June 12, 2006
Renowned Blues Historian/Musician to perform, sign copies of new book
State College, Pa. ― Dr. David Evans will perform Saturday, July 8 at 7 p.m. in Schlow Centre Region Library's community room with guest stars Richard Sleigh and Jerry Zolten. Following the performance, Evans will be signing copies of his latest book, The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Blues (2005) Donations to the artist are invited. Sponsored by the Friends of Schlow.
About David Evans
David
Evans has been performing country blues (vocal and guitar) since 1962, having
learned directly from many southern blues musicians of an older generation. Much
of this learning was gained in the course of field research on the country blues
tradition, beginning in 1965. Evans is currently Professor of Music at the
University of Memphis and has taught on a visiting basis at the University of
Mississippi. He is the author of Tommy Johnson (1971), Big Road Blues:
Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues (1982) and The NPR
Curious Listener’s Guide to Blues (2005), along with many other
publications, and he has produced many field and studio recordings of blues,
gospel and folk music.
Evans’ first musical partner was the late Alan Wilson, who
went on to become a member of the blues-rock group Canned Heat. Since 1980,
Evans has toured in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain,
Italy and Switzerland as a guitar accompanist to Jessie Mae Hemphill, Hammie
Nixon, Johnnie Shines, and Jack Owens, and has made solo tours in Germany,
France, Italy, England, Poland, Latvia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela, including many major
festivals. He has also performed at many clubs, concerts, and festivals in the
United States over the years, both as an accompanist and soloist.
Evans is also a member of the Last Chance Jug Band, a five-piece group based in Memphis that recreates the sounds of that city’s jug band tradition. They have performed in a number of Mid-South concerts and festivals and have twice been featured artists on the nationally-syndicated radio program Beale Street Caravan. Evans has also performed at concerts and festivals in the United States and abroad with harmonica partners Jobie Kilzer, Elmo Lee Thomas, Joe Filisko, and Little Victor (France).
Evans has presented country blues guitar workshops and lectures at many venues in the United States and abroad, often in conjunction with concert and festival appearances. A list of lecture topics is available separately.
Evans has recorded Match Box Blues (Inside Sounds
ISC-0514, 2002) and has tracks on anthologies released in Germany, Venezuela,
and the United States. The Last Chance Jug Band has released a CD, Shake That
Thing! (Inside Sounds ISC-0501, 1997), featuring Evans on vocals, guitar,
and kazoo. He has also played guitar on records of Jessie Mae Hemphill and
Hammie Nixon released in the United States, France, and Australia.
Contact Information:
David Evans: 3046 Jericho Rd., Millington, TN 38053, USA; or Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA; telephone: 901-872-6299 (home), 901-678-3317 (office); fax: 901-678-3096; e-mail: dhevans@memphis.edu.
Nathaniel Rasmussen: Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen Street, State College, PA 16801; 814-237-6236 x214; nrasmus@schlowlibrary.org
Jerry Zolten: 0134 Community Arts Center, Altoona, PA 16601; 814-949-5113; jjz1@psu.edu
