Jazz Jam with Orrin Evans

During his kaleidoscopic quarter-century as a professional jazz musician, pianist Orrin Evans has become the model of a fiercely independent artist who pushes the envelope in all directions. Never supported by a major label, Evans has ascended to top-of-the-pyramid stature on his instrument, as affirmed by his #1-ranking as “Rising Star Pianist” in the 2018 DownBeat Critics Poll. Grammy nominations for the Smoke Sessions albums The Intangible Between and Presence, by Evansʼ raucous, risk-friendly Captain Black Big Band, stamp his bona fides as a bandleader and composer. In addition to CBBB, Evansʼ multifarious leader and collaborative projects include the Eubanks Evans Experience (a duo with eminent guitarist Kevin Eubanks); the Brazilian unit Terreno Comum; Evansʼ 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). One of Tar Babyʼs two 2022 releases will be released on Evansʼ imprint, Imani Records, which he founded in 2001 and relaunched in 2018.

Luke Carlos O’Reilly is an award winning pianist and organist. His musical style is heavily influenced by Jazz, Soul, R&B, Gospel, Latin Jazz and Classical. ​ After a Boston upbringing, O’Reilly moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend Esther Boyer School of Music at Temple University on an academic and music scholarship. It was in Philadelphia where he had the opportunity to tour and record with artists such as Seal, Roy Ayers, Curtis Fuller, Nicholas Payton, Dave Valentin, Billy Paul, Bobby Watson, Slide Hampton, Fred Wesley, Macy Gray, Steve Turre, Musiq Soulchild, Bilal, Carol Riddick, K’naan, Wiz Khalifa and many others. O’Reilly has 3 solo albums; ‘Living In The Now’ (Prospect Hill Records 2011), '3 Suites' (Prospect Hill Records 2013) and his latest release, ‘I Too, Sing America: A Black Man’s Diary’ (Imani Records 2021). All 3 albums contain original compositions, and his earlier works include arrangements of Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Cedar Walton, Mulgrew Miller, Janet Jackson and SWV. In 2018, he was named an ‘Artist In Residence’ at The Kimmel Center For The Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA. It was this residency that led to the creation of his latest release, which is a Black Lives Matter themed suite of music. In addition to his continued touring of his own projects, O’Reilly works often as a sideman as well. He is currently teaching at The Kimmel Center of Philadelphia and The University of The Arts.