Mood Suite Reviews

jpc.de

Eine umwerfend gelungene neue Trio-Einspielung!

"Mood", wahlweise zu übersetzen mit u.a.: Gemütslage, Laune, Stimmung, Anwandlung, Verfassung, Befinden u.v.a. liefert den programmatisch spannenden und spannungsreichen Rahmen für die neueste kompositorisch-improvisatorische Kreation des faszinierenden Pianisten Russ Lossing und seines prominent besetzten Trios aus der New Yorker Jazzszene. Schade nur, dass (hoffentlich nur vorläufig) noch keine Soundclips auf obiger Trackliste aufgeschaltet sind, damit sich die Hörer auch eine akustische Vorstellung von Lossings neuester CD machen kann, die sich ziemlich radikal von ihrem Vorgänger "Changes" abhebt(mit zehn pfiffig unkonventionell verpackten Standard-Tunes, ebenfalls von SteepleChase produziert). Zur gefl. Erinnerung: Der heute 60-jährige Leader war der erklärte und lebenslange Lieblingspianist des unkonventionellen Drummers Paul Motian. Ursprünglich im Umfeld des Pianisten Paul Bley angesiedelt, hat aber Lossing längst seine eigene und unverwechselbare musikalische Stimme gefunden. Mit den beiden erfahrenen Sidemen Mark Helias(bass) und Eric McPherson(drums) ist dem Trio eine von A bis Z überzeugende, packende und bewegende Einspielung geglückt. Ausdrücklich erwähnenswert sind die fein empfundenen Linernotes des Jazzpublizisten Neil Tesser. Kurz: Meine wärmste Empfehlung für eine der allerbesten aktuellen Pianotrio-CDs, eine absolut grossartige und anregende Musik von drei unbestrittenen Könnern!

-Jürg Sommer 2020

(English translation)

A stunningly successful new trio recording!

"Mood", optionally to be translated with: Mood, mood, mood, attitude, condition, state of mind and much more. provides the programmatically exciting and exciting framework for the latest compositional-improvisational creation of the fascinating pianist Russ Lossing and his prominent trio from the New York jazz scene. It's just a shame that (hopefully only for the time being) there are no sound clips on the above tracklist so that the listener can get an acoustic idea of Lossing's latest CD, which differs quite radically from its predecessor "Changes" (with ten cleverly unconventionally packaged Standard tunes, also produced by SteepleChase). To the gefl. Reminder: The now 60-year-old leader was the declared and lifelong favorite pianist of the unconventional drummer Paul Motian. Originally settled in the environment of the pianist Paul Bley, Lossing has long since found his own distinctive musical voice. With the two experienced sidemen Mark Helias (bass) and Eric McPherson (drums), the trio achieved a convincing, gripping and moving recording from A to Z. The finely perceived liner notes by jazz journalist Neil Tesser are expressly worth mentioning. In short: My warmest recommendation for one of the very best current piano trio CDs, absolutely great and stimulating music by three undisputed experts!

-Jürg Sommer 2020

Dusty Groove 2020

We hope that pianist Russ Lossing doesn't get run down, standing in the street like that – partly because we don't like to see folks get hit by cars, but also because we're really gaining a new appreciation of his music with the complex original material on this album! The set features one long "Mood Suite" – and Lossing's got this way of approaching the piano that's maybe more modern than we remember at times – with some dark corners that are almost in Ran Blake territory, and a similar way of mixing modern inflections with a return to subtle swing at just the right points – aided perfectly by the bass of Mark Helias and drums of Eric McPherson! Helias has an especially nice way of shading things in similar tones to Lossing – and Russ sometimes blows out with these incredibly deft runs on the keys, almost as if he's about to go off the rails, but always making a hell of a lot of sense. Sections of the suite include "Paranoico", "Obsessed", "Introspectiv", "Curieux", "Postlude", and "Naughty".

English translation:

More classical on the instrumentation side, Mood Suite ****, by pianist Russ Lossing with Mark Helias, bass, and Eric McPherson drums, explores more captivating lands, where silence would be like a very special invitation: abstract and melodic at the same time, his ten compositions serve an open, meditative, demanding jazz, where the interaction is permanent and which fans of Paul Bley's trios should appreciate - Russ Lossing recently devoted an entire disc to the music of a great traveling companion of Bley : the late Paul Motian (Motian Music, Sunnyside 2019). Etienne Dorsay

Jazz Magazine(France)