MARCH 2025.
Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
APRIL 2025
Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.
Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.
Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Our historian in Hong Kong, Colin, came up with an interesting article and photo of the George Evans Orchestra which was resident at the Oxford Galleries, Newcastle, from 1951 to 1958. 
7 comments :
He used to turn up at The Porthole near the North Shields ferry landing and ask Munro Sutherland if he minded him sitting in for a few numbers. What a nice man and, of course, super tenor. I used to dep occasionally for Derek Dixon and it was an education and pleasure to stand behind him . On one occasion I had also brought my tuba - and he never complained! When I wanted to buy a bass sax George was very helpful, even steering me away from one that had been made out of two old ones.
I wonder what happened to his arrangements? I think Stan Coates had some from the Geraldo Orchestra.
For a while Stan Coates' band rehearsed at West Denton Social Club (the venue must have been down to Scotty Adair) and George Evans came along to work with the band. As John said, it was an education to work with him, likewise it was an education simply to sit and listen.
I once asked George what happened to the arrangements he'd done for Geraldo, and he told me he'd made a big bonfire in the back garden and burnt them! Oh dear!
Here’s my Dad with George - on telly in the early 80’s. George was such a lovely man. He and Dad used to have regular jam sessions in our house and I used to sit on the floor and listen for ages! Lovely memories 🙂
Dad played in his big band too, around the same time
https://youtu.be/tZyvZDgFskw
...and I remember going to listen to them play at The Grey Horse in Boldon. It was never terribly well attended but that didn’t matter - the music was always fab and it was a privilege to hear George play (and of course Roy).
Alan Rudd kindly pointed me in the direction of an article by Leslie Evans on his brother George Evans which is very interesting. I have added the link to the originnal post so, Steve, maybe he didn't have a bonfire after all!
Stan Coates told me that he had George Evans' arrangements. There was certainly a huge amount of stuff in his garage! However, these could have been for Geraldo. In any event, the contents of Stan's garage went to a bari player in the BBC Big Band. A white van arrived and was loaded up with everything - including all the pre-WW2 'Mickey Mouse' stocks and also Alistair Atkinson's library which Stan had promised me! Stan also had some of the special mutes handmade by George but I don't know where they ended up.
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