LIVE REVIEW: THE JACKSON LINE - JOHNNY MORGAN & THE MORAL SUPPORT - THE GREEN NOTE - LONDON

#TEAMw21's final visit for 2025 to The Green Note would be something of an extravaganza with The Jackson Line being joined by Johnny Morgan & The Moral Support who have been on our "Must see" list for a while, following rave mentions from TALENTBANQ Supremo and tonight's MC Ray Jones. It must be said that rarely has the Green Note stage seemed so full with instruments, as it was prior to Johnny and his band taking to the stage, there barely seemed any room for anyone to actually stand and play anything.

Tonight we would be seeing Johnny Morgan with only a little bit of Moral Support, in the guise of Joe Coombs on guitar and most welcome of all Eve Lesedi Morgan on saxophone, who would add such a different sound to proceedings and remind us what a marvellous instrument it can be.

Opening with "I'm All Right", the acoustic guitar, rock and roller took on a totally new sound when sprinkled with some sax. Johnny would prove to be a great front man and a sax solo gave us an air of Springsteen, if the party hadn't started - it had now! A switch by guitarist Joe to electric guitar, allowed a strong riff to lead things off on "Growing Up Slowly", for which Johnny would perform mainly with eyes closed as if transported elsewhere. Yves and Joseph would later trade riffs in a hugely enjoyable face off.

Johnny would introduce "Jumpin'" by totally dissing his first composition saying he'll be glad when he can drop it. A sort of grungy blues, given a suitably sleazy sax accompaniment, came complete with a little "Hey hey hey" bit of audience participation. With Joe adding another solo, it seemed that Johnny might be a little hasty in wanting to consign this song.

Johnny would prove to be a most jovial host, his story of flying to Nashville to record the new album was hilarious - it would lead to the title track of the new record "The Hope That Kills You" for which Johnny would lead off solo on his acoustic guitar. With a tremendous melody line on the chorus that would see Johnny's vocals tracked by Eve's sax, which would later provide the sweetest outro on what promises to be a stand out track. Another hilarious intro came with "Play Us One We Know", a 5 star banger complete with audience singalong as Johnny detailed the perils of playing one of your own songs during a covers set! Complete with another killer sax solo that got its own applause, this was clearly a headline act playing a support slot. The set would fly by in absolute record time, closing on "Another Heartache" a further heady mix of riffs and Johnny's assured vocals.

A short 6 song set but a splendid intro Johnny Morgan & The Moral Support who we'll be featuring quite a bit one feels during 2026 or maybe Johnny Morgan & The Instincts if Ray has his way, mixing and matching his support bands!

The dilemma of returning to the same venue a year after performing a stonking album launch was something that The Jackson Line had obviously considered, even a repeat of exactly the same show might seem a little disappointing, so what did they decide to do? Obviously, they ditched a lot of their most popular slower songs and decided to lay a party atmosphere on us with a bunch of new songs, covers and special appearances - a bold strategy but would it pay off?

Any space created by the removal of Joe's pedal board was soon replaced by having twice as many band members on stage, but that is what you get with The Jackson Line, 3 strong vocalists, 2 guitars and a kick ass rhythm section providing sympathetic drumming in keeping with the venue despite having a huge kit and a warm bass sound even if the neck of the bass did occasionally threaten to take out any passing patrons, as it swung off stage. Starting with "Shade Of The Pines", The Jackson Line were in no mood to be overshadowed, from the open strum of the guitar, the power of 3 voices in sync and clapping was something to behold. Rootsy and rocking with Jamie's vocals suitably leading from the front, things were off to a great start.

The drum beat would then signal the start to "Gonna Get To You" with its guitar sound paying homage to the Eagles, while Keith acted out each line with hand actions - polished and punchy - there were no prisoners being taken.

A brand new song would materialise with "Long Long Way To Go", and if there was any sort of indication of how a band is currently feeling, it was written over the faces of The Jackson Line who clearly are enjoying their music as they play it! By the time that "Get Over You" was over, with its upbeat guitar lines, the good time vibe was firmly established, the chorus with it's layers of vocals setting the party going. Another new song "Sway" would establish a Southern soul feel, with Jamie providing an in keeping raspy blues vocal. As if that wasn't good enough, an off stage Eve provided a surprise sax solo, followed by one from Jamie on guitar took things to a whole new level.

The first cover of the evening would be "Jackson Station" by The Band Of Heathens, which would see the bass player Jaosn jumping in his enthusiasm as The Jackson Line brought some Texas blues to Camden Town. As it was a "Christmas Party" it was announced to be a "Bangers Only" evening, hence a lot of the sadder Jackson Line songs being left behind in Essex. It gave an opportunity for the up until then, slightly underused Claire Williams to get her moment in the sun on "Heads Carolina Tails California", a guaranteed country toe tapper, especially with the trio of vocals on the chorus and Jamie's riffing guitar.

Keeping the "California" theme going, it was straight into The Jackson Line's song of the same name. It saw Keith dangerously close to hitting the low ceiling just above him as he raised his arm in the air, while Jason on bass seemed to be almost inhaling the sweet sound being produced so transfixed was he.

The obsession song "Mandy", came with a prominent guitar refrain, and lots of lyrics to unpack "There are lives and families at stake". With multiple harmonies this looks set to become a key part of the Jackson Line catalogue going forward. Returning to the party theme, Claire got the audience to join in on her cover of "My Church", before the introductions started to begin for the final song of the main set, "Feeling's Gone". The whole evening seemed to whizz by in the blinking of an eye, which is as fine a recommendation as we can give to the joy this band provides. With Keith taking the first verse and Jamie the second, this sound was so good that it even lured TALENTBANQ supremo to start dancing at the front of the stage!

The encores would see all of the evenings musicians return for a gloriously fun packed finale starting with the saxed up, guitar riff laden, audience singalong, rock 'n' roll of "Run Rudolph Run". Closing with Don William's "Tulsa Time" just about every artist on and off stage got to solo on this rip roaring way to close out an evening. The audience were clapping and stomping. the players were clearly having a ball and it seemed a shame to bring things to a close. It is safe to say that Parkway was lit up with the smiles of those leaving the Green Note - same time next year?