HiPNOTIC RECORDS

Seed is . . . pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Mike Boone, drummer Rodney Green and vocalist DAWN.

Still in his early twenties, Orrin Evans has emerged over the last four years as an audacious instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. In 1999, Orrin was first runner-up in a Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition that was remarkable for its wealth, and recognition, of individual voices. A bona fide jazz iconoclast, the pianist has staked out rarified sonic territory with a hard-edged, aggressive approach that eschews the comfort of convention in favor of pushing harmonic and rhythmic limits, all the while displaying a deep-seated sense of groove that betrays his Philadelphia jazz roots. Orrin's impressive list of performance credits includes dates with Bobby Watson, Ralph Peterson, Wallace Roney, Stefon Harris and Antonio Hart. Meanwhile, Orrin's four recordings as a bandleader on the Criss Cross label (including the recently-released Blessed Ones) have garnered high critical praise. An ever more-frequent presence on the New York scene and internationally, Orrin has been performing lately with Stefon Harris, Seed and the Orrin Evans Quartet, which features bassist Reid Anderson, drummer Nasheet Waits and saxophonist Sam Newsome. Evans has just released Deja Vu, a trio recording featuring Matthew Parrish on bass and Byron Landham on drums, on his own Imani Records label. Meant to Shine, Evans's debut on Palmetto Records, is due out in Fall 2002.

Mike Boone, for more than a decade, has been one of the leading bassists on the Philadelphia jazz scene. An alumnus of the Buddy Rich Band, and a master of the acoustic and electric bass, Mike's precise pulse, elegant lines and aggressive bop/post-bop sensibility have made him a highly sought-after sideman and studio musician. In addition to his work with musicians such as Byron Landham, Uri Cain, John Swana and Sid Simmons, Mike has done a pair of recordings as a bandleader -- "Better Late Than Never" and "Old Head" (Dreambox Media/Encounter Records) -- that have earned him high critical praise for his musicianship and composing.

The "greenest" among a small cadre of young drummers hailed by leading jazz critics as embodying the cutting edge in a new era of jazz drumming, Rodney Green has firmly established himself as one of the most prodigious jazz musicians to emerge over the last decade, on any instrument. Rodney's technical command of the drum set, absorption of diverse musical styles, alertness on the bandstand and inclination to avoid the ordinary make Rodney one of the most distinctive and in-demand drummers on the modern jazz scene, age notwithstanding. As artful and versatile as he is skillful, the twenty-one-year-old already has toured and recorded with artists as disparate as Patti LaBelle, Christian McBride, No Doze Funkmob and Greg Osby. Lately, Rodney has been performing primarily in the piano-trio format, with such accomplished leaders as Eric Reed, Seed-bandmate Orrin Evans, and Grammy-winning vocalist-pianist Diana Krall.

Click here to get HiP to "Seed", the band's highly-anticipated debut recording that features special contributions by guest artists Gary Bartz, Ralph Bowen, Branford Marsalis, Jaleel Shaw and Duane Eubanks.

Q&A with SEED-Member Orrin Evans:

HR: You've recorded four records now as a leader. What distinguishes SEED from those projects?

OE: The concept of SEED is different from the "Orrin Evans" groups I've led and recorded on Criss Cross. The personnel and the repertoire are unique to SEED, but also, the musicians approached this project as co-equals in the band. It's not my band, it's our band and our record. "Co-leaders" is what we call ourselves. The other thing is that we had complete artistic freedom and control from start to finish. DAWN, Mike, Rodney and I did this record by and for ourselves. One more thing is that SEED doesn't play standards. It's all either original music or stuff you don't ordinarily hear jazz musicians play, like the Todd Rundgren tune that DAWN does the vocal on.

HR: How did SEED come about?

OE: The motivation for the project came from our collective experiences in the industry as performers and recording artists. I'm definitely proud of the CDs I've done for Criss Cross, but having had the opportunity to record for a prominent independent jazz label, I had a strong desire to do something that totally represented my vision and sensibilities as an artist. My wife [Seed-vocalist DAWN] and I had been thinking about producing our own projects for awhile, and that led us to set up Imani Records a couple of years ago. In fact, we recorded two records -- one of hers and one of mine -- that we plan to release on Imani in the next year or so. But recently, we'd been talking alot with Rodney, whom DAWN manages now, and Mike, whom I've known for years, and they felt the same way DAWN and I did. We kicked it around, and toward the beginning of this year, we decided "now's the time." DAWN had just left her job to focus on music, artist management and running Imani, and we all pooled our ideas and finances(!) together and called the session. After the session, we decided to call the band, and the recording, "SEED," to symbolize our desire to cultivate the artistic, spiritual and financial investment we "planted" into this effort.

HR: A major investment for everyone in the band.

OE: Yes. We were fortunate to get some financial support from friends and family, and from Hipnotic Records, who agreed to share the production costs and help us promote and distribute the CD. Musically, we called on Gary, Ralph Bowen, Duane Eubanks, Branford Marsalis, and Jaleel Shaw to be a part of the project, and they all contributed great performances to the record. And since the session, SEED members have all had direct input into all phases of the production and post-production of the CD. So from top to bottom, beginning to end, this has been a group effort and group investment.

HR: How would you describe the record?

OE: Well, the most important thing about the project was the music itself, and we're all really proud of what we accomplished in the studio. Doing the record ourselves gave us the freedom to explore a lot of different territory and we took advantage of it. We all believe that freedom and honesty are what jazz is all about and I think the playing truly reflects that common commitment as well as the vibe we had in the studio as musicians who share a certain vision and really respect one another. As for the tunes, there's a lot of variety on the CD -- more than you find on a lot of jazz records -- so while I think it's definitely cutting edge and true to jazz roots, there's also a little something for everyone. I think the rhythm section establishes a group sound throughout, which is what we're going for as a band. Now we're looking forward to performing this music in front of live audiences, working in new material and developing that sound further.

For additional information about Seed (including session photos), Orrin Evans, DAWN and Rodney Green, visit the Imani Records web site, at www.imanirecords.com.