Timeless Songs of Stephen Foster Harmonized Anew for Solo Piano

Description

A largely self-taught composer, Stephen Foster was the most influential-American songwriter of the 19th century. As described by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, "Fosters' songs were the first genuinely American in theme, characterizing love of home, American temperament, river life and work, politics, battlefields, slavery and plantation life." Although written in a simple harmonic language, Foster's songs captured unique qualities of the American experience. In the current album, Lee Evans applies to these works the extended harmonies that are a feature of the 20th century American Songbook. In doing so, he provides us with a wonderful opportunity to examine this music in a new musical light.

Born in the Bronx, Lee Evans graduated from NYC's High School of Music & Art, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, as well as Master of Arts and Doctor of Education degrees from Columbia University Teachers College. (He is also the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Five Towns College in Dix Hills, NY.) Dr. Evans is a well-known author of numerous music magazine articles, pianist, lecturer and clinician, as well as author, composer and arranger of slightly more than 100 music books in the United States for the SuperScore Music App and for Hal Leonard Corporation (including his critically acclaimed book Crash Course In Chords), plus several books for the FJH Music Company (including the late beginner/early intermediate levels Color Me Jazz, Books 1 and 2, the intermediate/late intermediate levels Ole! Original Latin-American Dance Music and Fiesta! Original Latin-American Piano Solos.) Additionally, Dr. Evans is a co-author of Keyboard Fundamentals, 7th Edition (Stipes Publishing), a one-volume beginning piano method for the older beginner (of junior high and high school age and older.) Thirty-eight of his books have as well been published in Japan and two in the former Soviet Union. In the area of professional performance, Lee Evans concertized for ten consecutive seasons on the Community Concert circuit as The Lee Evans Trio and The Lee Evans Orchestra & Voices. Over the years he has recorded seven albums for Capitol Records, Command Records and MGM Records. Dr. Evans has also served as pianist, music director and/or music coordinator for such show business luminaries as Carol Channing, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cat Stevens, Gilbert O'Sullivan and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Dr. Evans was also bandleader and music director for almost seven years at the Royal Box night club in NYC's Americana Hotel. Former chairperson of the Theater & Fine Arts Department, Dr. Evans is currently Professor of Music in the Performing Arts Department at Pace University.