EVAN FRANCIS
Genres: Latin Jazz, Eclectic Fusion • United States

Saxophonist Evan Francis is one of those boundlessly creative musicians who could bang a pencil on a desk and make you think he was playing an instrument. A woodwind specialist, Francis is best known for playing alto, but he can also make the flute sound like a masculine instrument. And his compositions are fascinating. Francis arranged the Freddie Hubbard tune "Red Clay" for an SFJAZZ Hotplate concert and made it nearly unrecognizable. And Francis' albums are unlike that of any other bandleader. Theoretically, they qualify as jazz, given that each tune features a head, followed by a series of sprawling improvisations. But in some senses, they have more in common with Afro-Latin music, or even hip-hop. from http://www.eastbayexpress.com/