Johnny Handle
Encyclopedia
Johnny Handle is an English
folk music
ian and singer/songwriter. Starting as a skiffle
player in 1957 he soon crossed into folk music both as a soloist and as a member of The High Level Ranters
. His repertoire is heavily influenced by the traditional music of North East England
and, in particular, songs about coal mining
. In 1958, with Louis Killen, he founded the Folksong and Ballad Club in the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle.
He plays accordion
, keyboards
, banjo
, whistle
and the Northumbrian pipes.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian and singer/songwriter. Starting as a skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
player in 1957 he soon crossed into folk music both as a soloist and as a member of The High Level Ranters
High Level Ranters
The High Level Ranters are a Northumbian traditional musical group founded in 1964, best known for being one of the first bands in the revival of the Northumbrian smallpipes....
. His repertoire is heavily influenced by the traditional music of North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
and, in particular, songs about coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. In 1958, with Louis Killen, he founded the Folksong and Ballad Club in the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle.
He plays accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, whistle
Whistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
and the Northumbrian pipes.
Selected recordings
- The Collier Lad - 1975 (Topic 12TS270)
- She's A Big Lass - 1979 (EMI)
- Stottin Doon The Waal – 1963 -(Topic TOP78)
- Along The Coaly Tyne – (with The High Level Ranters) (Topic TSCD498)