Jackson Evans and His Band at The Mansion On Forsyth Park

Saturday nights in Savannah have a new swagger: The jazz room is back and it features Jazz guitarist Jackson Evans and his all-star band every Saturday night.

Casimir’s Lounge at the Mansion on Forsyth Park has featured live music since opening nearly a decade ago with Savannah’s top acts taking residence on the weekends. Evans’ vision to rebrand the room in the style of the great American jazz rooms will certainly fill a void in Savannah.

“There really isn’t anything like this in Savannah right now,” says Evans, “Local music lovers really need a place like this and so do the tourists. There’s the Bombay Club in New Orleans, the Drake Hotel in Chicago, the famous Oak Room that used to be at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Even Charleston has High Cotton and the Charleston Grill. I really want to recreate that vibe here. The Mansion has the space and I have the tunes.”...

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Saturday nights in Savannah have a new swagger: The jazz room is back and it features Jazz guitarist Jackson Evans and his all-star band every Saturday night.

Casimir’s Lounge at the Mansion on Forsyth Park has featured live music since opening nearly a decade ago with Savannah’s top acts taking residence on the weekends. Evans’ vision to rebrand the room in the style of the great American jazz rooms will certainly fill a void in Savannah.

“There really isn’t anything like this in Savannah right now,” says Evans, “Local music lovers really need a place like this and so do the tourists. There’s the Bombay Club in New Orleans, the Drake Hotel in Chicago, the famous Oak Room that used to be at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Even Charleston has High Cotton and the Charleston Grill. I really want to recreate that vibe here. The Mansion has the space and I have the tunes.”

Evans has high expectations for his rotating cast of musicians. “I have two words for what to expect: quality and entertainment. This won’t be your average jazz band. I’m hiring the best guys in the southeast. I’m making them rehearse. We have arrangements. We have variety. We’re there to put on a show.”

Casimir’s Lounge is at the top of 700 Drayton, a stunning Mansion built in 1888 that saw a stint as a funeral home before being renovated in 2005. The bar features classic cocktails and fine eats from the restaurant below. It’s the focus on culinary quality that completes the picture reports Evans, “It’s about creating an experience for the guests. When you go to a place like the Roosevelt in New Orleans, the birthplace of the sazerac, you expect everything to be just so; Great drinks, food and music all in a beautiful space. It’s time Savannah had hers”

Jackson was born in northern Utah and began playing guitar at the age of twelve. He relocated to Savannah in 2004 and became known throughout the southeast as an in-demand bandleader and educator. He plays and endorses Benedetto guitars and in 2010 recorded his first solo album, Song Noir, featuring saxophonist Jody Espina as co-producer and performer. From 2011 to 2013, Evans moved to Mainland China where he and his wife, bassist/vocalist Maggie Evans, held residencies at two of China’s premiere Jazz Venues. Now, back in Savannah, Jackson performs regularly in a duo with Maggie and leads his own band.

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