Evan Lurie – Quintet with Bandoneon

Composer, pianist Evan Lurie was a founding member of New York’s iconic avant-jazz ensemble: The Lounge Lizards. After studying informally with composer Julius Eastman, he began composing for film. His list of credits includes multiple scores for directors Roberto Benigni, (The Little Devil, Johnny Stecchino, Il Mostro) Steve Buscemi (Tree’s Lounge, Interview, Lonesome Jim) and Stanley Tucci (Joe Gould’s Secret, Blind Date, Final Portrait, and his CNN series Searching for Italy).

Life’s inexplicable turns then brought him to preschool television. Working as the composer and musical director for Nickelodeon’s Oswald, and the Emmy award winning The Backyardigans, each of whose 80 episodes, features a different musical genre.

The pieces to be performed at Big Ears Festival were composed in the 1980’s and resulted in his 2 releases: Pieces for Bandoneon (1989) and Selling Water by the Side of the River (1990) Both with Jill Jaffe, violin, Marc Ribot, guitar and the late Alfredo Pedernera on bandoneon. In addition to Jill and Marc, Evan will be joined by Greg Cohen, bass and, on bandoneon, Julien Labro.