Amber Technology Blog

DPA Microphones on Tour with Saxophone Legend Bill Evans

Written by DPA Microphones | 08/01/17 22:00

“The d:vote™ 4099S is very easy to use and packs up easily in a small bag with other things I bring on the road with me”

For the past three and a half decades, saxophone legend Bill Evans has been dazzling audiences around the world with his deeply passionate and unique sound.

Beginning his professional career as a member of the Miles Davis Group in the 1980s, he has also played with Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Mick Jagger, and many others. Evans plays tenor and soprano saxophones and has recorded over 21 solo albums and received two Grammy® award nominations to date. His trendsetting CD Soulgrass also became the name of his working band from 2005 to 2015.

Bill introduced the Bill Evans Band in 2015, a hard hitting montage of jazz, rock, instrumental and vocals. His 2016 release, “Rise Above,” features vocals from rock icon Gregg Allman as well as Warren Haynes, JJ Grey, and Anders Osborne. The Bill Evans Band features saxophone/vocals, guitar/vocals, bass and drums/vocals with a seamless blend of jazz, rock and groove.

For Evans, delivering a pure reproduction of his acoustical sound every time he takes the stage for a live performance is extremely important. The DPA Microphones’ d:vote™ 4099S Instrument Microphone for Saxophone was chosen for precise reproduction of his sound.

“I was first introduced to DPA’s d:vote™ 4099S by my Sound Engineer Richard Leutner,” says Evans. “I used it for the first time this past summer on my tenor and soprano saxophones for 26 concerts in Europe and it sounded great. Gabriel Antonini, National Sales Support/Business Development Manager at DPA, brought in several mics for me to try. I haven't looked back since!”

Evans likes the compact, lightweight form factor of the d:vote™ 4099S mic, as well as the excellent sound it brings.

“In this day and age, we have to travel light and DPA is perfect for this as well. I now use it on every performance because it replicates my exact acoustic sound in a wireless microphone. The sound on soprano in particular is amazing. It matches the warm and personal sound I prefer on the soprano by miking the body of the horn and not just the bell."

"The team at DPA is world class when it comes to sound! The fact that the microphone sounds like the acoustic sound, but amplified, is truly awesome.”