Orrin Evans - Captain Black (1998)

Even though he performs with better-known colleagues, Orrin Evans' second Criss Cross recording is a showcase of his compositions and/or his playing. Evans wrote five of the eight selections on Captain Black; three of the eight selections feature solo piano intros, and one of the eight is a solo performance of the spiritual "Calvary." While Captain Black may have been intended to be Evans' showcase, Ralph Peterson steals the show with his powerful, Blakey-esque drumming on "Explain It to Me," "Don't Fall Off the L.E.J.," and his soulful swing on the title track. Still in his early 20s at the time of this recording, Evans is a player to watch. -- Greg Turner