Evidence

Started by saxophonist Michael Doyle upon moving to west Michigan from New York, Evidence has been a hard bop haven for some of the state's best jazz players for almost ten years. Drawing upon his experiences in New York with such great musicians and teachers as David Liebman, Barry Harris, Milt Hinton and Branford Marsalis, Doyle and Evidence take an audience directly to The City. Their first album, Untitled (J-Bird Records JBD 80219-2) is a 6-song combination of solid funk in the tradition of Art Blakey and the best of 1960's Blue Note Records. The band's credits include performances with guitarist Mark Elf and Delmark Records' vibraphonist Jim Cooper, as well as appearances at the annual Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp Jazz Festival and the Grand Rapids Jazz and Blues Festival. They have also performed in live broadcasts for local jazz radio stations and are a regular performer on WGVU Radio Jazz Night, and have even opened for Bill Cosby!

Their new album, just recorded at Arcadia Recording in Kalamazoo, MI, explores the wider world of jazz with the addition of four percussionists. There's still some of that funky bop, too- watch for it here at Smitty!