Lublin Jazz Festival

Bill Evans Petite Blonde II 25th Anniversary tour (US/SE)

One of the most important cocnerts in Lublin during this year. Bill Evans is a world-class saxophonist and producer who made his debut on the international music scene in the 1980s originally with Miles Davis, ( at the age of 21 years old- and recorded 6 records with Davis ) which led to playing with the likes of John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Mick Jagger and Willie Nelson to name a few. With 24 solo albums, Grammy nods, and countless collaborations and tours, Evans has continued to explore a dazzling variety of adventurous musical settings as a pioneering bandleader, consistently winning fans in the worldwide arena.  Recent highlights  include touring and or performing with his own band Bill Evans Soulgrass, The New Bill Evans Band, Warren Haynes, Robben Ford ( soulgrass meets blues ) , Phil Lesh and friends, Stern/Evans Band, Medeski Martin Wood and countless sit- ins with The Allman Brothers band, Umphreys Mcgee, Moe, Blues Traveler, Galactic and many more. Evans’ music is fusion jazz based on a saxophone with R’n’B and bluegrass. Funk and jazz mix with rock, rhythm and groove. The Petite Blonde project was created in 1992, the idea was to create a team of like-minded musicians and make the first big solo tour of Europe with the slogan “no holds barred”. After 25 years Bill Evans call the project together again under the same idea. The concert in Lublin will be the only in Poland and at the same time opening the European tour of the artist. The band will include great musicians like: Ulf Wakenius (Oscar Peterson) Gary Grainger (John Scofield) Dennis Chambers (Santana).

Bill Evans – saxophone, vocal

Dennis Chambers – drums

Ulf Wakenius – guitar

Gary Grainger – bass

Dennis Chambers is an American drummer who has recorded and performed with John Scofield, George Duke ,Brecker Brothers, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, CAB, Greg Howe Victor Wooten and many others.began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in Baltimore-area nightclubs by the age of six. He was recruited in 1981 by the Sugar Hill Label to be their “house drummer.” Dennis plays on many Sugar Hill releases . In 1978 (at 18 years old) he joined Parliament/Funkadelic, and stayed with them until 1985. In 1986 he joined the John Scofield band. Since then he has played with most of the major figures in jazz fusion music. He can play in a wide variety of musical genres, but is perhaps most notable for his jazz-fusion, funk, and Latin music playing. He is mostly known for his fast hands and triplets on the bass drum. He has helped many young drummers, the most prominent beingTony Royster, Jr.

Gary Grainger – Born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on 1995, Gary Grainger began playing bass with his older brother, drummer Gregory Grainger. In the late 70s the pair joined Pockets, recording for Columbia Records, and toured extensively with a package headlined by Earth, Wind And Fire. He first attracted wide attention in the late 80s, playing electric bass with John Scofield on tour and on several recording sessions, including two late 80s Gramavision albums, Blue Matter and Loud Jazz. After leaving Scofield he teamed up with the band’s drummer, Dennis Chambers, forming the funk band, Graffiti. He has also recorded with Carl Filipiak and Haakon Graf. In the late 90s he began working with his brother in a fusion band, designed to display the highly empathetic nature of their musical relationship as well as Grainger’s composing skills.

Ulf Wakenius – jazz guitarist extraordinaire acclaimed and celebrated all over the world. Between 1997 and 2007 Ulf held what may have been the most prestigious spot in jazz for a guitarist: a chair in the Oscar Peterson Quartet.This was the coronation of a career which included many record-breaking moments.Wakenius guitar duo Guitars Unlimited rocked Scandinavia in the early 80s, culminating in the 1985 Melody Grand Prix, which was seen by 600 million viewers, probably the largest audience a jazz guitar duo ever had. Shortly after that Wakenius started a extremely successful and long-lasting collaboration with the legendary bass player Niels-Henning Örsted Pedersen.( NHOP), and both of his duo albums with bass icon Ray Brown, topped the US Jazz Charts.

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