Henry Lowther Band -

The Henry Lowther Band was an English jazz-rock quintet that released the 1970 Deram album Child Song. Lowther arrived with trumpet credits on albums by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Wynder K. Frog, Keef Hartley Band, Colosseum, Jack Bruce, Locomotive, Michael Gibbs, and the Mike Westbrook Concert Band. Saxophonist Tony Roberts and bassist Daryl Runswick held current roles in Ray Russell‘s brass-rock big band Rock Workshop. Roberts also appears on 1970/71 albums by Galliard, Nucleus, Egg, Bill Fay, and Samurai.

Lowther proliferated as a sessionist behind Neil Ardley, Michael Garrick, Norma Winstone, Spirogyra, Bryan Ferry, Caravan, Lynsey De Paul, Gordon Giltrap, and Barbara Thompson. In 1972, he cut an album with the brass-rock combo Coley. Drummer Mike Travis played on subsequent albums by Jackie McAuley, Stomu Yamash’ta, Gilgamesh, and Hugh Hopper. Runswick tallied more than fifty Seveties-era sideman credits, including mid-decade titles by Catherine Howe and Guy Skornik.

Members: Henry Lowther (trumpet, flügelhorn, violin, percussion), Tony Roberts (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, percussion), Mike McNaught (electric piano, percussion), Daryl Runswick (bass guitar, double bass, percussion), Mike Travis (drums, percussion)

Background

The Henry Lowther Band formed in London in 1970 when trumpeter–violinist Henry Lowther assembled tenor saxophonist Tony Roberts, electric pianist Mike McNaught, bassist Daryl Runswick, and drummer Mike Travis for a Deram leader project.

Lowther learned cornet from his father in Leicester and played in a local Salvation Army band, then studied violin with Manoug Parikian at the Royal Academy of Music. Lowther entered the London jazz circuit with Mike Westbrook in 1963 and joined Group Sounds Five with saxophonist Lyn Dobson, pianist Ken McCarthy, bassist Ron Rubin, and drummer Jon Hiseman. Manfred Mann recruited Lowther and Dobson after seeing Group Sounds Five at the Green Man on Blackheath Hill in 1965, and both hornists remained through the final months of the Paul Jones lineup.

Lowther returned to jazz and session work with John Dankworth, Graham Collier, Neil Ardley, Michael Garrick, Mike Westbrook, and John Mayall. Drummer Keef Hartley recruited him for the first two Keef Hartley Band albums, where Lowther played trumpet, flugelhorn, violin, and piano and wrote brass arrangements. Hartley took the band to Woodstock in August 1969. Lowther and tenor saxophonist Jimmy Jewell cut their final Hartley tracks at Trident Studios that December, after which Lowther secured a recording contract from Deram.

Roberts came to London after six years in an Army music corps and worked with Alexis Korner, John Dankworth, and bassist Danny Thompson. Roberts also played in a 1967 trio with Thompson and guitarist John McLaughlin. McNaught led the London Jazz Four, which added Travis at drums after a personnel change. Runswick replaced bassist Brian Moore in the final configuration, and the quartet adopted the Atlantic Bridge name for a 1970 album on Dawn. Ray Russell led both Roberts and Runswick in the concurrent brass-rock ensemble Rock Workshop.

Lowther therefore drew McNaught, Runswick, and Travis from an established rhythm unit and paired them with Roberts on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet. Lowther brought the quintet to Morgan Studios in May 1970 with Neil Slaven as producer. Jimmy Jewell returned as guest tenor saxophonist for the “Plaything” sequence, while Slaven added percussion. Lowther took the same quintet to London’s 100 Club by midyear, where the band performed much of the recorded program. Lowther and Slaven completed the six-title program as Child Song for Deram.

Discography: