Russ Lossing Trio: Oracle (2011) All About Jazz

By GLENN ASTARITA,

Published: May 25, 2011

Track review of "Love and Beauty"

Haunting, meditative, solemn and high-impact are descriptors that bear pianist Russ Lossing's approach and sensibilities. While Oracle denotes his trio's debut effort for hatOLOGY records, it's been a working unit for several years, largely based in New York City. The program is architected via disparate levels of pitch amid a capacious vibe, but the trio often picks up steam and executes through a vast plane of propositions, where gravitational pull and heavy-artillery counterattacks balance the flowing contours.

Drummer Billy Mintz tenders the hauntingly melodic "Love and Beauty." With Lossing's interweaving voicings amid a pensive tone, the primary theme sparks elicit imagery of love lost and hope. Bassist Masa Kamaguchi's poignant notes add to the impressions of lament while the pianist's swirling arpeggios and animated choruses intimate a heated reconciliatory event. It's a thoughtful and irrefutably persuasive musical statement, where the trio poses a stunning array of tightly aligned contrasts, signifying a major highlight of the album, teeming with divergent perspectives and superior musicianship.

Personnel: Russ Lossing: piano; Masa Kamaguchi: bass; Billy Mintz: drums.