Press Quotes
"...an iconoclast in the best sense of the word, a true innovator."
- All About Jazz
“...an intrepid searcher with an end point in mind.”
- New York Times
- "Lossing is, plain and simple, a monster. " - Jazziz Magazine
- “Lossing shines as brightly as any of the jazz pioneers who preceded him
in mapping out their own musical journeys.” - Downbeat Magazine
“ a gripping improviser, pulling ideas out of the air and nudging them into the action at hand as if they always belonged there” - Village Voice
"Among today's modern jazz pianists, Russ Lossing stands out as one of the artists who intelligently travels between jazz and contemporary music."
-France Musique
"Pianist Russ Lossing's trio evokes a dreamlike state on Oracle, by communicating an atmosphere of unearthly elegance through trance-inducing energy. The music is beautifully open, applying time at an unhurried pace that favors accent over cacophony."
-All About Jazz
"I like the way Russ Lossing plays my music."
-Paul Motian
Stylistically, Lossing is,
simply, a “space man”—like
Thelonious Monk and Paul
Bley, letting the spaces be-
tween notes do the talking.
-ICON Magazine
“…The pianist illuminates the silence, suspends the time, and intensifies the collective flux. The wealth of his harmonic knowledge, the fluidity of his phrasing and his attention to the weight of every single note creates a sound palette for endless pleasures.”
--- JAZZMAN MAGAZINE (FR)
Thursday, February 7, 2019
The Companionship and Intimacy of The Trio
Pianist, composer, and interpreter Russ Lossing has had a fascinating career, one that now spans three + decades. He has worked with so many contemporary musicians, ranging from drummer Billy Hart to saxophonist Dave Liebman to guitarist John Abercrombie to vocalist Kendra Shank to cornetist Kirk Knuffke and beyond. There are really good reasons for his seemingly steady employment but the most notable is that Lossing is a thoughtful and creative pianist who truly immerses himself in every musical situation and gives his all. As a leader, he's recorded albums for Hat Art, Fresh Sounds New Talent, Clean Feed, SteepleChase Records, and Sunnyside, many in a trio setting as well as several solo recordings.
- Step Tempest
“strikingly lyrical”
- jazztimes
“For an agent provocateur, pianist Russ Lossing has never hidden his interest in the pretty side of a tune.
- Downbeat Magazine
“Lossing has it all.”
- All About Jazz
“Pianist Lossing is a joy. Exploration of the themes is what the listener feels, emotionally and intellectually,”
- Cadence Magazine
“Lossing is a thinking man’s pianist. He intelligently creates and refashions themes within a variety of frameworks. He’s a multifaceted artisan.”
- jazz review.com
“Russ Lossing is a pianist of extreme depth and intensity.” - AAJ
“Open spaces often insinuate themselves in the music of the pianist Russ Lossing.”
- NY Times
Bold yet sensitive...
- Time Out New York
“Add Russ Lossing to the current list of jazz piano luminaries”
- All About Jazz, NY
“ Lossing’s musicianship at the keyboard is masterly”
- Cork Examiner
A masterful utilizer of musical space...
- Hot House
“ Lossing knows the value of sound. A cagey improviser, he has a way of sounding animated while maintaining an almost noble poise”
- Jazziz Magazine
“Lossing packs his playing with suspense”
- Len Wallis Audio
"Drum Music" should be listened to at night, in a dimly lit room, with no distractions. There is beauty in the softer passages, power in the more intense moments and heightened sense of creativity at all times. - CultureCreature
"Drum Music requires close attention. There is no flag waving or gratuitous display of any sort. Russ Lossing is a serious musician interpreting the work of another serious musician. He brings it the gravitas it deserves. It’s the art of a genuinely great pianist. Lossing hasn’t merely captured the letter of Motian’s compositions, he’s captured their spirit." - emusic
"Lossing is the expert like no one else to explore in depth the unconventional and inspiring genius of Motian the composer. "Drum Music" is a stunning improvisational solo recital, a convincing plunge into 10 Motian compositions. This is music in between contemporary jazz and up to date tonal concert music."
-(JS)Der Sonntag
Since the passing of Paul Motian, several tributes have been released that reexamine the iconic drummer’s contributions as a composer. None are more heartfelt and moving than Russ Lossing’s remarkable solo-piano tribute to the late, great Motian. A frequent collaborator over the past 12 years, Lossing understands Motian’s music from the inside out. His renditions of “Conception Vessel” and “Olivia’s Dream” are breathtaking in their clarity and beauty, and 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 such exquisite Motian staples as “Mumbo Jumbo,” “Last Call,” “In Remembrance of Things Past” and the melancholy “It Should’ve Happened a Long Time Ago” all vibrate with a new spirit of exploration. Just as Paul would’ve wanted it.
Bill Milkowski- jazz times
“Drum Music” has a disciplined rigorous, highly intellectual sound that is played out in a perfectly relaxed organic way. It’s a great testament of Motian the composer, a wonderful solo piano record in any context, and a fitting tribute to one of jazz’s greatest artists.
--FreeJazzCollective