EVANS, BILL - The East End

"Double LP version. 180 gram vinyl. World class sax player meets world class big band. Groove in a fine style. The Cologne Stadtgarten venue was crammed that mid-February eve in 2011. A very special concert was scheduled for the night -- and the audience did arrive in crowds at the Stadtgarten in Cologne to be part of this rare opportunity. The American saxophonist Bill Evans was in town to perform with the WDR Big Band. The crowd's anticipation of a sublime live concert made the air crackle with excitement. The temperature was rising quickly and the vibe was getting better and better. Evans has always loved that sort of setting. When the audience is already excited before the show even starts and the musicians are incredibly focused on what is about to unfold, he reaches his true working temperature which enables him to deliver a top performance on stage, performing on the tenor- or soprano saxophone. Especially for the WDR Big Band concert with Bill Evans two "groove-masters" were invited; the German drummer Wolfgang Haffner and the Cameroon-born and France-based Etienne Mbappé. Not only is their playing technique fully developed but both, Haffner as well as Mbappé, are gifted with the ability to roll out a densely woven groove-carpet while simultaneously electrifying the rhythmical roots of a piece of music. As a result of this, the stylistically diverse music of Evans and the WDR Big Band is well and truly animated -- and starts to sound like a living organism. Personnel: Bill Evans - saxes; Etienne Mbappé - electric bass; Wolfgang Haffner - drums; WDR Big Band." - Jazzline/Pö .