Orrin Evans
The ninth episode of the Burning Ambulance podcast features Orrin Evans, who’s been a solo artist for about 20 years, but is gaining a brand-new audience as the new pianist—replacing Ethan Iverson —in the long-running trio The Bad Plus. The group’s first album with Evans on piano, Never Stop II, was released two weeks ago, and they’re out on the road. I’ve interviewed Evans before, and reviewed many of his albums. In this conversation, taped in early January, we discuss his early career, his placement in the annual Thelonious Monk competition, his other collaborative trio Tarbaby, his plans for juggling his solo career with his work in The Bad Plus, and much more.