Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Joshua Bowlus Trio at The Jazz Corner

3

Joshua Bowlus Trio at The Jazz Corner

By

Sign in to view read count
Joshua Bowlus Trio
The Jazz Corner
Hilton Head Island, SC
November 30 to December 1, 2018

As an introduction to his version of "For All We Know," Joshua Bowlus read out the lyrics while clicking his fingers loudly to lead the trio into a slow version of the 1934 tune. "For all we know/ We may never meet again/Before you go/ Make this moment sweet again/ We won't say goodnight/Until the last minute/ I'll hold out my hand /And my heart will be in it."

In the break, bassist Billy Thornton remembered hours spent hashing out music with Bowlus in practice rooms at the North Florida University jazz program. Bowlus is an intense, concentrated player who studied with Kevin Bales and now regularly escapes his other dimension in the financial world to return to the music. Together with Quentin E. Baxter on his wood-rimmed drums, the trio felt their way through the music, foraging for a solo. At times they paused, as if waiting for a way forward, then they were led on again by one or another into a high energy section.

They ended the first set with a jam session favorite, Cole Porter's "Love for Sale." The second set opened up with a Ray Brown trio piece from the Walk On album called "FSR," which is code to mean For Sonny Rollins. On to the Charlie Chaplin tears of a clown classic "Smile," which was carefully done with great sensitivity.

In his performance, Bowlus repeated devices like a trill high on the right hand while delivering the melody with the left, reaching into the piano to mute strings and attacking fast sections with enough energy to bounce him on the bench. In "We'll be together" Thornton worked a full, deep and mellow bowed bass section into his solo. Baxter took a long tour around his drum kit in a captivating solo of excellence, switching on and off the beat. He held the audience spellbound then delivered them back to the tune almost as a surprise. They recovered with a burst of applause.

The interplay between the three was intriguing. At the end of one piece Baxter was applauding the other two members of the trio, along with the audience. They were challenging each other with looks and smiling at the results in this top quality tour de force, housed in the classic trio format.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near Hilton Head Island
Jazz Near Hilton Head Island
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Jazz article: The Cookers at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
Jazz article: Julian Lage At Higher Ground

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.