So sad to hear of Joe's problems although I was aware that he was starting to show signs of deterioration in 2004, just before Anne & I left for France,when he used to come to my gig at the Ninepins in Gateshead, accompanied by Jack Denton & Marshall Walker.
He was lacking his sparkle & sharp repartee & his memory was starting to fail.
I recall Joe from the mid 50's with his first band in the Arcade Jazz Club in Pilgrim St where he had good players like clarinetist Colin Beale,pianist Johnny Handel & trombonist Norman Healey-Creed in a very lively & popular outfit. I was halfway through my Nat. Service in the RAF (1958) & stationed at Acklington when I was contacted by Joe who told me he was breaking up his band to form a new one & would I like the piano chair?
When he told me the line up I could hardly refuse as these guys were the top players at the time - Hugh Aitchison (Tpt), Trevor Johnson & Brian Clarke (clt/sax),Ron McLean (trombone),Brian Fisher (bass) & Jack Denton (drums). Joe had been persuaded to ditch his banjo & bought a guitar (4 strings) tuned "banjo style" a la Eddie Condon,which gave the band a much smoother Dixieland feel than his previous rough & ready "trad"band.
Joe & I became good friends & in 1961, he was my best man at my marriage to the late Emily & has remained a friend ever since. He never pushed himself to the front musically, preferring to stay in the background but he could certainly handle the audiences with his good humour or sarcastic repartee & we were never short of gigs & residencies & who could forget those NY eve gigs at Carlisle Jazz Club organised by his friend the late Mick Potts who was a superb trumpeter & pianist.
Joe has never been averse to musical change & with the introduction of new blood in the personnel the band moved away from Dixieland format & became a highly successful Basie /Ellington mainstream "jump" band, actually opening the show at the City Hall for the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
This was a really exciting period with the emergence of Leo Harwood, Barry Robinson, Fred McBeth (saxes) & the influential John (JB) Walters on trumpet with his University colleagues Lou Townsen (bass) & a young drummer who's name escapes me for the moment. Also during this period we also had various top players in the band - bass players Dave Murphy & Al Collins - Drummers Ian Forbes & Jimmy Scaife & last but not least the indomitable Eric Burden whom Joe used on several occasions on concerts as guest vocalist although several members of the band were unhappy with his intonation but with his future success, the old saying "what did we know"?
About this time the band took on a major change of direction when JB Walters & the un-named drummer left to go on tour with the Alan Price Set & with the introduction of saxophonist Geoff Hedley the band began to experiment with "free form" & consisted of Bill Shield (Dms), Alan Collins (bass), myself on piano & Joe on guitar. To be honest I don't think any of us really knew what was going on but it was fun & allowed us to write our own material but I was never convinced that this was where my future lay & I left the band in the early 70's. I don't think Joe kept the band together for much longer & he eventually returned to his roots & first "love" N.Orleans jazz where he surfaced as a stalwart bassist.
I know that he experienced bad luck in his first marriage, terrible tragedy in his second but when I last spoke to him his life seemed to be quite settled & it's such a shame that he should see out his remaining years like this.
Joe is a lovely guy who was a major figure & contributor to the scene & I am proud to call him my friend.
Our thoughts are with Joe & Diane, getting old is no fun if you are in poor health.
Bill Harper.
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