Laurie Moore Trio at Leith Jazz & Blues Festival

Laurie Moore Trio
Bowler's Rest, Leith
A Tribute to the Bass Boss
Edinburgh
June 6, 2026

Young double bassist Laurie Moore confidently led his trio through two full sets of A Tribute to the Bass Boss, celebrating the music of bass legend Ray Brown. The musicianship was top-class, the program well chosen and the upbeat mood sustained with apparent ease. The show marks the arrival of this Scottish talent in the top division.

Moore arrives with an impressive résumé for a 24yearold. A fourth-generation double bassist, he graduated from the prestigious Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland at just 20 and studied with the likes of John Patitucci. He reached the final of the 2024 BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician competition and has since been building a professional career in both jazz and commercial music (we all must eat!).

Ray Brown (1926—2002), as many readers will know, was widely regarded as the leading bassist of his generation. From his early start with Dizzy Gillespie's big bands in the mid1940s through support from impresario Norman Granz (Jazz at the Philharmonic) to his work with Ella Fitzgerald and the Oscar Peterson Trio, he rose steadily over the first decade of his career. In the years that followed, he became a byword for swinging style and pinpoint soloing on the "bull fiddle." Less remembered perhaps is his skill as a composer—his own tunes made up a good portion of this performance.

Moore chose his sidemen well. Pianist Peter Johnstone is at home in many settings from The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra to his own International Organ Quartet with vibes player Joe Locke. Illinois-born Max Popp is Edinburgh's first-call jazz drummer when both power and sensitivity are required with a long list of international engagements behind him. The public was clearly eager—by my estimate, they could have filled the small side room at the Bowler's Rest pub several times over with many turned away.

The show opened, fittingly, with "Ray's Idea," Brown's first recorded composition for Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra in 1947. Without trumpets and saxophones to carry the melody, Moore did what any self-respecting frontman would do—he took it himself and with aplomb. Popp's drums provided a crisp foil with fourthbeat rim shots aplenty. "Frankie and Johnny" (recorded by Brown with Milt Jackson) again featured Moore on the tune, swinging hard; a chunky bass solo followed. Brown's Grammy-winning "Gravy Waltz" (minus Steve Allen's lyrics) brought a fine solo from Johnstone with more than a little pitter-patter in the mix.

"Brown Ballad," written for Quincy Jones, featured a superb bass solo that drew the room's full attention. Heinz Meier and Johnny Mercer's "Summer Wind," made famous by Frank Sinatra and a late career favorite of Brown's, saw Johnstone swaggering along on piano to great effect. Throughout the set the trio communicated with ease—nods, glances and the occasional "here we go" body cue. The first set closed with Brown's "F.S.R. (For Sonny Rollins)," a 16 bar head based on the "Doxy" chords that grew into a storming climax.

The pace didn't let up. Opening the second set, "Buhaina, Buhaina," Brown's tribute to Art Blakey, put Max Popp front and center, seizing the moment with both sticks. Popp has a remarkable ability to play to a small room—keeping the volume low then lifting it dramatically before dropping to a whisper in an instant. "Cottontail" delivered perhaps the most energetic music of the night with Johnstone driving so hard one half-expected smoke to rise from the keyboard.

The performance closed with "Captain Bill," Brown's tribute to Count Basie, with bass leading and all joyfully following. For an encore they offered Henry Mancini's "The Days of Wine and Roses," with Moore delivering perhaps his best solo of the night—sprightly, well placed and buoyant. One hopes we'll be hearing much more from Moore (and his merry men) soon. Indeed, they are appearing at Edinburgh's The Jazz Bar on June 27, 2026.

This performance was part of the Leith Jazz & Blues Festival, an annual event that takes over the former port—now one of Edinburgh's liveliest areas. The 2026 edition featured 29 venues over a single weekend with dozens of performances across many musical styles. Thanks to sponsorship, every event offered free admission (and yes, the musicians do get paid!).

Set List

Ray's Idea; Frankie and Johnny; Gravy Waltz; Brown Ballad; Summer Wind; F.S.R. (For Sonny Rollins); Buhaina, Buhaina; Cottontail; Black Orpheus; Blues for Junior; Captain Bill; The Days of Wine and Roses (Encore).