Composer/arranger/pianist BEVAN MANSON often combines classical elements with jazz forms. He has arranged music for various jazz artists including Manhattan Transfer vocalist Cheryl Bentyne, and Village Vanguard Orchestra saxophonist Gary Smulyan.

Bevan’s interest in jazz originally began quite early, listening to his dad’s jazz records of Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Jimmy Cleveland, and Bill Evans. At the Eastman School of Music he studied with noted arranger-composers Ray Wright and Manny Albam, and famed jazz pianist Bill Dobbins, as well as working in classical composition and theory.

Over the years he has performed with musicians such as: George Garzone, Ira Sullivan, Ron Jones L.A. Big Band, Cecil McBee, Tierney Sutton, Jimmy Guiffre, Marina ‘Frenchie’ Pacowski, and Gunther Schuller.

Bevan’s own piano trios have included Matt Wilson, Steve Hass, Bernie Dresel, Edwin Livingston, Bob Nieske, Jeff D’Angelo, Brad Dutz, Tom Rizzo, and Luca Alemanno.

His unique piano style has been called ‘wholly original yet accessible’ by the Boston Globe. The San Jose Mercury-News said ‘Bevan spreads a Bach-like web of composition in his improvising, telling a compelling story.’

He has worked in film and TV in the LA. studios, with music of his appearing on ‘Breaking Bad’, and his keyboard work sounding in ‘JAG’, ‘My Boys’, ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘House’, among others.

Bevan has also received commissions from Sierra Chamber Music, the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, the Pacific Philharmonic Foundation, the San Francisco Symphony, First Night Boston, clarinetist Gary Gray, and L.A. Chamber Orchestra violist Victoria Miskolczy,and jazz vocalist Cathy Segal, among others.

The Washington Post called his Piano Quartet “powerfully polyrhythmic…also with sweet lyricism” The piece received an American Music Center (now New Music USA) grant.

His four-movement ‘Santa Monica Mountains’ (Concerto For Guitar And Orchestra) was recently recorded at Fox by Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, with soloist Evan Taucher, KuanFen Liu conducting.

His ‘California Concertino’ for Flute and Chamber Orchestra was premiered by Katherine Fink of the Brooklyn Philharmonic with Paul Dunkel conducting, and also performed by L.A. Chamber Orchestra flutist David Shostac with the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony. It appears on Parma/Albany Records (Troy 1476).

Several studio orchestra/jazz recordings have been for released recently: ‘Talking To Trees’ features vocalist Tierney Sutton and vibraphonist Joe Locke among others in combination with jazz groups augmented by woodwinds, strings, and percussion. ‘When The Cup Is Lifted’ features Bevan on piano, Luca Alemanno on bass, Bob Sheppard on saxophone, and Gordon Au on trumpet, with woodwind and string orchestrations.

He formally taught at New England Conservatory, UC Berkeley, and Ventura College. Bevan now resides half the year in Albuquerque, and half in Los Angeles, plugging away in the circus of the music business.