Maverick musicians bring feelgood factor to jazz

The Neil Cowley Trio favour tight tunes over loose improvisation.

They play Cork this weekend, says Kieran Bohane

FALLING somewhere between rock, pop and the hard place that is jazz, pianist Neil Cowley could be seen as a maverick. For many traditional jazzers (if there still is such a thing), his penchant for composing tightly written pieces, albeit with an earworm quality, is a little too foot-tappingly predictable. But to write Cowley off as some flash-in-the-pan pianist whose music is a triumph of style over substance would be folly. He is the type of artist who could, no doubt, baffle audiences with his brilliance as he heads off down an improv road to God-knows-where, but chooses instead an energetic approach guaranteed to bring a smile. He is the kind of musician who can generate the all-important feelgood factor and help pull a new generation into the world of jazz music.