Orrin Evans Trio Concludes Hammer Theatre's Black Cab Jazz Series, February 22

Hammer Theatre Center ends its Black Cab Jazz series on a high note with the Orrin Evans Trio. Curated by San Jose Jazz, Black Cab Jazz features today's hottest jazz artists in the Hammer Theatre Center's intimate Hammer4Studio with cabaret-style four-top seating.

Pianist and composer Evans is acclaimed for his signature blend of swinging, blues-infused hardcore jazz and spiritual jazz/avant-garde jazz traditions, interspersed with Euro-canon all offered up with the intuitive spontaneity of an ear player. Evans launched his career earning the #1 slot as "Rising Star Pianist" in the 2018 DownBeat Critics Poll and was Emmy-nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album (with The Captain Black Big Band). For this performance, Evans will be joined by bassist Eric Revis and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

Revis is a Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer who has firmly established himself as an important voice in jazz, making regular festival and club appearances across Europe and North America with his own ensembles. He was also named the "Rising Star" bassist in the 2017 DownBeat Critics Poll. A blossoming composer and arranger, Smith is regarded as a well-rounded musician with the ability to play all styles. His success has earned him two albums as a bandleader.

Orrin Evans will appear during the San Jose Jazz Winter Fest: Counterpoint with Ukraine at 7:00pm, Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at the Hammer4 Studio, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. For tickets ($25, $35) or more information, the public may visit hammertheatre.com or call (408) 924-8501.

The Black Cab Jazz series is a collaboration between The Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose Jazz and San Jose State University. The 2022-23 season line-up concludes with Evans, whose wide-ranging credits include the Eubanks Evans Experience, a duo with eminent guitarist Kevin Eubanks; the Brazilian unit Terreno Comum; Evans' working trio with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr.; and Tar Baby, a collective trio of 20 years standing with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits. His latest album, Magic of Now, documents a live-streamed engagement at the Smoke Jazz Club in December 2020.

Owned by the City of San Jose and operated by San Jose State University, the Hammer Theatre Center is a state-of-the-art performance venue located in the heart of downtown San Jose at 101 Paseo De San Antonio, between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The 528-seat theatre has presented an array of offerings including outstanding professional productions, community-based works, SJSU shows, and concerts, as well as dance, music, talks, film screenings-even live aerial performances with dancers suspended outside, scaling the sides of the iconic blue building. From jazz performances to mariachi extravaganzas, the acclaimed National Theatre Live film screenings, Cinequest film festival presentations, ballet and modern dance shows, kid-friendly performances, live art and more, the Hammer's mission is to serve the community through artistic and educational programming that express the unique characteristics and diverse cultures of Silicon Valley.