Evan Mustard is a jazz guitarist based in New York City.
In 2018, Mustard released his inaugural record of all-original compositions, EM3, performed by the Evan Mustard Trio and recorded at The Hallowed Halls. The EP features Cory Limuaco on drums (Aminé), and RJ Reyes on bass (Coco Colombia), and is praised as being, "built on a solid foundation of precise composition, combined with musicians that know how to find each other through the folds." Portland-based videography company Fortem Films produced music videos for the album's three tracks Courtesy Hustle, Mac & Scotch, and Sunflower, employing single shot, continuous footage to capture the organic nature of Mustard's improvisation-heavy compositions.
Earlier this year, Mustard made his PDX Jazz Festival and Cathedral Park Jazz Festival debut with Under the Lake, a Crusaders-inspired ensemble consisting of jazz luminaries John Moak, David Evans, and Brian Foxworth and heralded for being "a fine example of the creativity and high-energy playing that today's jazz can be." Mustard is featured heavily on their internationally distributed 2018 release Jazz, Groove, & Attitude, named "a golden moment in this era of modern jazz," which was released in conjunction with two live performance videos from The Rye Room Sessions.
Since his arrival in Portland in 2015, Mustard has performed with wide-ranging projects including Basi's Cherry Blossom Orchestra, Vanport Big Band, The Shanghai Woolies, Snacks Turner Trio, and Jumptown Big Band. As a leader, Mustard's trio has headlined West coast jazz clubs The Jazz Station, No Vacancy Lounge, and Jack London Review.
In 2013, Mustard earned his M.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of Central Oklahoma after completing his B.A. in Music Performance from the same institution in 2010. During his studies, Mustard was a pit musician for over a dozen musicals at professional theater companies across Oklahoma, he performed with jazz heavy weights Marvin Stamm and Dave Pietro, and played festivals like the Deep Deuce Festival, Free Music Festival, and Paseo Arts Festival. Other credits include performances with the Norman Philharmonic in their inaugural concert, and the Tonkawa Gala Pops Concert.
In addition to his collegiate work, Mustard has studied with world-renowned guitarists Gilad Hekselman, Rotem Sivan, Bruce Forman, and John Stowell. Outside of music, Mustard enjoys cooking, OKC Thunder basketball, and practicing his Spanish. He lives with his wife, mezzo-soprano Mackenzie Rogers, and their two cats Jazz and Lily.
