Wes Jeans with Oliver White @ The George Tavern
Duane Clawson
8/23/20264 min read
All Images © Red River Current Media/dc photowerx
If you are paying attention, Denison, Texas, is on the move! This city is sporting new infrastructure, a revived cultural scene centered on music, and a heavy focus on having an easily navigable downtown area, with great nightlife establishments and equally impressive dining options.
The George Tavern entered the Denison revitalization project early, while Main Street was still in disarray and downtown businesses were struggling to stay afloat. The George Tavern rose from the ashes of the struggling Green Growler at the beginning of 2025 with a new menu and nearly forty tapped beers available. Another focus of the tavern is to bring quality live music to the North Texas region.
This effort is spearheaded by local musician and student of life, Oliver White. Mr. White has had a storied career in several local bands and as a solo singer/songwriter. Oliver, along with the Texoma Blues Society, is instrumental in promoting local talent and helping to bring bigger named artists to The George and the Texoma area. One such artist is Wes Jeans!
Wes Jeans may not be a household name, but on the shortlist of notable Texas guitar players, he ranks right up there with some of the all-time greats! Mainly a Blues player, but if time allows, he can surely roast the tubes on an amplifier with his nods to Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top. Although he is nationally known in guitar player circles, I feel he is someone I may not have discovered had I not moved to Texas.
My introduction to him came in 2024 at Denison's annual concert series "Music On Main" as he was a guest musician with another guitar prodigy, Ally Venable. As the night progressed at The George Tavern, so did the number of patrons, and this made my heart happy! I love it when our local businesses do well!
Unfortunately, those arriving late missed a powerful set by Oliver White and his makeshift band, comprised of musicians from other area bands. After seeing Mr. White previously playing all acoustic sets, I can say with great confidence he really knows his way around that electric guitar! For those in attendance who were not familiar with Wes Jeans, they were about to hear something they would not soon forget.
Wasting no time, Jeans got right to it with a cover of another great band of Texas musicians, The Arc Angels "Shape I'm In." Throughout his set, he continually pays homage to the greats he has played with personally, and to those that have put Blues music on the map. Just as I was thinking, "that first set was frickin' pretty good," you better hold on to your wig for the second set; spoiler alert, it really shines!
After his original compositions, "No Tears Left to Cry" and "Dallas," Jeans invited Oliver White to the stage for a blazing cover of The Allman Brothers, "Whipping Post." Just as my blown mind was reattaching itself, Jeans ended the night with a note-for-note carbon copy of Hendrix's version of "The Star Spangled Banner!"
I know for some live music is not your thing; I get it—ask me about my deep dislike of guacamole. But if you are the least bit curious, look up who is playing at a venue, and plan a night, or better, don't plan a night and just go and explore our planet! You just might find it ain't as bad as they would have you believe.
A big thank you to all involved for a great night of music!
