Thursday 17th December
Trilogy
Tonight I did not want to stay in; so I looked on Facebook to see what gigs were on and noticed there was a free gig at Duffy’s bar, put on by Paul Collins of Wakeup. Trilogy was headlining. So that looked like it would be worth getting off the sofa for; little did I know what lay in store for me.
The first time I saw Market Harborough band Trilogy was at the old Walkabout bar in Granby Street. I was impressed. Trevor Cobbe saw them at The Donkey, on 27th March, again a headline slot. He wrote:
…it’s becoming difficult to think of new superlatives for the sound these three Market Harborough lads deliver. Self described as a fusion of jazz, blues and funk, Trilogy are growing in confidence. They have always been a tight unit but their stage presence and audience interaction is now developing and tonight they seem to be revelling in the freedom of being the headline act. They mix their act up with long and short numbers and vocal and instrumental. [Music in Leicester]
The three musicians of Trilogy are all superbly good musicians; that is obvious; two of them are fine singers. Tonight a sizeable crowd of people had turned up to support them at Duffy’s bar. The first thing you notice is that at least two of them swap instruments quite a few times. Adam Marshall plays the drums and sings some of the songs whilst playing guitar; Greg Burns sings, plays the keys and also plays the drums. Whilst the band describes its genre as ‘jazz/blues’, as tonight’s set demonstrated, they also play a variety of other styles of music. Tonight’s set was adorably eclectic. Their opening song Pocket Watch was very much in the groove of blues. Adam Marshall provided the vocals for this one. Then they swapped; Greg Burns went to the keyboard and did the singing while Adam Marshall took over the drums for a performance of Eastring which was astonishingly good and the vocals were exceptional.
The first things that strikes me about Trilogy is that they are in the same class as some of the greatest jazz/blues bands to have come out of Leicestershire: comparisons with The Kenworthy Trio, Cream Tangerines, Smokestacks and The Bobcats are justified. Leicester has not been short of top class blues and jazz bands over the years. What I like about this is that it’s not all about punk, metal and hardcore. Good though these genres are, it makes a satisfying change to get some music that requires musical craftsmanship of high standards. Trilogy performed their own songs with the occasional cover interpretation thrown in for good measure. Many of the songs delivered complex tapestries of sound with highly impressive guitar solos woven in. The band’s performance of Back Track showed just how good they are at commanding rhythm, pace and mood; a vibrant tune laced with glorious passages of guitar work. The band ended their set with a new song that was laden with rich rhythms, not unlike the scintillating beats of ska. It was ace.
I am so glad that I went tonight. This set was a moment in the musical life of Leicester; an experience not often equalled these days. This was almost a random gig (well for me at any rate) one not hyped by a blaze of publicity over several weeks. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to gain a richly rewarding experience.
Keith Jobey saw the band in September when they headlined at The Soundhouse.
Photo: Keith Jobey
Trilogy was mentioned in our review of Monday 19th January when they played with Cohesion [Music in Leicester] Trevor Cobbe wrote: Describing themselves as a ‘jazz/blues/funk unit’, they are an incredibly tight and talented young band. They open with a superb instrumental number Pocketwatch and mix their set up with both instrumental and vocal numbers. Adam and Greg twice swapped instruments and this dexterity and their natural rapport with the audience belies their youth… Their sound is impressively rich and deep and if their development continues as it has so far, they will be a band to watch very closely.
Trilogy are: Adam Marshall – Guitar/Vocals/Drums, Greg Burns – Drums/Vocal/Keys, Jake Bentley – Bass.
Trilogy’s set list tonight
Pocket Watch
Eastring
Paper walls
Higher
I wish (cover)
Back track
Love ain’t gonna let you down
Limp ship
Crown me the king
Space
ICFMF
See also:
