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Russ Lossing

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Russ Lossing
Born1960
Ohio, U.S.
OriginColumbus, Ohio, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger
Instrument(s)Piano, keyboards
Years active1970s–present
Websiterusslossing.com

Russ Lossing (born 1960) is an American jazz pianist, composer, improviser, arranger, educator, and scholar.

Early life

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Lossing was born in Ohio in 1960,[1] and is from Columbus, Ohio.[2] He had classical piano lessons from the age of 5 and began studying jazz aged 13[1] in Columbus at the Jazz and Contemporary Workshop with Dave Wheeler. He obtained a Bachelor of Music in piano at Ohio State University[1] in 1986. Meetings with composer John Cage had a big effect:

We only had two occasions to get together and talk, but any time spent with him was utterly valuable. He read through my scores we played piano together. His thing was creating, not emulating: don't copy; trust YOURSELF. I was already going in this direction but this experience, listening to Cage's concepts and philosophy in this setting, made so much sense.[1]

Later life and career

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Lossing has been part of the New York jazz scene since 1986.[2] In 1988 he earned a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.[1] He has led or co-led numerous bands, including: his own trio with Masa Kamaguchi and Billy Mintz; Three-Part Invention with bassist Mark Helias and trumpeter Ralph Alessi; and duos with saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Gerry Hemingway, and guitarist Ben Monder.[1] Others are: trio with Paul Motian and Ed Schuller (Dreamer and As It Grows); trio with Mat Maneri and Mark Dresser (Metal Rat); trio with John Hebert and Jeff Williams (Phrase 6); quartet with Loren Stillman, John Hebert and Eric McPherson (Personal Tonal); King Vulture with Adam Kolker, Matt Pavolka and Dayeon Seok; and duos with saxophonist Loren Stillman, bassist John Hebert (Line Up,Hatology), and saxophonist Michael Adkins.

Lossing played with drummer Paul Motian over a period of 12 years[1] and recorded Drum Music, a solo piano tribute album to him in 2011.[3] The JazzTimes reviewer of Drum Music commented that "his two-fisted takes on 'Fiasco', 'Dance' and 'Drum Music' capture the great drummer's unpredictable and audacious rhythmic pulse. Lossing's stark re-imaginings of [... other Motian pieces] all vibrate with a new spirit of exploration."[4]

Lossing has composed over 400 pieces of music.[1] In 2015, he founded the record label Aqua Piazza.[1]

Playing style

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Scott Yanow, reviewing Lossing's As It Grows, commented that the pianist "is influenced by modern classical music to an extent but his playing is not unremittingly atonal. Instead, he leaves his impressionistic music open to all possibilities, mostly emphasizing dramatic ideas and unexpected silences."[5]

Lossing said of his own style: "Much 20th century composition is about interval play, especially Bartok and Schoenberg's. The 12-tone thing helped him to get his ideas onto paper, but it was always about the intervals. I'm a jazz pianist but my harmonic approach is based on this concept – finding new sounds and new expressions among the intervals."[1]

Discography

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An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

As leader/co-leader

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Year recorded Title Label Personnel/Notes
1990 Blue Alien Soho No How Trio, with Ed Schuller (bass), Peter LeMaitre (drums)
1999* Change of Time OmniTone Trio, with Adam Kolker (tenor sax, bass clarinet), John Hébert (bass)
2000* Dreamer DoubleTime Trio, with Ed Schuller (bass), Paul Motian (drums)
2000 Metal Rat Clean Feed Trio, with Mat Maneri (viola), Mark Dresser (bass)
2002 As It Grows HatOLOGY Trio, with Ed Schuller (bass), Paul Motian (drums)
2004 Phrase 6 Fresh Sound Trio, with John Hébert (bass), Jeff Williams (drums)
2005 All Things Arise HatOLOGY Solo piano
2006 Line Up HatOLOGY Duo, with John Hébert (bass)
2007 Oracle HatOLOGY Trio, with Masa Kamaguchi (bass), Billy Mintz (drums)
2009 Personal Tonal Fresh Sound Quartet, with Loren Stillman (alto sax), John Hébert (bass) Eric McPherson (drums)
2011 Drum Music: Music of Paul Motian Sunnyside Solo piano
2012 Eclipse: Solo Piano Improvisations Aqua Piazza Solo piano
2018? Whispers and Secrets Fresh Sound Co-led with Adam Kolker (sax); with Masa Kamaguchi (bass), Billy Mintz (drums)[6]
2019? Motian Music Sunnyside Trio, with Masa Kamaguchi (bass), Billy Mintz (drums)[7]
2020? Metamorphism Sunnyside Quartet, with Loren Stillman (alto sax), John Hébert (bass), Michael Sarin (drums)[8]

As sideman (partial list)

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Year recorded Leader Title Label
1997 Loren Stillman Cosmos Soul Note
2003 Loren Stillman Gin Bon FSNT
2003 Loren Stillman How Sweet It Is Nagel-Heyer
2003 John O'Gallagher Arabesque Records AJ0164 Abacus
2007 Michael Adkins Rotator hatOLOGY
2008 Michael Attias Live in Coimbra Cleanfeed
2010 Michael Adkins Flaneur hatOLOGY (released Jan 2018)
2011* Samuel Blaser Consort in Motion Kind of Blue
2012* Michael Bates Acrobat: Music for, and by, Dmitri Shostakovich Sunnyside
2012* Jeff Davis Leaf House Fresh Sound New Talent
2013* Michael Bates and Samuel Blaser One from None Fresh Sound New Talent
2013 Samuel Blaser A Mirror to Machaut Songlines
2013 John O'Gallagher Anton Webern Project Whirlwind
2014 Jeff Davis Dragon Father FSNT
2014* Kirk Knuffke Chorale SteepleChase
2015 Samuel Blaser Spring Rain Whirlwind
2017* Lena Bloch Heart Knows Fresh Sound New Talent
2018 Samuel Blaser Early in the Mornin' OutNote Records

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pietaro, John (February 2015) "Russ Lossing". The New York City Jazz Record. p. 7.
  2. ^ a b Adler, David "Phrase 6 – Russ Lossing". Fresh Sound Records. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  3. ^ Ephland, John (October 2012) "Russ Lossing: Drum Music". Down Beat. p. 61.
  4. ^ Milkowski, Bill (October 13, 2012) "Russ Lossing – Drum Music". JazzTimes.
  5. ^ Yanow, Scott "Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  6. ^ Elfman, Donald (December 2018). "Whispers and Secrets: Adam Kolker/Russ Lossing (Fresh Sound)". The New York City Jazz Record. No. 200. p. 36.
  7. ^ Elfman, Donald (March 2019). "Motian Music: Russ Lossing (Sunnyside)". The New York City Jazz Record. No. 203. p. 28.
  8. ^ McCree, Cree (March 2021). "Russ Lossing: Metamorphism". DownBeat. No. 88. p. 3.
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