Ben Crosland's Threeway

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.

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.

“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