One of the earliest "tough Texas tenors," Herschel Evans' hard sound was a perfect contrast to that of the cool-toned Lester Young in the Count Basie Orchestra. He started out playing in territory bands, including Troy Floyd (1929-1931) with whom he made his recording debut, and Benny Moten (1933-1935). In 1936, Evans had stints with Lionel Hampton and Buck Clayton in Los Angeles and then joined Count Basie just in time to enjoy the band's success and participate on many recordings; his most famous solo was on a ballad feature "Blue and Sentimental" from 1938. Sadly, Herschel Evans died of a heart ailment before his 30th birthday. ~ Scott Yanow