"Saxophonist Evan Knight may only be aged 22 but his debut CD ‘Reminiscence’ provides an exciting glimpse of a talent that belies his years. This independently produced collection of nine original compositions is a superb showcase for his writing, arranging and performing skills and has already elicited positive comment from none other than Kirk Whalum. Even though Knight is at the beginning of what promises to be an outstanding career the album speaks volumes for the dedication he has for his music and, in part, is a commentary on the distance he has come since, at age 11, he first picked up a saxophone. Knight hails from Syracuse in upstate New York and the fast track route he has taken in perfecting his musical art is due in no small measure to solid support from some key local musicians. He cites music instructor David Frateschi, saxophone clinician Gerald Santy and Benny Mardones of the Syracuse-based band The Hurricanes (with whom Knight played for four years) as being particularly influential and given his musical heroes range from Michael Jackson to David Sanborn and Gerald Albright it was always likely that Knight would be attracted to R & B tinged contemporary jazz. By age 16 he was already fronting The Evan Knight Band and playing sax with the group After FX that has since become one of Central New York’s best known funk, soul and R&B units. His collaborators on ‘Reminiscence’ share those same upstate New York roots and help engender the live band sound that Knigh