The TAKE FIVE Q&A is a series of ‘interviews’ where all participants take the same five questions.
The RBG Trio are Dave Redmond (double bass); Kevin Brady (drums); Meilana Gillard (tenor & alto saxophones)
Can you tell us about your new album?
Meilana Gillard: Our album is a collection of tunes we each contributed (some together) and they’re a reflection of many of our influences. One of the things that I realised early on when getting to know Kevin and Dave was that they both love a huge variety of music across several genres. That’s something we connected on. We love groove and melody coupled with the earthy openness of the saxophone trio format. This gave us a lot of options to play around with regarding texture, dynamics and interplay.
‘Deep Blue’ was fully improvised and came out sounding like something we had pre-composed together. There are the happy & uplifting moments, the sad moments, reflective moments and danceable groove-driven moments. The blues is always present though sometimes less in the foreground. We’re essentially representing all the things we dig without thinking too hard about it.
Kevin and Dave are both great musicians and there’s a feeling that we can take the music anywhere, and I really like that. When we got together in 2019, we had covered some Nirvana and Soundgarden and we released a single cover of their tune ‘Black Hole Sun’ and after the pandemic we were able to release another single in sort of a Grunge Jazz Raga vibe that I wrote called ‘Neither Here nor There’. “Learn to Surf’ continues some of that energy, but there’s still a lot of bop on the album. I’m always going to want to swing. Trends will be trends, but swing will always feel great. I think there are melodies you can take away with you on this album. Rather than just vehicles for solos and I really enjoy that.
The sonic quality is great, Alex Borwick tracking and Dave Darlington’s mix and master are just excellent. We’ve definitely had challenges leading up to being able to get in the studio. We live 3.5 hrs apart, but it didn’t stop us! So we’ve been waiting quite a while to be able to put out a full length project and couldn’t be happier to have it finally released now.
Kevin Brady: I first started playing with Dave Redmond (bassist) nearly 20 years ago. We have gone on to perform as a rhythm section with a huge amount of musicians both in Ireland and Internationally. When we both first playing with Meilana, it was very apparent that she was such a great musician and person and that the sound and feel we were producing on concerts was a great fit.
This album I would say is a snapshot of the type of music the group likes to collectively perform, drawing on many styles and adapting the sound of a chordless trio to that material in a modern context. There is a lot of interplay and listening going on with this band but also the music showcases everyones musicality and experience, there was 1 rehearsal of the material before the recording session and I personally think that helped with the final result of the music, and gave it an edge. Not being overly produced but capturing the right sound in the studio was key and I think that is apparent on our debut record as a trio.
What other projects are you currently involved with?
Meilana Gillard: With RBG Trio, we have more to go this year and next appearing at some great festivals. In Derry where I live, I play and sing often at a great small venue called Bennigan’s Bar in various configurations. The John Street Quintet is one of the bands I play with featuring Michael Barkley (trumpet), John Leighton (Piano), Rohan Armstrong (Bass), and James Anderson or Andrew McCoubrey (Drums).
I’m teaching an initiative for women in jazz through a great organisation called Moving On Music out of Belfast. I have some great shows coming up with the incredible UK Guitarist (now living in Ireland) Phil Robson. We’re very lucky to have him here. I’m working on some new songs for my vocal projects that I produce and record in my home studio. This winter I’m hoping to round up my band ‘The Funkitects’ for some fun times, I’ve been missing them. I also play saxophone along side a great singer/composer, Comrade Hat (Neil Burns). His music is so colourful and so creative. He’s one of my favourites for sure!
Kevin Brady: As well as The RBG Trio, I am busy organising a series of workshops at the Newpark Academy of Music in Dublin which will feature various International musicians visiting Ireland. Then on the live scene here in Ireland I will be performing in a piano trio format on separate occasions with U.S. pianists Randy Ingram & Bill Carrothers. I am also working towards recording a new album in 2024 with my own group which is an electric quartet.
Dave Redmond: Other projects include working with many musicians on the Irish and international jazz scene including George Colligan, Larry Coryell and Bill Carrothers.
What are you currently listening to and what was the last CD or download you bought?
Meilana Gillard: I’m currently checking out the Tina Brooks album ‘True Blue’ which is technically his only album where he’s fully the leader and not a co-leader. He died at age 42 (which is my current age), and it has me thinking about how incredible he was at that point and what we all missed out on by him leaving us too soon. He and Freddie sound so good together. I had heard his album with J-Mac and love that one, and I had skimmed over ‘True Blue’ but it feels great to really dig into it properly now. The last album I bought was Tyshawn Sorey Trio ‘Continuing with Aaron Diehl and Matt Brewer. I loved their album “Mesmerism’ so it was only natural that I get the next installment. I was incredibly fortunate have Tyshawn play drums on my debut album ‘Day One’. He’s someone who really can do anything and he makes everyone around him sound their best. It doesn’t matter what music he’s playing; he’s making it better.
Kevin Brady: I have currently been listening to Makaya McCraven – Deciphering the Message, really enjoying his take on tunes like ‘Ecaroh‘ by Horace Silver interesting music.
Dave Redmond: I’m currently listening to ‘Yam Yam’ by Mark Turner. Really Enjoying ‘Tune Number One’
What is your all-time favourite album and why?
Meilana Gillard: This always surprises people but it’s ‘John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’. From a big picture standpoint, for me, it’s a perfect album. Everyone is there to serve the music. There’s a magic feeling in the atmosphere of it all. McCoy Tyner’s flourishes and Trane’s simple beautiful melodies that just let his gorgeous sound shine. The comping always breathed and shone a light on Jimmy Garrison, or Elvin at what to me feels like just the right amount. All of these things worked together so well in supporting that rich velvety baritone that Johnny Hartman had, and it just really takes you somewhere else. The balance of everything is just spot on. Somewhere more beautiful than wherever you’re standing now. It has really made me zoom out and look at the big picture in my own music.
Kevin Brady: For me, I would have to say the ‘Four & More’ Live album with the Miles Davis Quintet. As a drummer listening to that group play is a textbook in up tempo ensemble performance coupled with the prodigious talents of Tony Williams. There is an unbelievable level of fluency and telepathy happening with that recording.
Dave Redmond: My favourite album might be a greatest hits by Al Green or Sly and the Family Stone. I’m really enjoying listening to those artists at the moment anyway.
Who has caught your attention recently that we should be listening out for?
Meilana Gillard: In a sea of young people with tons of free access to information and super chops, it’s really hard to just point out one of them. I don’t envy younger musicians (or really anyone) having to promote themselves in the times of the social media “shred” videos. It puts a lot of pressure on them to flex more than connect emotionally to music, but I do realise that’s not always the case and there are quite a few who can’t be boxed into that description. I’m not drawn to technique; I’m drawn to creativity and a beautiful sound. A few musicians I’d like to point out that I have seen really put in work and have grown to become really great musicians are Northern Irish guitarist (now living in London) Joseph Leighton, and Conor and Micheal Murray who are twins from County Donegal in Ireland playing double bass and alto saxophone. Conor is now in NYC and Micheal is in Amsterdam. The twins have an album out and I’m sure it won’t be long until Joseph has something as well. Everyone else I’m listening to; you’ve probably already heard.
Kevin Brady: Just at the moment, I am going through a period of time listening to older albums and players, I haven’t been on the lookout for new music, I feel it’s a good thing to return back to the music that influenced me when I first started playing and I want to try and absorb that on better level at the moment.
Dave Redmond: There’s an English pianist called Ashley Henry who I feel is very underrated.
Click here to read our review of the debut album by RBG Trio
