Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: Homer’s Lane + John Garner & John Pope @ St John’s Church, Riding Mill. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. Gabriele Heller’s audio play + Garner & Pope.
Sat 17: Martyn Roper @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. Roper’s ‘One Man Blues Band’.
Sat 17: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Alexia Gardner Trio @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). Gardner, Alan Law & Jude Murphy.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Friday, December 29, 2017

Joe Garner

The death was announced in the Evening Chronicle of a Joe Garner who passed away on December 17. Can anyone confirm/or otherwise as to whether this was the same Joe Garner who played bass with the Panama Jazzmen in the 1950s?
The age, 85, and the address in the Howdon area of North Tyneside point towards it being one and the same.
Information would be appreciated.
Chronicle obituary.

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance I visited Joe some time and this location sound correct: Very near to the Tyne tunnel At that time he was working on the OIL RIGGS in the North sea.
Also saw him at the Cresent Club about 6 to 12 months ago
Hope this has been some help

Happy New Year Raymond Newton Double Bass/ cello and cello player

Lance said...

Thanks Ray - it must have been some time ago if he was working on the rigs!

Unknown said...

Hello Lance, my name is Lance, Joe’s son. Dad always told me I was named after a jazz musician as he really liked the name. Sorry if I’m stating the obvious, are you that man?

Lance said...

Hello Lance, I'd like to think I was the inspiration for your name but, as I actually never met your dad, I'm probably not. However, I learne of the high respect he was held in when I worked alongside Ronnie McLean and played in a band with Ray Jobling who, I believe, took over from Joe with the Panama Jazzmen. The jazz world is such a tight community that, even if we don't know someone personally, we know of them.
I'd love to know of some of the bands he played in after the Panama and if you had a photo we could post.
Deepest sympathy
Lance [Liddle]
PS: The only other Lance I can think of is Lance Cousins who was around in the same era.

Lance Garner said...

Lance, thanks for the reply, Lance Cousins sounds familiar.
Dad spoke of the Panama Jazz Men and he said at one point was with Geraldo.
He also was on the "Chusan" and "Saxonia" cruise ships.
Also the "69 Club" in Newcastle.
He mentioned being in the 69 Club when the Krays visited one night.
In later years worked "Grey's Nightclub" and the "Westerhope Social Club" with the Johnny Sampson Combo (I think).
The hours got to him - 7ish till 10ish at Westerhope followed by an 11ish till 2ish at Grey's. So he went back on the tools.
Thank you for the condolences.
Regards Lance.

Blog Archive