicente Archer, drummer Vince Ector, and guitarist Leandro Pellegrino. Terreno Comum conjures a powerful collective sound from this quintet of musicians and friends.
Each of these five visionaries are building their own impressive careers, and now with this debut as a collective they present Terreno Comum, an exciting live experience. The song list includes beautiful arrangements of Brazilian standards with an opportunity for all to shine.