EVAN CHRISTOPHER
Genres: Swing, Original New Orleans Jazz, Classic (1920s) Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Bop • United States

Clarinetist, Evan Christopher combines virtuosity, immaculate taste, and enthusiasm with a deep commitment to exploring the full range of possibilities in the New Orleans Jazz tradition. Anchored in the musical vocabulary created by early Creole clarinetists such as Sidney Bechet, Omer Simeon, and Barney Bigard, he has created a highly personal brand of "contemporary early-jazz" that strives to extend the legacy of this unique clarinet style. Christopher's journey on Clarinet Road began in 1994 when he left his native California for New Orleans to be a part of the country's most important and historic music community. He worked with musicians as stylistically diverse as Al Hirt and veterans of Preservation Hall to funk and brass bands including the Nightcrawlers and Galactic, before leaving to join the Jim Cullum Jazz Band in San Antonio, Texas in 1996. For nearly three years, he appeared nightly as their featured clarinetist and recorded several of read more...