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If a child of Billie Holiday and Randy Newman were raised by Ani DiFranco, she might grow up to sound something like Kate Evans. Provocative, cerebral, gorgeous, her music goes straight to the heart.
Evans is a veteran performer who began working professionally as a classical flutist at age 16. While studying music at Rutgers University, she developed a deep interest in jazz and began studying improvisation and composition with jazz greats Kenny Barron, Ted Dunbar, and JoAnne Brackeen. At the same time, she was cutting her teeth in the pop music scene as singer and flutist in the New Brunswick world music big band All Gods' Children, which she performed and toured with for six years. Kate also performed and recorded with a wide variety of groups ranging from the Benny Carter Big Band (on the Grammy Awardwinning Harlem Renaissance) to the alt-rock band Ween. In 1995, Evans began performing her original songs with her own band, ISOE.
ISOE's CD, "Manhattan Lullaby," charted on dozens of regional college radio stations, in the top 10 on many, and was highly praised by critics. Robert Makin of the Gannett Courier-News and The Aquarian named Evans "best female artist" and "best songwriter" in his annual independent music awards, and named "Manhattan Lullaby" album of the year. ISOE's music eluded categorization, but drew comparisons to that of Suzanne Vega, Ani DiFranco, Sade, and Tori Amos. Other significant influences include Randy Newman, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Tom Waits, and Abbey Lincoln.
Evans put out her first solo CD, Release, in 2001 and has since promoted the album by touring locally. Maureen Keller of indie-music.com described the album by saying, "The lyrics are inspiring, the voice is one-of-a-kind, and the overall sound is as beautiful as music gets. It is evident that Evans loves music as she pours her heart into these inspiring songs."
Evans, who grew up in rural Kansas, grew up surrounded by music. Her mother was a professional classical musician and her father an amateur bluegrass musician and radio DJ.
In a recent song, Come Fly With Me, Evans wrote:
You should come
Come right now
Break me in
Break me out
Come and fly with me
I'm going nowhere
Come and go nowhere with me
One thing is for sure: listening to the music of Kate Evans will transport you somewhere. somewhere deep, sometimes dark, and always passionate and beautiful. Come fly with her, indeed.
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Discography:
2002: Would You Mind? (Jazz EP)
2001: Release (full-length original recording)
1997: Manhattan Lullaby (full-length original with band ISOE)
1996: Room for the New (full-length original with band ISOE)
1996: Nice Garden (EP with band All Gods' Children)
1996: Schoolhouse Rock Rocks! (with band Ween)
1992: Zapata and Other Love Songs (full-length original with band All Gods' Children)
1992: Harlem Renaissance (with Benny Carter Big Band, Grammy-winning recording)
1991: Guatemalan Suite (with band All Gods' Children)
