In Good Company: Bill Evans’ New CD Features the Stringdusters, Tim O’Brien and Many More

"Bill Evans has outdone himself with this, his latest project.  The picking, singing, tune writing and production values are on a ridiculously high level.  Bill's ideas are immensely satisfying and fresh.  The supporting cast burns up the musical pavement and if there's any justice, Grammy voters will take note!” Tony Trischka

“Bill Evans covers all the bases on In Good Company, from hard driving bluegrass to a sumptuously lyrical medley of Beatles tunes, from gorgeous, contemplative originals to collaborations with two of the finest young bands on the scene today. This is one destined for heavy airplay.” Bob McWilliams, host of Trail Mix, Kansas Public Radio.

“Through this intimate set of freshly imagined songs, Bill Evans invites us into the inner world and inner circle of a master musician - one who understands that music is both a personal and shared experience. I felt like I was in a big comfy easy chair in his living room listening to a great set of music by Bill and his friends.” Chris Stuart, songwriter and columnist for bluegrasstoday.com.

Bill Evans’ In Good Company is a fitting name for a new recording that features one of the largest casts of musicians assembled for a single project in recent memory: 26 players in all, including The Infamous Stringdusters, Tim O’Brien, Joy Kills Sorrow, Rob Ickes, Stuart Duncan, David Grier, Missy Raines, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Laurie Lewis, Tashina & Tristan Clarridge, Todd Phillips, Ned Luberecki, Matt Flinner, Dominic Leslie, Corey Evans and Cindy Browne Rosefield.

This auspicious line-up performs five new Bill Evans compositions (including “The Distance Between Two Points,” a virtual tour-de-force), a four song, ten-minute Beatles medley and songs pairing Bill with The Infamous Stringdusters (performing John Martyn's Walk to the Water), Joy Kills Sorrow (performing Sarah Siskind's On and On) and Tim O'Brien (performing Follow the Drinking Gourd). In Good Company was recorded in Berkeley, Nashville and Philadelphia and was produced by Evans with Stephen Mougin (from the Sam Bush Band), Darol Anger and Tom Size.

Bill’s supporting cast encompasses two generations of acoustic music legends and pairs Bill with two of his most well-known protégés Chris Pandolfi from the Infamous Stringdusters and Wes Corbett from Joy Kills Sorrow. Guitarist David Grier, fiddler Stuart Duncan and bassist Missy Raines graced Bill’s 1995 Rounder Records debut Native and Fine and they are back again and in fine form on In Good Company. This project also heralds the recording debut of drummer Corey Evans on Bill’s “They Say You’re Never Lonely In Louisville.” Ms. Evans was awarded an Outstanding Musician Award by Wynton Marsalis at the 2010 Essentially Ellington Festival at Lincoln Center, New York.

In Good Company will be released on Bill’s own Native and Fine Records on Tuesday, April 17 but you can listen to samples and purchase an autographed copy now by visiting Bill’s webstore at http://www.billevansbanjo.com. Direct digital downloads are also available at Bill’s store and a full project download includes all of the cover art from the project, including a poster of photographs from the In Good Company recording sessions.