Remembering the Mighty Joe Young Band

When it comes to modern jazz on Tyneside the name that springs to every one's minds is the Emcee 5. With a line-up that included legends such as the brothers Mike and Ian Carr, drum legend Ronnie Stephenson, tenor saxist Gary Cox and bassist Malcolm Cecil who later went on to become a significant and innovative figure in electronic/synthesised sounds (nobody's perfect) they made waves both here and abroad.

However, there were others. The Peter Jacobson Quartet held down a regular spot at the Five Bridges Hotel in Gateshead as well as at the New Orleans Club in Newcastle.

As the name implies, this was a nesting place for the local trad bands although I'm not sure if the T word had yet been used to describe the music played by the various stompers, jazzbands and jazzmen.

One band who most definitely were not stompers was the Mighty Joe Young Band.

Mighty Joe, who was actually christened John, played acoustic guitar and, like Eddie Condon, was seen and not heard. Nevertheless, he put together a band that, at various times, included local hard-boppers such as Jeff Hedley, Leo Harwood on tenors, Bill Harper on piano, Brian Fisher/Dave Murphy (bass) and Ian Forbes or Jackie Denton on drums. The trumpet player, John Walters, later moved on to become a BBC producer.

Mighty Joe subsequently returned to his roots playing double bass with an earlier edition of the Vieux Carré Jazzmen.

He was a great guy who did a lot for Newcastle jazz - both ancient and modern - and his name should be carved with pride when/if ever such a jazz honours' list is  created.

Back in 2011 Bill Harper posted this tribute just a year before John 'Mighty Joe' Young died. Lance