George Evans: introduction Update - Fall 2004 Among its other outstanding features, Canada’s club scene has fostered the careers of many worthy jazz vocalists in recent years, including a handful who have reached acclaim on the world stage. Of the current crop, there are a number of male singers, including working Toronto jazz vocalist and aspiring radio host George Evans. George is one of those rare artists who surfaces all too seldom in the jazz milieu, and a change of residence was all that was needed to make that happen. After working for sever- al years out of New York City as a singer and actor, George chose to avail himself of dual- citizenship, making Canada's stimulating creative environment his home, and for about a decade now his career has flourished here. His long-running foray into Montreal radio endeared him to listeners and opened other doors, including work in film, theatre, television and on the concert stage. Since then, George has built a career interpreting the very sort of material he was known to present on the air, great popular songs. His varied background in evidence, George feels that good jazz singing is "as much about the emotional content of the lyrics as it is about the groove". George Evans' first two albums, "Moodswing" (1997) and "I’m All Smiles" (1999), were recorded in Montreal with many of Quebec’s top side-men and soloists, introducing him to the public while demonstrating his musical ideal. Critically praised, both CDs were distributed nationally and made available on the Internet, quickly establishing George as an artist of note on the Canadian scene. Without a doubt, George's Toronto-produced albums are his most satisfying recordings to date. "From Moment To Moment" (2001) was recorded with his regular working quintet, and includes the best of the material he explored since moving to the city in 1999. George followed the success of this release with "Eyes For You" in the fall of 2002, and was nominated in that year's National Jazz Awards as a result. As a recognized authority in the field of pop and jazz vocals, George keeps active. Previously George had programmed the popular “Buddy Greco: Talkin’ Verve,” then in 2002 he selected and sequenced seven discs in Verve’s well-received “Diva Series.” In early 2004, George gave male vocalists his full support by pro- ducing the Top Ten Jazz release “Here Come The Boys: a Canadian Crooner Collection” for Maximum/Universal. “Movie Songs,” released in late 2004, is George’s first solo release on the Maximum Jazz label, and his first to have dis- tribution through Universal Music Canada. In addition to writing notes for discs by other artists, George’s writings on vocal jazz appear regularly in Planet Jazz Magazine. Charles Mandel recently wrote: “If there's any justice at all, George Evans will experience the same kind of break- out success this year Diana Krall has experienced. And why not? The Toronto singer is a talented vocalist whose rich, smooth tones remind you of no one less than Sinatra himself." Audiences seem to agree, as word of this refreshing jazz vocalist continues to spread. See George at The Top o’ The Senator and other fine venues across Canada in 2004-2005. M-Swing Productions 605-640 Roselawn Ave. Toronto ON. Canada (416) 781 1550 fax: (416) 781 2449 George Evans has appeared in clubs such as: • Top O’ the Senator, Toronto • The Montréal Bistro, Toronto • The Rex, Toronto • Statler’s Piano Lounge, Toronto • O’Douls, Vancouver • Eighty Eight's, New York • The After Eight Club, Ottawa • Upstairs, Montréal • Biddle's Jazz and Ribs, Montréal • La Sala Rossa, Montréal • Jello Bar, Montréal • Sky Pub, Montréal • Cabaret Music Hall, Montréal • The Wax Lounge, Montréal • The Boilerhouse, Toronto Festival appearances include: • Montréal International • All-Canadian, Port Hope • Vancouver International • Lake George • Toronto Downtown • Distillery, Toronto Album Releases to date: CD: “Movie Songs” (Universal Music) November 2004 CD: “Here Come The Boys: a Canadian Crooner Collection” (Universal Music) June 2004 CD: “Eyes For You” (M-Swing) October 2002 CD: “From Moment To Moment” (M-Swing) November 2001 CD: “I'm All Smiles... live from studio 13” (M-Swing) September 1999 CD: “Moodswing,” Debut release (M-Swing) August 1997 Television, Radio, & Film: Television: “The 3 Crooners” studio concert, CoolTV, 2004 Radio Session: “Jazz Beat” with Katie Malloch, CBC Montréal, 1996, 1998, 2004 Radio Concert: “On Stage, CBC Jazz vocal showcase”, CBC Toronto, Spring 2004 Television: Interview and performance, Studio 2, TVO 2000, 2003 and 2004 Television: Interview and performance, Global Montréal, 2002 and 2003 Movie: “Bonano - A Godfather’s Story” (Showtime) 1999-2000 TV season Radio Host: “Basically Jazz,” K103 - CKRK 103.7 fm, 1997- 1999 Radio Session: CBC 60th Birthday with Oliver Jones, Ranee Lee, etc. 1996 Radio Pilot: CBC Montréal, "Time After Time" 1996 Radio Pilot: CBC Montréal, "Jazz Singing" 1995 Radio Host: “I Feel A Song Coming On,” CKUT 90.3 fm, 1991- 1999 Musicians he has worked with include: Archie Alleyne, Steve Amirault, Greg Amirault, Tex Arnold, Guido Basso, Ed Bickert, Charlie Biddle, Denny Christianson, Greg Clayton, Terry Clarke, Bill Coon, Kevin Dean, Brian Dickinson, Michel Donato, Wray Downes, Chet Doxas, Jim Doxas, Mark Eisenman, Matthew Fries, Jerry Fuller, Steve Ganz, John Gilbert, Rob Gonzalez, Dave Grott, Eric Harding, Joel Haynes, Brian Hurley, Karl Jannuska, Kelly Jefferson, Jeff Johnston, Oliver Jones, Steve Kaldestad, Pat La Barbera, Steve La Spina, Dave Laing, Geoff Lapp, Ranee Lee, George Mitchell, Andy Milne, Walli Muhammad, Mike Murley, Kieran Overs, Jodie Prosnick, Dave Restivo, Mike Richmond, Richard Ring, Art Roberts, John Sadoway, Reg Schwager, Jim Sidey, Michael Stuart, John Sumner, Neil Swainson, Don Thompson, Kevin Turcotte, Tilden Webb, Andre White, Reg Wilson, The Valentino Orchestra, Jim Vivian, Thurin Von Pranke, Nancy Walker, Steve Wallace, Gordon Webster, Gary Williamson, & more… M-Swing Productions 605-640 Roselawn Ave. Toronto ON. Canada (416) 781 1550 fax: (416) 781 2449 Recent Appearances: 2004 George Evans & the Frank DiFelice Quartet, Brantford Downtown Jazz, Nov 15 George Evans and the Mark Eisenman Trio, Peterborough Jazz Festival, Oct 17 George Evans and his trio, The Boilerhouse, Oct 9 George Evans and his trio, Revival, Oct 3 With the Wali Muhammad Trio, 40 Westt Restaurant and Rawbar, Sept 1-4 A tribute to Mildred Bailey and Red Norvo, The Montréal Bistro, Aug 18 The 3 Crooners™, Montréal International Jazz Festival, Main Stage, July 10 George Evans trio, Toronto Downtown Festival, Le Bistro Select, June 27 The 3 Crooners™, The Distillery Jazz Festival, May 21 & 29 George Evans trio, Distillery Jazz Series: May 15, June 16, July 14, Aug 11, Sept 15 CBC On Stage, Studio Jazz Vocal Series, Glenn Gould Studio Broadcast date: May 9, Concert Date: March 13 George Evans & his Quartet, Jazz Beat on CBC, Studio Session, May 3 George Evans & his Quartet, Top o' the Senator, April 27 - May 2 George Evans with the Frank DiFelice Quartet, Sanderson Centre Brantford, Ontario, April 26 George Evans and his trio, Upstairs Jazz Club, Montreal, April 23-24 Metro Jazz Society, Jazz Performance Workshop, Toronto, April 18 Jazz.FM 91: Jazz vocal duets, Toronto: 91.1 FM, April 9 National Jazz Awards, Toronto, February 24 (Scriptwriter) The 3 Crooners™, Top o' the Senator, Feb 10 - 15 JAZZ.FM91 Sound of Toronto Jazz™ Series: George Evans & his Quintet, Mississauga LAC, Concert: Jan 27, Broadcast: Jan 31 Where The Boys Are: Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Toronto, January 24 2 0 0 3 The 3 Crooners™, La Sala Rossa, Montreal, Return Engagement, Nov 30 2003 Jazz At The Movies: George Evans & his quartet , Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Nov 13, 2003 George Evans & his Quartet, Distillery Jazz Series, Toronto, Oct/Nov 2003 Statler's Piano Lounge , Toronto, Mondays in Oct, 2003 The 3 Crooners™, La Sala Rossa, Montreal, Oct 17, 2003 All-Canadian Jazz Festival, Port Hope, September 20, 2003 See www.georgeevans.ca for more M-Swing Productions 605-640 Roselawn Ave. Toronto ON. Canada (416) 781 1550 fax: (416) 781 2449 George Evans: Full Bio Fall 20 0 4 As a child in Cincinnati, Ohio, George Evans was surrounded by music. Home was a place where music was performed daily, and opera was the main event. With both his parents working professionally as noted professors of voice and opera coaching, it seemed logical that George would proceed to a career in classical music, but that was not to be. A love of old pop records, Hollywood musicals, and popular standards out-shined the family business, and led George through Musical Theatre to a career in standards and jazz. George trained in the area of American Musical Theatre at the first such school to offer a degree program in the field. However, after working diligently to acquire the background in dance, music and theatre required to make a go of it, George got to New York and found that the business had moved away from the music he loved, and he left the field to find satisfac- tion in researching and performing the Great American Songbook. In 1991, George relocated to Montréal, Canada, where he studied the music in solitude, archiving and cataloguing the popular recording artists of the 40's, 50's and 60's, and broad- casting weekly from a campus-community radio station which gave him the freedom to explore whatever he wished to play on the air. Over a period of some 9 years, George became well known to music-fans through these weekly broadcasts, and they willingly came out in support of his gigs with the many fine musicians on the local jazz scene. Offers in the field of radio came and went, and for a time, George broadcast on two stations simultaneously.