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All the members of 3-Legged Stella agree that forging a unique sound isn’t easy in theory or in practice. But the instrumental trio wouldn’t have it any other way. The realization came early for Lou Larson. While studying guitar at NKU, he was attracted to avant-garde Classical music.
“I wanted to be involved in performing the music, which is unacceptable in Classical, and I wanted some improv to be involved, something at which few classical performers are skilled.” These desires, and the purchase of a few key albums (Ask the Ages by Sonny Sharrock and Coltrane’s A Love Supreme) cemented Larson’s future in Jazz.
Drummer Joe Burns was also at NKU, majoring in percussion. He and Larson met frequently when fellow students sought out Rock-oriented accompaniment.
“It was always, ‘Joe’s the best Rock drummer, and Lou’s the only guy who can read music and use distortion,’ ” Larson recalls with his ubiquitous staccato laugh.
The pair became fast friends.
“He’d throw me a John Coltrane record, and I’d give him Tortoise,” Burns says of Larson. Like many, Burns appreciated Progressive Rock and the thrill of reproducing difficult parts, but eventually that grew tiresome. “It’s more of a challenge to play things differently each time and still have the same theme,” he offers.
Bassist Mike Georgin took a bit longer to come around completely. He’s been a fixture on the local scene for a decade, splitting time between Jazz and Mainstream outfits including Over the Rhine, Monk, Plow on Boy and Pay the Girl. Despite PTG’s ostensible success, it was that experience that ended Georgin’s focus on “the childhood dream of getting signed.”
“It killed it,” says Georgin, “which is great. In the aftermath of that, I took the time to figure out why music is important to me.”
Freedom and creativity must have been at the top of the list, as these are the aspects of 3LS that Georgin accentuates. “You feel the parts as long as you want, then you move to the next part,” he says. “You get so caught up in what the band is doing, it’s not about theory or chords or scales. That level of expression is completely addictive, and it’s really hard to play straight music after playing this stuff.”
The music is as intoxicating to listen to as it presumably is to write and perform. The compositions are exploratory Jazz with subtle Rock overtones, a very dark and organic corner of Fusion. It’s best described by what it isn’t: predictable, dissonant or dated.
Before 3LS, all had collaborated in projects that highlighted each player’s individual style. In the Post-Pop band Kailip, Larson showcases his throbbing tremolo and creative meandering while Burns coaxes different intensities from his unmuffled snare.
Larson and Georgin formerly manned a traditional Fusion outfit, Slant. Georgin’s parts were filled with his trademark sustain, pitch-bending and speed. But those talents are not compatible with the upright he uses with 3LS, so his style has become more percussive by necessity.
3LS perform some standards, but only pieces that showcase their telepathic improvisation. “We stick with open, modal tunes so we can really take it somewhere,” explains Georgin.
“Most improvising groups in Cincinnati are playing standards from the ‘Golden Era of Jazz,’ ” laments Larson. But he understands. “It takes some energy to watch music when you don’t know where it’s going to go.”
Burns chimes in with a cheerful assessment: “I think people are becoming more intelligent listeners. They enjoy a broader spectrum of music live and are willing to accept the unusual and appreciate that more.”
This is true for 3LS. Their shows are well attended by a diverse and growing cross-section of fans. They hope to build a following large enough to attract touring Jazz acts from Chicago and New York City, places they’d also like to play. Part of their plan is to get on diverse Rock bills locally to maximize exposure to open-minded listeners; to do so, they’ve shifted from three-hour sets to 45 minutes.
Georgin is just happy to draw a crowd. “We’re in the band; we shouldn’t be surprised,” he jests, “But when people actually show up and get into it, it’s great.” 3-Legged Stella
This article appears in Apr 27 – May 3, 2005.
