QOW Trio – The Rule of Three

Hailing from Galway, Ireland, Riley Stone-Lonergan‘s primary focus as a music creator is improvisation, the element of jazz that brings him the most joy. He started working as a professional musician in Ireland at the age of 16, and moved to the UK to study at Leeds College of Music. In 2011, he graduated with 1st Class Honours and was the recipient of a number of awards including the Dave Cooper Memorial Prize for Jazz Saxophone, John Scheerer Prize for Woodwind and David Hoult Prize for Outstanding Performance. He was selected as a Yamaha Jazz Scholar in 2011and nominated for the Rising Star Award at the London Music Awards 2015.

He’s a regular on the London scene appearing with the capital’s finest musicians at The Vortex, Ronnie Scott’s, and wherever good music is played.

 Spike Wells became interested in jazz after coming across a recording by Dizzy Gillespie, which he found “very exciting” and took up playing drums in his early teens. He later had lessons from former Miles Davis drummer Philly Joe Jones. While reading Greats at Oxford University he put together a quartet that played with visitors including saxophonists Bobby Wellins, Tony Coe and Joe Harriott, and blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. In 1968, Wells began a PhD course in philosophy at London University, living in a house that was also home to bass player Ron Mathewson, alto sax player Ray Warleigh, trombonist Chris Pyne and pianist Mick Pyne. Mathewson was then playing in the quartet of tenor player Tubby Hayes, and asked Wells if he would be interested in joining the group. Wells abandoned his PhD and became a professional musician. As well as playing with Hayes, in both his quartet and his big band, until the saxophonist’s death in 1973, Wells spent a year in Humphrey Lyttelton’s band, and also worked with many visiting soloists at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, including Stan Getz (with whom Wells toured Scandinavia), Warne Marsh, Benny Golson, Blossom Dearie, Dexter Gordon, Roland Kirk, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin and James Moody as well as a who’s who of the greatest British jazz players from Tony Coe to John Taylor and from Gordon Beck to Evan Parker. He went on to renew his association with Bobby Wellins with whom he formed a lasting partnership, as well as leading his own trios with Gwilym Simcock often taking the piano chair.

Eddie Myer is deeply involved in all aspects of music making, playing with his own bands as well as acting as director for the New Generation Jazz project enabling young people to get involved playing jazz music. He’s performed around the world in a variety of settings from rock to Afro-Cuban music – QOW TRIO enables him to express his love of the jazz tradition and bassists such as Israel Crosby, Henry Grimes, George Tucker and Richard Davis.  He’s released two albums with his Eddie Myer 5tet featuring Mark Edwards and Tristan Banks, and is in demand across the South Coast as a reliable, swinging and creative player. For the last fifteen years he’s co-run the legendary Monday night jazz jam session at The Bee’s Mouth in Brighton.

Press Quotes

“From fine to sublime, the follow-up to this generation-spanning trio’s debut album is a stunning achievement… massively recommended.”

BBC Music Magazine

“This sets the bar high for album of the year. It’ll take some beating.”

Matthew Wright, Jazz Journal

“Listening to The Hold Up for the first time immediately reminded me why I love jazz so much.”

Nick Lea, Jazz Views

“The trio keep everything loose and fun, while keeping the quality of their exchanges and energy levels at a high pitch. Their fluency in melding tradition-grounded language with contemporary jazz, together with sparkling spontaneity, keeps the entertainment standard high.”

Neil Duggan, All About Jazz

“This band are really about loving joy at living inside this music – Four Stars ****”

Nic Hasted Jazzwise

“QOW Trio is bursting with exuberant, energetic playing and imagination. Their second album manages to make what might seem a tired format lively and exhilarating: it positively fizzes with excitement.”

Patrick Hadfield – London Jazz News

“The trio are ever more firmly thinking and responding as one … go and hear them if you can.”

Peter Vacher, The Jazz Rag

“This is a vibrant second album … the unstoppable Riley Stone-Lonergan backed by the uninhibited drumming from vetern Spike Wells and the muscular bass of Eddie Myer… a big warm sound that keeps you listening”

Hi-Fi NEws And Record Review

“QOW TRIO are a simply phenomenal live act”

Kevin Whitlock, Jazzwise