0545 Frank Evans [Mark Twain] FLAC 11(35.33)

Contributed by le porc rouge

Jazz guitarist, Frank Evans, died on February 6th 2007 at the age of 76. A former member of Tubby Hayes Quartet, Frank performed and recorded most often as a solo guitarist. Since the mid-60s, Frank generally shunned the London scene, preferring to operate from his home in Bristol.  He took up the guitar at the age of eleven and learned his craft, without formal tuition, through a lengthy apprenticeship in jazz clubs, ballrooms and restaurants around the world.
Frank Evans' debut album was recorded at a concert in 1968 ("Jazz Tete-A-Tete" - 1966 according to other sources) with Tubby Hayes and Tony Coe. After further albums on the 'Saydisc' label, Frank set up his own label 'Blue Bag' to release his solo album 'Noctuary' (BB101) Although today countless musicians have set up their own label and are able to distribute their music digitally, this was an unusual move at the time. “I was fed up with being mucked about by record companies and that whole hassle of the music business. Someone in London said I'd be lucky to sell 500 altogether.  But I sold 500 in the first two weeks." Frank said at the time. The album went on to top the UK jazz charts.
He made hundreds of appearances on BBC and ITV television, including the 'Michael Parkinson Show' several times and his own ITV programme 'Frank Evans and Friends' featuring guests, Georgie Fame and Marion Williams. He wrote scores for film and television, particularly for BBC's 'World About Us' series.  His earliest influence was Django Reinhardt, but other favourites were Jim Hall, Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and Laurindo Almeida, with whom he recorded an album on the 'Blue Bag' label.
In recent years, with his health declining, Frank's performances became rarer and much anticipated, particularly in his beloved West Country. " (source:http://www.paulvernonchester.com/FrankEvans.htm)

(01-06 08 11)
Frank Evans - guitar
Norman Cole - bass
Eddie Clayton - drums
unknown string quartet
(07 10)
Frank Evans - guitar
Jim Richardson - bass
Tony Faulkner - drums
(09)
Frank Evans - guitar

The Suite:
01 Big Missouri (Evans) (2:55)
02 Lazy Afternoon (Evans) (2:40)
03 Hymn For The Minister (Evans) (2:04)
04 Ballad To Becky (Evans) (4:10)
05 Huckleberry's Thing (Evans) (3:07)
06 The Pipe Of Peace And Reprise (Evans) (3:14)
Ballads And Blues:
07 Whose Bloos (Evans) (2:55)
08 Con Alma (Gillespie) (4:17)
09 Waltz For Django (Evans) (2:20)
10 Days Of Wine And Roses (Mancini/Mercer) (5:12)
11 Longing For Baia (Caymmi) (2:39)

Label: 77 Records - 77 SEU 12/37 UK 1970
Recorded: March 09 1969
Lineage: LP>FLAC
Scans: Front rear LP cover

0544 Frank Evans [In An English Manner] FLAC 13(37.12)

Contributed by le porc rouge

You may have seen this at lpr's place. He was kind enough to suggest it should be posted here so here it is. Thanks to lpr. Another from Frank tomorrow.

"Frank Evans is well known to his many jazz fans but is also a very versatile musician who has written music for a number of television films. "A Pastoral Scene" was used by the BBC in their documentary "Once there was a Fisherman".
On his previous records, Frank Evans has featured as a jazz musician using an electric guitar. Here he plays a steel string acoustic guitar, a "cello guitar", an electric guitar, a normal Spanish guitar and a 12 string Spanish guitar (the combination of the 12 string and 6 string guitars gives a delightful Harpsichord effect as demonstrated in the Bach double violin concerto and the two part invention).
Ian Hobbs has played with Frank for some years and contributes varying sounds from finger cymbals to a full drum kit.
Graham Sothcott plays string bass and second guitar on two tracks. Although a newcomer to the trio he is proving to be a very versatile musician."

Frank Evans - guitar
Graham Sothcott - guitar (07 11), bass
Ian McTier - bass (07)
Ian Hobbs - drums
The Barton String Quartet (01 04 08 10)

01 Summer Song (Evans) (2:35)
02 Greensleeves (Traditional) (3:17)
03 Ayre By Purcell (Arr. By Evans) (2:20)
04 In An English Manner (Evans) (4:10)
05 Pavane: Lady Long Of Wraxall (Evans) (2:01)
06 Bouree (Bach) (2:28)
07 Double Violin Concerto, 1St Movement (Bach) (4:02)
08 Scarborough Fair (Traditional) (4:07)
09 The Girl With The Flaxen Hair (Debussy) (2:33)
10 Longing For Baia (Caymmi) (3:02)
11 Two Part Invention In D Minor (Bach) (2:12)
12 A Pastoral Scene (Evans) (1:58)
13 Air From The Suite, No. 3 In D (Bach) (3:08)

Label: Saydisc (UK) SDL233
Recorded: 1972
Lineage: LP>FLAC
Scans: Front rear LP cover

0463 Frank Evans [Noctuary] FLAC 9(39.04)

Contributed by jazzjet

Frank Evans - guitar
Graham Sothcott - bass (02 06)

01 Nuages
02 A Child Is Born
03 Send In The Clowns
04 Wave
05 What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
06 Gymnopedies
07 Round Midnight
08 The Song Is You
09 Body And Soul

Label: Blue Bag BB101
Recorded: November 09 1975
Lineage: LP>FLAC
Scans: None

0436 Frank Evans [Soirée] FLAC 10(46.58)

Contributed by le porc rouge

Frank Evans:-
In selecting the items for an album entitled Soiree, I decided that the music should convey that feeling to the listener; and also that more varied aspects of my guitar be heard, including the manner in which I normally play in public. So I concluded that Side One be devoted to my own compositions and arrangements recorded in a studio setting and Side Two recorded on location before a receptive audience to show how one reacts to the two situations and its effect on my playing. But what is more important I wanted to give the listener, a choice of moods which I believe to be a contributory factor in making records which, hopefully, are to be enjoyed for a considerable time.
On 'Andalucia' I thought it important to maintain the classical Spanish character but at the same time give it a moody Moorish atmosphere. Each jazz section is preceded by the secondary themes played out of tempo and completely solo by the featured player and then into the chord sequence of the main theme in time. In this way, I hope that I have not detracted from the original beauty of the piece but perhaps given it an added dimension.
The original guitar solos rather gave away my influences; 'Waltz for Django' is my dedication to that great man. I've often wondered if, had he had full use of his left hand would his music have been more chordal and complex? 'Dear Bill' trys to capture the piano style of my favourite pianist Bill Evans and finally 'Soiree' is dedicated to Laurindo Almeida who first prompted me into playing the Spanish guitar.
On the live session, I just sat down with a battered old Gibson and aimed to entertain the audience with guitar solos unprepared, which after all is what I have been doing most of my life as a musician.
Hope you enjoy my Soiree.

Lester Thompson - flugelhorn (02)
Frank Evans - guitar
Mike Hope - piano (02)
Graham Sothcott - bass (02)
Chris Evans - drums (02)

01 Waltz For Django (Evans) (3:36)
02 Andalucia (Granados) (12:24)
03 Dear Bill (Evans) (4:03)
04 Soirée (Evans) (2:30)
05 Autumn Leaves (Mercer, Kosma) (2:31)
06 What's New? (Haggart, Burke) (3:26)
07 Angel Eyes (Brent, Dennis) (6:22)
08 Misty (Garner, Burke) (4:20)
09 Manoir De Mes Reves (Reinhardt) (3:49)
10 All The Things You Are (Kern) (3:58)

Label: Blue Bag BB102
Recorded: May 05-07 1977
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0366 Frank Evans [Stretching Forth] FLAC 7(34.46)

Frank Evans - guitar
Dave Olney - bass
Ian Hobbs - drums

01 Thunderstruck (Evans) (8:31)
02 Dear Bill (Evans) (5:35)
03 Prince Meets Princess (Evans) (4:38)
04 Junk Shop (Evans) (5:17)
05 I Dreamt I Dwelt In New Orleans (Evans) (2:27)
06 Dear May K (Evans) (3:54)
07 The Bistro Kid (Evans) (4:23)

Saydisc SDL 217
Recorded c. summer 1971
Contributed by Azule Serape, who writes:-
A fine and rarely seen 1971 album from guitarist Frank Evans in a trio format.
Frank was generally disillusioned by the music scene in the UK and went on to form his own Bristol based record label - 'Blue Bag'- in the mid 1970s which allowed him to control the music he wished to record and how it was marketed.
He recorded only a handful of jazz dates, and indeed little other music, which is a pity.  The music here is adventurous in some places and quite 'free' in others but immensely enjoyable.
There were not all that many guitarists playing in the modern idiom in the UK during the 1950s-1970s period and few had the opportunity to record the music they preferred. Over the coming months BritJazz will be bringing you some examples of the best of these.
FLAC from lp with cover scans.

0354 Frank Evans [For Little Girls] FLAC 10 (37.44)

Contributed by azule serape, who writes:-
Here's a scarce one. Very limited distribution on Frank's own label and never re-issued.
A lovely solo guitar album by an artist who should have been given more recording opportunities. There are only a handful of jazz albums by him and this is one of the few. BJ will bring you more at a later date.
Great album title (neatly linked to the tune titles too) and great cover picture. 
I remember being in a school picture like this (no, I didn't go to a girls' school) and the camera involved moved slowly horizontally (no wide angle lenses then) to capture the whole school lined up in a similar fashion. It was said that one boy appeared twice on the same picture one year - at each end - running from one end behind the back row to get the other end. The picture was never produced for inspection, although many claimed to have seen it.
I have this music both on lp and on a commercial tape cassette. This is taken from the cassette with scans from the lp. It was easier that way but there may be a little background tape hiss as a result.

Frank Evans - guitar

01 My Funny Valentine (Rodgers, Hart) (3:27)
02 I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face (Lerner, Loewe) (2:42)
03 Sweet Lorraine (Burwell, Parrish) (4:05)
04 Little Girl Blue (Rodgers, Hart) (2:35)
05 Laura (Roskin, Mercer) (5:13)
06 Sophisticated Lady (Ellington, Parrish, Mills) (2:52)
07 Pavane Pour Une Enfante Defunt (Ravel) (4:55)
08 Waltz For Debby (Evans) (4:06)
09 Lil’ Darlin' (Hefti) (4:35)
10 Mary (3:14)

Label: Blue Bag BB 104
Recorded: Unknown
Lineage: Commercially produced cassette tape>FLAC