The London R&B Scene

Juice on the Loose
Disorder on the Border
Diz and the Doormen

The late 70's/early 80's saw a thriving R&B scene in London of which Charlie was an integral part - playing bass in Juice on the Loose, producing Diz and the Doormen, and being one of a large group of musicians including Ed Deane, Dana Gillespie, Ron Kavana, Andy Winfield, Fran Byrne, Bam King, Pete Thomas, Geraint Watkins, Gary Rickard, Les Morgan, Ben Waters, Sam Kelly, Nick Pentelow, Nick Payne, Paul Astles who played the circuit. You can't beat it - great musicians playing music for all the right reasons.

Juice on the Loose shows no sign of reforming, but in 2006 Diz and the Doormen conducted several lightning raids into Europe, with Tony Uter on percussion, Nick Payne and Nick Pentelow and saxes, Dick Madelaine on guitar and Charlie on bass.

Diz has been singing and playing rumba piano better than ever and the band played a memorable concert in 2006 in Nidaros, Norway with Solomon Burke.

Charlie also formed Disorder on the Border with Geraint Watkins and Gary Rickard, after the demise of mighty Balham Alligators. The trio primarily used an accordion/fiddle/guitar line up and played a range of Cajun, Zydeco, R&B, African, Mediaeval, Swing and Country material.

2003 saw the release on CD by Babel Records of the album 'Vol. 1', originally recorded some 10 years earlier. Vol 1 consists of eight originals and some well chosen covers to accompany them. Described by Hinternet as 'an unplugged jem' it was greeted by Jazzwise as 'a big thing in a little package from a lost age'.

Available from babellabel.co.uk