The Chris Lowe Quintet, according to pre-publicity, was formed to celebrate the music of Grachan Moncur III, the great New York-born trombonist, but on this occasion, neatly but powerfully supported by tenor player Brian Edwards and vibesman Jim Hart, Lowe led his band through a succession of intriguing originals, interspersed with the odd cleverly rearranged standard and a piece based on a South American traditional tune.
It is often said that the trombone is closest of all the jazz instruments, in pitch and timbre, to the human voice, and there is an intimacy about the instrument's sound that can be pleasingly confiding in the right hands; Lowe is a supremely skilful player, agile and versatile like his great inspiration, and his compositions are just tricksy enough to provide accommodating changes for his fellow soloists, while accessible enough for immediate audience enjoyment.
Edwards and Hart throve on his pieces, the former possessed of the round, cultured 'middleweight' sound so tellingly exploited by Hank Mobley, the latter consistently imaginative, particularly on ballad material. Faultlessly propelled by the ever excellent Larry Bartley on bass and crackling drummer Nick Smalley, Lowe's music is lively yet surprisingly subtle, and this was a thoroughly absorbing gig.
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