The Evans Room took me back to energetic, adventurous piano trio of well back. They played Bud Powell and that was one indication, but also Ida Lupino and Mike Manieri and Blues in the closet was their feature tune to end with a few more meditative originals in between. This was not one for too much rumination, although the playing was great and deserved the musician's ear for the chromatics and more, but the energy just drove it. Nicely stuctured lines, frequently moving chromatically in single note runs or often in chords, plenty of chordal solos, or doubling the excitement level of single note lines to 16th notes, long runs of each, drums highlighting features while the band plays stops and starts. Lovely stuff'; tons of energy and busy intent. A few drum solos, spelling patterns and time and melody and frequent bass solos, on most tunes, more reticent at first, but extended into the thumb positions and then quicker with sequenced phrasings, neat, expressive, nicely done. It's no surprise that Jack has been accepted to pursue Honours bass, was it at Melbourne's VCA or Con. This is very much the driving piano trio style with chops and plenty of swing. A good fun outing.
Evans Room comprised Adam Davidson (piano), Jack Smythe (bass) and Hugh Magri-Bull (drums) and played at Smiths Alternative.
