April 2025.
Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.
Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Tue 29: ???
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.
Post a Comment