Jon Cowherd Trio
ft. Tony Scherr & Brian Blade
Contemporary Jazz / Post-bop (USA)
AVAILABILITY FOR EUROPE
2026 | March 1st to 11th
Line‑up
Jon Cowherd | Piano
Brian Blade, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Iggy Pop, Rosanne Cash, Lizz Wright, Bill Frisell, John Patitucci, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, James Taylor
Tony Scherr | Bass
Norah Jones, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Willie Nelson, Feist, Rufus Wainwright, Ani DiFranco, Rickie Lee Jones, John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob
Brian Blade | Drums
Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Daniel Lanois, Kenny Garrett
Style
Cowherd shapes the center with a singing touch and narrative phrasing; voicings fold gospel light into modern extensions and chamber‑like clarity, letting space itself carry melody. Scherr grounds and replies: a warm, woody, song‑centric bass sound, supple time and melodic counter‑lines that hint at Americana while remaining firmly, flexibly jazz. Blade orchestrates motion—tuned cymbal color, brush arabesques and dancing backbeats—making pulse elastic, form alive, and silence part of the groove.
Overall profile
Co‑founder and chief compositional voice of the Brian Blade Fellowship, pianist Jon Cowherd leads a trio that balances deep song sense with contemporary jazz agility. The sound pivots on Cowherd’s cantabile phrasing and modal/tonal palettes, Scherr’s warm, centered tone and melodic counter‑lines, and Blade’s dynamic shading—brushes to explosive figures—without ever breaking the flow. Harmonic vocabulary moves from gospel‑tinged cadences to modern post‑bop extensions; rhythm traces pliable swing, backbeat‑leaning grooves and quietly propulsive ostinati. Roles are fluid: the bass often carries second melody, the drums orchestrate form, the piano frames space as much as it fills it. References surface (Ellis Marsalis school clarity; Fellowship’s pastoral lyricism; Americana hues), yet the trio’s identity is concise and song‑true. Weighted by the leader’s authorship (0.5) and completed by Scherr and Blade (0.25 each), the project’s “DNA” privileges timbre, interplay and narrative arc over display—music that breathes, sings and speaks plainly. (Updated: Oct 3, 2025)
Member details
Jon Cowherd — piano. Co‑founded the Brian Blade Fellowship; studies at Loyola with Ellis Marsalis shaped a lyrical, composer‑forward approach. As a leader, Mercy (2013/2014) and Pride & Joy (2022) define his voice: cantabile lines, modal light, and chamber‑aware form. Longtime partner to Blade and Patitucci, with work spanning Joni Mitchell to Rosanne Cash. (“With music this well‑conceived … ‘Mercy’ was well worth the wait.” — John Kelman, All About Jazz, 2014‑07‑11)
Tony Scherr — bass. A rare double threat (bassist/guitarist), Scherr brings songcraft and pocket from projects with Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob and The Lounge Lizards. Leader albums (Come Around, 2002; Twist in the Wind, 2008) and Frisell’s Guitar in the Space Age! highlight his warm sound and elastic time. (“Propelled by Scherr’s fast‑walking bass.” — John Fordham, The Guardian, 2017‑07‑18)
Brian Blade — drums. A cornerstone of Wayne Shorter’s final quartet and architect of the Fellowship aesthetic. Colorist and time‑sculptor with an orchestral ear; equally at home in trio dialogue or widescreen lyricism. Credits span Shorter, Hancock, Corea, Charles Lloyd. (“The American powerhouse Brian Blade … irradiates the session with his joy at making music.” — Michael J. West, DownBeat, 2024‑05)
Discography highlights
• Jon Cowherd — Mercy (ArtistShare/Blue Note, 2013/2014); Pride & Joy (Le Coq, 2022); Gateway (Newvelle, 2017).
• Tony Scherr — Come Around (Smells Like Records, 2002); Twist in the Wind (2008); with Bill Frisell: Guitar in the Space Age! (2014).
• Brian Blade — with Wayne Shorter: Without a Net (Blue Note, 2013), Emanon (Blue Note, 2018); with Fellowship: Landmarks (Blue Note, 2014).
Quotes
Jon Cowherd
• “With music this well‑conceived … it’s been well worth the wait.” — John Kelman, All About Jazz, 2014‑07‑11 — https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jon-cowherd-mercy-by-john-kelman
• “I like to arrange standards for singers but if I’m going to create a statement as a player then I want to write my own music.” — Ian Patterson, All About Jazz (interview), 2013‑11‑25 — https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jon-cowherd-mercy-mercy-me-jon-cowherd-by-ian-patterson
• “…attacking eight tracks that show their powerful chemistry and technical wizardry.” — Filipe Freitas, JazzTrail, 2022‑08‑23 — https://jazztrail.net/blog/jon-cowherd-trio-pride-and-joy-album-review
Tony Scherr
• “…propelled by Scherr’s fast‑walking bass.” — John Fordham, The Guardian, 2017‑07‑18 — https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/18/bill-frisell-trio-review-jazz-cafe-london
• “…with drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Tony Scherr locking on the backbeat, it’s sublime.” — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2014‑10‑07 — https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/10/bill-frisell-guitar-in-the-space-age-review-the-jazz-guitarist-has-stopped-exploring/381111/
Brian Blade
• “…the American powerhouse Brian Blade … irradiates the session with his joy at making music.” — Michael J. West, DownBeat, 2024‑05‑29 — https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/time-again
• “…forms the elastic backbone for each track with an incomparable mix of grace and drive.” — Chris Barton, Los Angeles Times, 2013‑02‑07 — https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-xpm-2013-feb-07-la-et-ms-jazz-album-review-wayne-shorter-without-a-net-20130205-story.html
Reviews
• Jon Cowherd — Mercy — All About Jazz — John Kelman — 2014‑07‑11 — https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jon-cowherd-mercy-by-john-kelman
• Jon Cowherd — Interview “Mercy, Mercy Me” — All About Jazz — Ian Patterson — 2013‑11‑25 — https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jon-cowherd-mercy-mercy-me-jon-cowherd-by-ian-patterson
• Jon Cowherd Trio — Pride & Joy — JazzTrail — Filipe Freitas — 2022‑08‑23 — https://jazztrail.net/blog/jon-cowherd-trio-pride-and-joy-album-review
• Jon Cowherd — “Art of the Story: The pride and joy of Jon Cowherd” — WBGO — Leo Sidran — 2023‑02‑03 — https://www.wbgo.org/music/2023-02-03/art-of-the-story-the-pride-and-joy-of-jon-cowherd
• Jon Cowherd Trio — Pride & Joy — Financial Times — 2022‑08‑22 — https://www.ft.com/content/dddc8aab-67c2-4830-99b2-bcd77f76df7c
• Bill Frisell Trio (w/ Tony Scherr) — Live review — The Guardian — John Fordham — 2017‑07‑18 — https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/18/bill-frisell-trio-review-jazz-cafe-london
• Bill Frisell — Guitar in the Space Age! — The Atlantic — David A. Graham — 2014‑10‑07 — https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/10/bill-frisell-guitar-in-the-space-age-review-the-jazz-guitarist-has-stopped-exploring/381111/
• Wayne Shorter Quartet — Without a Net — Los Angeles Times — Chris Barton — 2013‑02‑07 — https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-xpm-2013-feb-07-la-et-ms-jazz-album-review-wayne-shorter-without-a-net-20130205-story.html
• Wayne Shorter — Without a Net — The Guardian — John Fordham — 2013‑01‑31 — https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/31/wayne-shorter-without-net-review
• Wayne Shorter — Emanon — Pitchfork — Matthew Kassel — 2018‑09‑20 — https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/wayne-shorter-emanon
• Portrait of Jon Cowherd — SFJAZZ — Rusty Aceves — 2024‑10‑29 — https://www.sfjazz.org/onthecorner/articles/portrait-of-jon-cowherd/
