An American Journey with Bill Evans: Tickets on sale NOW

Bill Evans with the SNJO 2019

Experience a road trip to remember as the SNJO and saxophonist Bill Evans invite you to join their musical expedition across America from north to south and east to west, as jazz meets bluegrass, soul, country, funk and fusion. 

Beauty and the Beast: A Fabulous new CD Review

Beauty and the Beast: The SNJO with special guest Bill Evans

“The whole orchestra plays brilliantly,…….well worth the wait.”

From the opening drum salvo and funky bass/ piano, this piece hits you and carries you along in a wave of euphoria. For those who remember Tommy Smith as a lyrical hard-bop sax player, the music here might not come as a surprise. What is, perhaps, surprising is the depth and complexity with which he uses the whole palette available in this jazz orchestra to colour and build the pieces in this suite.The pieces are not named but numbered 1-7. The motivation for the seven pieces here was a meditation on the duality of the human psyche – hence, Beauty and the Beast (although, continuing the Scottish theme, it could as easily have been Jekyll and Hyde).

Beauty and the Beast: A CD Review

SNJO Beauty And The Beast with Bill Evans

“…a magnificent achievement by all concerned.” Part 1: After a Kentonesque intro (had Kenton still been around) Bill Evans, who isn’t a reincarnated pianist nor an aka Yusef Lateef, erupts on soprano. This is definitely the Beast. Part 2: A change from major to minor mood suggests that the beast is eying up a young […]

Beauty And The Beast feat. Bill Evans

SNJO Beauty And The Beast with Bill Evans

The SNJO are delighted to announce that our latest CD,  Beauty And The Beast featuring Bill Evans has just been released on the Spartacus Record label.

Scottish National Youth Orchestra logo

Register to receive our updates