Bill Evans

“I'M HAPPY TO TALK about Alan!” said Bill. “The first recording I heard were the two United Artists albums A Traitor In Our Midst and Don't Give Up Your Day Job. This was probably around the time I was a senior in high school - perhaps first year of college. I was pretty heavily immersed in Ralph Stanley and Earl Scruggs at the time, although I remember that I also had the first two Country Cooking albums, with Pete Wernick and Tony Trischka, along with John Hartford's Aereo Plain, and those were beginning to open my ears to new possibilities. Needless to say, there was a world of Bluegrass out there that I did not know about and even though I was living in Virginia, I attended very few festivals.

“So hearing Alan had the impact of an atomic blast. Here was a hard-driving banjo player who could do it all and make it all sound great. Huckleberry Hornpipe was mind-boggling, as was Deputy Dalton. Still are, really. Then came the string of Ridge Runner solo albums (and the one with Sam Bush) and then several more Country Gazette albums. Every break, every back-up was, well, perfect. And also he had a very unique tone - partially due to his use of Stelling banjos from early on but also much due to his right hand position and attack. And then there was playing in all of those different keys without a capo, in melodic style. I learned later that this had been old hat to Don Reno and others, but it was Alan who I first heard do this. His playing was in a class by itself, very recognisable - still is of course!

“It was several years before I got the chance to hear Alan live... it was at the old (old) Birchmere with Country Gazette with Roland White, Joe Carr and Mike Anderson in the band. And then I got the chance to promote a few shows with the band in Charlottesville and got to learn one on one from Alan (a hint to all of you aspiring banjo players out there - start a concert series in your hometown and have all of the banjo players in the various bands spend the night at your house, or even a few days if you can book them on a Monday night. Worked for me!).

“I think what was just as influential as the actual notes he was playing was his musical philosophy and approach, which I have internalised to be simply "think about what you're going to play, and take the time and effort to make it the most meaningful and musical statement you can." I've never heard him say anything exactly like that, but that is how I've internalised his musical philosophy. He's nevertheless never been a guy to take himself too seriously.

“I'll venture to say that he's not as high a profile player in the general public's eyes these days as other players on the scene because he hasn't been actively touring since taking on the college teaching job with the Bluegrass & Country Music program there at Levelland, Texas. Also, the radio end of the burgeoning bluegrass industry seems to place such a high value on young players, and well... none of us are heading in that particular direction - even those like me, who are still young!

“I talked with Alan a few weeks back and I think I remember saying that he and Joe Carr have a new recording out on Flying Fish. And they're both still working on a stage production that's been evolving for several years now.”

Best, Bill Evans, El Cerrito, CA USA.  bevans@dnai.com

1st May 1999