Just FriendsTrio/Quartet
Recorded whilst working at the Havana Restaurant in Brighton
Tony Back:
Plays Piano (acoustic & digital),Organ and Harmonica. He is also an accomplished vocalist. Tony has personally recorded 15 albums and 4 singles.
Artists he has backed include:
Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Vicki Carr, Johnny Mathis, Shirley Bassey, Lulu, Max Bygraves, Brian Conley, Bradley Walsh etc.
Tony played piano, keyboards and harmonica on Des O’Connor’s “True Love Ways” CD Album He has performed in the US, Far East, Europe & Scandinavia
Sadly, Tony died of cancer in 2006.
Gerry Higgins:
Began his career in the 1960’s playing with Mainstream Bands such as Dick Charlesworth and Alex Welsh, touring and recording with American Stars such as Wild Bill Davidson and Henry ‘Red’ Allen.
Went on to do more varied work with artists like P.J.Proby, Eartha Kitt, Dick Haymes and Dickie Henderson.
In more recent years he has done regular radio and TV work in the U.K. covering Jazz Festivals such as Edinburgh and Eindhoven in Holland in the company of the late greats: Denny Wright and Johnny Van Derrick.
Gerry has appeared with artists including Claude Williams from Kansas City, Benny Waters, Ralph Sutton, Billy Butterfield, Yank Lawson, Bob Wilber and Larry Adler. He has also appeared in concert with Diz Disley, Stephane Grappelli, Fapy Lapertin, Bireli Lagrene and Nigel Kennedy.
Gerry has worked around the world - in Africa, Canada, the Middle & Far East, Europe and Scandinavia.
He has been a long standing teacher of Bass, Bass guitar and Jazz improvisation.
Norman Evans:
Veteran Sax player Norman is well known over many years of playing all styles of Music around the South Coast of England.
Starting out his musical career, like so many fine musicians of his era, in the RAF Band he eventually settled in Brighton where he was a very busy musician in the Days of the Regency Ballroom and latterly the Top Rank Suites.
For eight years, Norman was resident six nights a week in a large Night Club concern where he accompanied Stars such as Eartha Kitt, Billy Eckstine, Bruce Forsyth, Des O'Connor and Frankie Vaughan.
He keeps busy with his own and other Function Bands in London and the South Coast.
Andy Woon:
After four years playing Cornet in his school Band Andy spent five years with the Band & Orchestra of the Royal Artillery on Trumpet and Violin.
He has years of experience in the Brighton area with local Jazz Bands, the Syd Dean Dance Band, and the Southern Dance Orchestra.
Andy spent nearly ten years doing Summer Seasons, some for the Bernard Delfont agency with Artists such as Danny La Rue.
Now runs several Bands - 'The Vintage Hot Five', 'Cool Sounds' Function Band, 'Jazz Trax Duo' to name but a few!
Recently appeared with the Keith Nichols Hot Club Orchestra and 'Spats Langham's Hot Rhythm Boys at London's '100 Club'
