Personnel:
Russ Lossing (p), Loren Stillman (as), John Hebert (b), Eric McPherson (d)
Reference: FSNT-365
Bar code: 8427328423656
New York based jazz pianist, composer and recording artist Russ Lossing is known worldwide for his highly personal and unique improvising voice. Lossing has composed over 300 works, 21 film scores, and has an international reputation as a world class improviser. Paul Motian, Dave Liebman and John Abercrombie are among the many musicians he has performed and recorded with.
Lossing has seven releases as leader, his Fresh Sound previous release, "Phrase 6" (FSNT-205) has quickly become a cult classic among musicians.
"...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
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"For an agent provocateur, pianist Russ Lossing has never hidden his interest in the pretty side of a tune. This quartet program of nuggets and originals stresses the lyricism hes long held dear: whether essaying a romp through Ornette Colemans School Days, or directing a spin of his own bent bossa Turn, he and his teamsaxophonist Loren Stillman, bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPhersonput micro melodies front and center. This stuff truly sings.
An impressive intra-group connection helps sell the poignancy. Somewhere in the middle of Duke Ellingtons Heaven, perhaps on a two-note Hébert uplift or one of the fetching trills by the leader himself, everything starts to float, and for a sec I believe Stillman gives a smooch to Lady Of The Lavender Mist, as well. The alignment between the alto player and pianist is deep, and its that coordination that makes this music flow so naturally, even in abstract moments (such as the heart of Ley Bay) where collective chatting is the strategy at hand. By the time theyre reconstructing Bird on Scrapple From The Apple, it becomes obvious: Freebop has its graceful side, and even during flashes of frenzy, a well-turned line can carry the day."
-Jim Macnie -Down Beat (**** November, 2010)
