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Chris formed his quintet at the end of 2002 with Brian Edwards
on Alto, Jim Hart on vibraphone, Larry Bartley on Bass and Tom Skinner on drums. For want of a better descripiton the quintet blends bop and avant-garde jazz often known as 'New
Wave' (or free bop) and leans heavily on the compositions of little-known yet influential trombonist Grachan Moncur III as
well as featuring compositions by Chris and other members of the group.
Grachan Moncur III
Review by Chris Parker of Quintet gig at The Vortex
Jazz Club, London in November 2007 - 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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