Christy Nava
Keith Evans
Keith started playing the guitar at age 10, studying music of the Beatles. He taught himself to read music then began lessons in 7th grade. Soon, he became the teacher’s assistant and began private lessons. Buy the following year he was giving advice to the instructor. At age 16 he started his first band, performing at high school dances and many private parties. Age 21 is when he began performing professionally full-time while studying Electrical Engineering. For 6 nights a week he performed throughout Southern California. Eventually he graduated with a bachelor’s degree with honors Tau Beta Pi. However, music was his primary love.
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Keith performed throughout Los Angeles and Orange County on guitar and keyboards at dinner clubs and restaurants in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Palm Springs, Disneyland, Hiltons, the Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island, just to name a few. In addition, he performed three years at Paramount Studios in Hollywood for wrap-up parties and Christmas parties for television shows such as "Cheers", "Family Ties" and "Dear John" along with many pilot shows. Keith backed Michael J Fox at the J Paul Geddy museum for the Family Ties final wrap-up party. He even performed a private party for actors Kirstie Alley and Parker Stevenson, at their home.
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Needing a change Keith decided to hike the John Muir Trail. He fell in love and ended up in Arnold California, in the Sierra foothills.
After a two-year stint in Berkeley, where he performed and recorded with a Brazilian trio and the Al Guzman Trio, Keith has dedicated the past 28 years to teaching countless children, and all ages on the guitar, mandolin and 5 string banjo. He continues to perform Jazz, Brazilian, Blues and original music as soloist and with ensembles. He has performed locally with his mentor, Grammy award winner Alan "Weaver" Copeland, with Paul Contos, Mario Flores and Brazilian master Diego Figueiredo. Keith accompanied Coyote Hill on banjo, mandolin and guitar. He enjoys playing the classical guitar music of South America and Europe and frequents the Bach Festival in Tuolumne County.
Keith incorporates the 5-string banjo styles of Bela Fleck and Earl Scruggs, extending past bluegrass to include Latin and Jazz repertoire. He even performed at the Bach festival on banjo, along with classical guitar.
Currently, he teaches at Columbia College and is a member of the Big Band. And today, Keith is excited to be performing with versatile vocalist Christy Nava, in their new duo, Lush Life.