QOW TRIO

“QOW TRIO”

(Ubuntu Music – UBU0068)

Riley Stone-Lonergan – tenor sax, Eddie Myer – double bass, Spike Wells – drums

QOW TRIO is a cross-generational ensemble that takes its name from a composition written by the late saxophonist Dewey Redman.

Redman’s piece forms part of the repertoire on an album that sees the group taking their initial inspiration from Sonny Rollins’ classic saxophone trios of the 1950s, but expanding upon this to explore the styles of other big-toned tenor players. Other influences include Redman,  Lester Young, Pharaoh Sanders, Charlie Parker, Joe Henderson, John and Alice Coltrane and more contemporary musicians such as Walter Smith III and Joel Frahm.

The saxophone chair is occupied by QOW TRIO’S youngest member, Riley Stone-Lonergan, who learned his trade as a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO). An accomplished large ensemble player Stone-Lonergan appeared on the 2018 recording “Weapons of Mass Distraction”, an excellent album of original material written by his fellow saxophonist Andrew Linham and performed by The Andrew Linham Jazz Orchestra. Review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/the-andrew-linham-jazz-orchestra-weapons-of-mass-distraction

Stone-Lonergan has also performed with Locus,  a sextet co-led by alto saxophonist Leah Gough-Cooper and trumpeter Kim Macari.

Born in Ireland Stone-Lonergan studied at Leeds College of Music before moving to London. A former Yamaha Jazz Scholar and a frequent award winner he has also made visits to the USA to study with such acclaimed saxophonists as Seamus Blake, Chris Cheek, Rich Perry and Joel Frahm.

Stone-Lonergan’s own projects include the chordless quartet Family Band, which recorded the album “Board of Origin” in 2018, and a collaborative quartet that he co-leads with the French pianist and composer Fabrice Tarel. This international ensemble released the album “Blurred Future” in 2019.

Bassist Eddie Myer is based in Brighton and is a musician, composer, bandleader, promoter, educator and journalist. He leads his own five piece group, The Eddie Myer 5tet, a band that also includes Stone-Lonergan.  It was at Brighton’s Verdict Jazz Club that Myer introduced Wells to Stone-Lonergan, a meeting that led to the eventual formation of QOW TRIO.

A professional bass player (both acoustic and electric) since 1996 Myer was worked regularly with the rock act Turin Brakes and with the Afro-Cuban ensemble Son Guarachando.

In his capacity as a promoter he has programmed events at The Verdict Bandstand at the Love Supreme Jazz Festival at Glynde, Sussex and also runs the Brighton based New Generation Jazz project. The latter seeks to provide performing opportunities for young musicians by bringing their music to audiences outside London, whilst at the same time introducing the people of Brighton and Sussex as a whole to high quality jazz.

As a journalist he writes regularly for the Jazz Views website http://www.jazzviewsnet and I recall meeting him at Ronnie Scott’s when he was working there in that capacity. It was at the 2017 EFG London Jazz Festival and we were both hugely impressed by the American drummer and composer Mark Guiliana and his Jazz Quartet, who were playing music from their then current album “Jersey”.

Now based in Brighton drummer Spike Wells is the veteran of the trio.  He came to prominence on the London jazz scene in the 1960s and has worked with many of the greats of the music. Wells is probably best known for his associations with saxophonists Tubby Hayes and Bobby Wellins but he has also performed with saxophonists Ronnie Scott, Joe Harriott, Peter King, Don Weller,  Dick Morrissey, Tony Coe, Alan Barnes and Simon Spillett, trumpeters Humphrey Lyttleton and Henry Lowther, pianists Mick Pyne, John Horler, Mark Edwards and Gwilym Simcock, bassists Ron Matthewson and Dave Green and many, many more.

As well as working with some of the legends of British Jazz Wells’ association with Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club also led to him accompanying a range of international musicians, mainly from the USA. These included saxophonists Dexter Gordon, Teddy Edwards,  Johnny Griffin, James Moody, Charles MacPherson, Stan Getz,  Zoot Sims and Sonny Stitt, trumpeter Art Farmer, valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, pianist Cedar Walton and vocalist / pianist Blossom Dearie. Wells also enjoyed an association with the Norwegian musicians Arild Andersen (bass) and Jon Balke (keyboards).

Wells combines his still ongoing musical career with his work as a priest. His highly informative website http://www.spikewells.co.uk contains a wealth of information concerning both aspects of his work.

The repertoire on QOW TRIO’S début album features seven jazz standards plus two original compositions by Stone-Lonergan, both paying tribute to the saxophone greats of the past.

But this isn’t the usual gently swinging mainstream run through, in this piano-less format the three musicians tackle their chosen material in a highly adventurous manner, taking inspiration from the free jazz of the 1960s and 70s but still sounding remarkably contemporary. There’s a strong reliance on improvisation and spontaneous interaction, this is very much a trio of equals and with Myer acting as mediator the musical conversation between the trio’s youngest and oldest members is sometimes quite exceptional.

“We see QOW TRIO as looking back to the heroes of the music, and looking forward to a future of endless, unlimited possibilities” explains Myer, summing up the trio’s approach to a ‘T’.

Meanwhile Stone-Lonergan’s take on the group and its music echoes that of Myer;
“I love playing with this band because it combines both my love of the wonderful tradition of our jazz forebearers with my love of absolute freedom and the feeling that anything could happen.”

The still comparatively young saxophonist plays with an admirable maturity throughout the album.

The album was recorded in a “live in the studio” setting during the course of a single afternoon at London’s Fish Factory studios with Ben Lamdin engineering and producing. Presumably the trio had already ‘played these tunes in’ at live performances prior to lockdown. They certainly approach the tunes in a manner that combines an inner confidence with a genuine sense of adventure.

The voyage begins with Frank Loesser’s “A Slow Boat To China”, introduced by a passage of unaccompanied tenor sax from Stone-Lonergan. There’s a real sense of playfulness about the performance, a spirit of gentle subversion that nevertheless doesn’t undermine the trio’s obvious affection for their source material. Stone-Lonergan stretches out with great assurance, followed by Myer, who proves to be a dexterous and commanding bassist. When not soloing Myer is the anchor of the group, allowing Wells plenty of room to summon up an impressive range of sounds from behind the kit. Naturally Wells also features with a series of richly colourful drum breaks.

It’s Wells drums that introduce the Dewey Redman composed title track “QOW”, a piece that first appeared on the saxophonist’s 1974 album “Coincide”. Aided by Myer’s muscular bass Wells lays down a rhythm that album liner note writer Daniel Spicer of Wire magazine (another Brighton resident) describes as “crisp snare ‘n’ cowbell funk”. With this mighty rhythmic backing Stone-Lonergan is again able to stretch out powerfully, his vocalised tone nodding to the influence of Redman and the avant garde. There’s also an extended drum work out from the irrepressible Wells, playing with an energy that belies his seventy four years.

Joe Henderson was another musician who liked to record in the saxophone trio format, most notably on his “The State Of The Tenor” recordings from the 1980s. QOW TRIO tackle his composition “Serenity”, which they deliver with a confident strut, with Myer taking the first solo, skilfully complemented by Wells’ astute drum commentary. Stone-Lonergan’s chance to dig in comes later and Wells also enjoys a further series of playful drum breaks.

Unaccompanied bass introduces Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl”, with Myer subsequently joined in dialogue by Wells’ nimble cymbal work. Stone-Lonergan relishes the opportunity to get stuck into Parker’s famous theme, and also takes the chance to toss in a quote from another ‘Bird’ tune, “Cool Blues”. The fluid, free-wheeling rhythms laid down by Myer and Wells give the saxophonist room to soar and the performance also includes a feature for Wells, who tours his kit accompanied by the sounds of Stone-Lonergan’s tenor vamp.

“Qowfirmation” is the first of Stone-Lonergan’s two originals, the title presumably derived from a combining of Redman’s tune with Parker’s “Confirmation”. Myers’ rapid bass walk grounds a joyously dancing confection featuring Stone-Lonergan’s slippery sax probing and Wells’ wonderfully crisp and ebullient drumming. Myer is later freed up to deliver a solo, again accompanied by Wells’ witty drum commentary. The drummer then takes his turn in the spotlight before Stone-Lonergan returns.

Introduced by Myer at the bass the trio’s gently melancholic reading of Billie Holiday’s “God Bless The Child” introduces a more sensitive side of the band. There’s a genuine bluesiness in the soft moan of Stone-Lonergan’s tenor, while Wells excels in the role of colourist, with bells and cymbals shimmering exquisitely. Myer also features with a richly melodic double bass solo.

Cole Porter’s “It’s Alright With Me” represents another dip into the ‘Great American Songbook’ repertoire. Introduced by a bullish solo drum introduction the trio tackle the tune at a rapid pace, with only brief pauses for temporary reflection. It’s a highly charged, intensely interactive performance with the mischievous interplay between Stone-Lonergan and Wells proving to be both charming and thoroughly engrossing.

Stone-Lonergan’s second original is “Pound for Prez”, a tune inspired by the late saxophonist Lester Young. Despite coming from different jazz generations Stone-Lonergan and Wells found that they shared a love of Young’s playing and this piece represents a tribute both to Prez himself and to QOW TRIO’S shared musical friendship. Propelled by Myer’s bass walk the piece finds Stone-Lonergan adopting something of Young’s tone, but still sounding very much himself. Again the interplay between sax and drums is exceptional, with Myer continuing to anchor the trio. The bassist steps out of the shadows following Stone-Lonergan’s introductory solo with an extended feature of his own. Wells then enjoys a series of drum breaks towards the close.

Apparently Cole Porter’s “You Do Something To Me” was played as a warm up prior to the ‘official’ recording session, but the quality of the performance was so good that it ended up being included on the album – and one can hear why. Introduced by Myer’s bass the piece features Stone-Lonergan adopting a warm and loquacious tone on tenor sax as he states the theme and embarks on the first solo. A relaxed, subtly swinging trio performance also incorporates features for both Myer and Wells.

On the face of it there may not be anything too remarkable about a set of jazz and bop standards, plus the occasional original, performed in an instrumental format dating back over sixty years. Instead it’s the quality of the performances, allied to Lamdin’s excellent production, that makes this more than just a ‘standards by numbers set’. The level of interaction between the three musicians involved in this fluid, chordless instrumental line up is exceptional and Lamdin’s recording skills help to capture every detail and nuance of this, but without sacrificing anything in terms of vitality and spontaneity. Together these elements combine to lift the album beyond the status of the merely ‘average’.

The trio hope to tour again later in 2021, providing it is safe (for Wells in particular) to do so. One can imagine them being an exciting and highly popular attraction in the jazz clubs of the nation. This ‘live in the studio’ session hints at the excitement that they should be capable of generating in an authentic live performance environment.

 

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