Jazz@Kirkgate: Ben Crosland’s Threeway featuring Steve Waterman and Steve Lodder

25th May 2025 7:30pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)

Kirkgate Centre

‘THREEWAY AT TWENTY’

Steve Waterman – Trumpet/Flugelhorn

Steve Lodder – Piano/Keyboards

Ben Crosland – Bass

“The ensemble playing has the togetherness that only comes from top musicians who know each other well and think as one. Everything is clear and precise yet full of delicacy and feeling” Dave Gelly, The Observer

“Three stellar musicians…Crosland’s compositions are often quite captivating, the reactions and interplay between Crosland, Waterman and Lodder as near to perfection as anyone could want” Peter Vacher, Jazzwise

Threeway came into being in May 2004 over the breakfast table after Waterman, Lodder and Crosland had, the previous evening, played at a charity event at the home of two of Crosland’s closest friends. The feeling was that there was real compatibility between them and something new and exciting could emerge within the context of a chamber jazz trio without drums. Over the course of the ensuing 19 years, the band has recorded three albums, Conversations, Songs of the Year and Looking Forward, Looking Back, which have all garnered significant critical acclaim and received airplay on a number of radio stations including BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM and UK Jazz Radio. Threeway have played festivals and club dates across the country, engaging audiences with their attractive brand of melodic, fresh sounding, subtle jazz, the material largely written by all three band members, all the while developing the intense interplay between the players that so characterises the group’s identity and sound.

Threeway’s music is heard to best advantage in the concert setting. Accordingly, this is an ideal group for ‘listening’ jazz venues, arts centres, music festivals and concert societies.

The band is celebrating its 20th anniversary and to mark the occasion, it has recorded an album of new compositions with guitar legend John Etheridge as their special guest. The album, HARKEN!, was released on 5th July 2024 and was launched at the Buxton International Festival on 8th July. Threeway has been touring throughout the year as a trio and also with John as their special guest.

The band was recently featured on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune presenting music from HARKEN!

Steve Waterman is an in demand soloist both in UK and abroad. He has recorded and toured with John Surman’s Brass Project and the Carla Bley Big Band and has worked with a host of other artists including Vince Mendoza, Tony Coe, Mal Waldron and Colin Towns. He has recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums in his own name.

Steve Lodder is a highly regarded sideman for many international and British musicians including Andy Sheppard, Nana Vasconcelos, George Russell’s Living Time Orchestra, Sarah Jane Morris, John Harle, Carla Bley and Monica Vasconcelos. He has been musical associate with Paul McCartney on the ‘Standing Stone’ and ‘Ecce Cor Meum’ projects.

Ben Crosland is one of the north’s most experienced jazz musicians, having been leading bands for over 30 years. He has worked as a sideman with many leading US and UK soloists including Jean Toussaint, Ken Peplowski, Harry Allen, George Masso, Henry Lowther, Stan Sulzman, Frank Ricotti and John Etheridge.

PRESS QUOTES

‘’This is a band that gives the term "chamber jazz" a good name. All three are virtuoso players who know each other so well that their improvisations just seem to fall into place. It's subtle music – warm, melodic and gently intriguing.’’ Dave Gelly, The Observer

‘‘HARKEN! marks 20 years of Threeway’s illustrious association, yet even over that time, the music remains fresh. As a drum free trio, there’s always been a chamber-like intimacy to their music, spacious, with room-a-plenty to stretch and relax.’’ Andy Robson, Jazzwise

‘‘The depth of the experience of the musicians shows throughout this recording. Their solidarity and friendship elevates their performance and the strength of the compositions takes the album up a further level. They come across as relaxed, yet their playing is meticulous. Technique, imagination, subtlety and charm come together to make this an absorbing listening experience.’’ Neil Duggan, All About Jazz

‘‘The relaxing interplay between all four musicians is almost telepathic. The absence of drums allows the participants to play at a much lower volume than would ordinarily have been the case. The rich detail and tone of each instrument and each tune are immediately apparent. The addition of Etheridge was a masterstroke. The keynote of all this music is melody. It seems to me that each theme could have lyrics written to accompany it. This is music that could only have been born in England. It is chamber jazz which shares a pastoral quality with some of the work of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar.’’ Alan Musson, UK Vibe

‘‘With the pedigree of musicianship on offer, it’s no surprise that HARKEN! is an album that pleases in so many ways.’’ George Cole, Jazz Views

‘‘Threegreat musicians, they are celebrating 20 years together. They are a veritable repository of skills, as you will discover.’’ Sean Rafferty, In Tune BBC Radio 3

‘’Threeway celebrate their 20th anniversary with another high class album release with all three members, plus their guest John Etheridge, contributing with the pen. All provide excellent offerings but as the main writer it’s Crosland’s gift for melody and his ability to evoke a sense of place that carries the day….“HARKEN!” offers further evidence of Threeway’s delicate strengths with Etheridge adding a little guitar roughage and Lodder providing additional variety via the use of a range of keyboards.’’The Jazzmann