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.
What you might not know is that, as a young man, he studied with the avant-garde composer John Cage and what I did not remember until reading the liner notes of his new recording, "Motian Music" (Sunnyside), was his long and close relationship with drummer and composer Paul Motian. The drummer would invite him up to his New York City apartment to help work on his compositions plus recorded several excellent albums as a sideman with the pianist. This tribute is a follow-up to Lossing's 2012 solo exploration of the late Motian's music "Drum Music" (also on Sunnyside). For the new album, Lossing works alongside his rhythm section of the past two decades, bassist Masa Kamaguchi and drummer Billy Mintz.
If you paid any attention to the music of Paul Motian since his ECM days (his debut as a leader, "Conception Vessel", came out in 1973) is that many of his pieces embraced melody and not always rhythm as one might expect of a drummer. "Motian Music" opens with "Asia", a lovely ballad first recorded by the drummer in 1978. One can hear the influences of American folk music as well as the melodic explorations of Keith Jarrett who the drummer first started working with in 1966. This tune stretches out easily, opening and closing with quiet solo piano.
The intimacy of the music is underscored by the fact that the trio recorded in the same room and that each piece was recorded in one take. That can only happen if there is great trust among the participants as well as an intimate knowledge of the material. Listen as the trio wends its way through "Jack of Clubs", swings heartily on "Fiasco" and "Dance", and gently moves through "Introduction" (a piece from 1985's "It Should Have Happened Here", the first trio effort by Motian, guitarist Bill Frisell, and saxophonist Joe Lovano). Kamaguchi has a deep bass sound and a great melodic sense while Mintz plays in the tradition of Motian, never overdoing anything, at times quiet as can be, and with excellent work on the cymbals.
"Motian Music" closes with the whisper-soft "Psalm" a piece so quiet at the outset one has to lean into the speakers. Soon, you can make out a melody from the piano as the bass plays a slow counter-point. The drums and cymbals color the piece as the music floats forward. The sounds seem to hang in the air, like early morning clouds on a Spring morning awaiting the sunrise. A glorious ending to a splendid album of music. Russ Lossing's love and respect for Paul Motian the man and composer shines through every track - the listener is the beneficiary and, honestly, in these days of uncertainty and daily unkindness, one needs this music.
For more information, go to www.russlossing.com. (The album will be released on February 22).
Here's an uptempo track to whet your appetite
Photo: Harvey Tillis
Over the course of four albums, the Joe Policastro Trio - Policastro (bass), Dave Miller (electric guitar), and Mikel Patrick Avery (drums, percussion) - has proven itsefs as adept translators of many different styles of music, from their 2013 debut where the Trio (albeit with a different guitarist and drummer) danced its way through Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" to its delightful interpretations of popular music that one can hear on its more recent efforts.
Album #4 (and the third release by the current trio since June of 2016) is "Nothing Here Belongs" (JeruJazz) - the nine-song program features six Policastro originals and three unique covers including a fascinating remake of "The Wandering Sea", first recorded in 1963 by Santo & Johnny (who are best known for 1959's "Sleep Walk"). Miller, who is also currently working with saxophonist Greg Ward's Rogue Parade, blends a country music feel into his guitar sound while Avery (whose creative music credentials include working alongside cornetist Rob Mazurek and bassist Joshua Abrams) keeps a steady, uncomplicated, yet urgent beat.
I grew up musically in the 1960s when trios such as Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience defined the "power trio" (in those days, that meant three musicians and a wall of Marshall amplifiers). Over the years, I found the trios led by John Abercrombie, Jim Hall, Bill Frisell, Jeff Parker, and several others very appealing. The rhythm section is so integral to the success of the music and the lead guitarist needs to balance melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic duties. That is also what is so appealing with the JPTrio. Yes, the leader stands out as the chief composer here yet, without the interaction and intelligence of Miller and Avery, the music would not shine. What the listeners get on "Nothing Here Belongs" is a band that likes to take chances without blowing your ears off. As they have done on previous recordings, the music moves from "swing" rhythms to blues to folk-influenced pieces to rock to jazz (even a touch of "surf" guitar.) The trio has no fear - they tackle Talking Heads "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" and really capture the emotion inherent in the piece. They also get "down & dirty" on the bassist's "Bloodshot" yet listen to Miller's guitar moving through various styles. Policastro's "Plain Song" is a fascinating and handsome melody that suggests Frisell's country side with a funky touch. Yet, there is an intensity that pushes the piece forward, especially when Miller goes into his solo. The leader solos on most tracks - that's good because he's quite a melodic player. He also enjoys playing counterpoint to Miller on many of the tracks. Avery is so supportive; he rarely steps out but the drums are a force throughout.
The Joe Policastro Trio is blessed with a 3-day-a-week (Sunday through Tuesday) steady gig at Pops for Champagne, North State Street in Chicago. That regular schedule (3 sets a night) allows the band to continually work on material, tighten it up, revisit older pieces, play with arrangements. "Nothing Here Belongs" is enjoyable from start-to-finish and I recommend you listen several times to understand just how good this music and the JPTrio is.
"Suno Suno", the new recording by guitarist-composer Rez Abbasi, is his first for ENJA Records and second with his formidable quintet known as Invocation. Here, as on 2009's "Things to Come" (Sunnyside Records), Abbasi creates a fascinating program of music for Vijay Iyer (piano), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Johannes Weidenmueller (bass) and the splendid drummer Dan Weiss. The percussionist has been a mainstay of Abbasi's groups (save for the Acoustic Quartet) for over 5 years is the lynchpin of this music. The compositions are informed by the guitarist's love of Qawwali music from his native Pakistan (he was born in Karachi but raised in Southern California). Pieces such as "Thanks for Giving" and "Onus On Us" (the title of the CD backwards but also Hindi for "listen") have rhythms that may remind some listeners electric jazz-rock from the 1970s. Yet, it is never bombastic nor static and the solos are very good. Mahanthappa displays a fuller tone than on his recent "Samdhi" project (released on ACT Records), still playing in that vigorous style of his - on more than one occasion, his solos sounds like a fusion of Indian music and Charlie Parker riffs. Listen to the way Iyer weaves blues riffs and Cecil Taylor-like power into his solo on "Onus On Us." "Monuments" has a similar feel in its rhythmic drive and bounce - Weidenmueller's thick bass and Iyer's single-note left hand lines create a solid bottom while Mahanthappa and Abbasi play the melody. Things get both fiery and funky during the guitar solo, with Abbasi playing off Weiss's pulsing percussion. The forward motion of "Part of One" is irresistible and the way the melody plays against then with the beat makes the piece stand out; then again, the solos by Abbasi, Iyer and Mahanthappa and the way that Weiss spurs them to intense playing is also quite glorious.
It's a treat to get lost in this music. Played loud, the rafters shake - even on lower volume, one can not miss the intensity of the interplay and the joyous work of the rhythm section. To find out more, go to www.reztone.com.
British-born pianist John Escreet creates music that has myriad influences and, for such a young person, sounds like no one else. His debut recording, "Consequences" (Posi-Tone Records), recorded when he was 24 (he's now 27), displayed a musician with great technique and burgeoning compositional talent - by the time "Don't Fight the Inevitable" (Mythology) hit the racks in 2010, there was no doubt Escreet was a force to be reckoned with. "Exception To The Rule" is his first for Gerry Teekens' Criss Cross Jazz label and features his compatriot (and mentor) David Binney (alto saxophone, electronics), drummer Nasheet Waits (he's appeared on 3 of the pianist's 4 CDs) and bassist Eivind Opsvik. Unlike many of the releases on Teekens' label, there is an experimental edge to this music (several of the shorter tracks feature electric piano and synthesizers) - "The Water Is Tasting Worse" has such a complex rhythmic patterns that the execution of it creates great tension. Binney's billowing alto solo over Escreet's accompaniment ( a swirl of pounding chords alternating with swift, single-note, runs) is a highlight of the program. "Escape Hatch" opens with a rapid-fire melody line and then, after a piquant alto solo (over impressive percussion), the pianist plays impressionistic figures while synthesizer sounds erupt around him(and the rhythm section colors the background.) The multi-sectioned "Wayne's World" (a piece from Escreet's debut CD) goes in many directions with the interplay of Waits and Opsvik with Escreet particularly impressive. Binney's solo is filled with melodic twists, a percussive attack that moves the track forward and, at times, "out." After the solo reaches its climax, Escreet takes a short, unaccompanied, solo that starts quietly but picks up fire, leading the rhythm section back in for more fiery interplay (Binney rejoins the trio to take piece out.)
"Exception to the Rule" is an excellent program that should be listened to in one sitting. If you only check out the shorter electronic pieces or the longer, up-tempo romps, you will not get the full effect of the project. John Escreet is an exciting composer and Messrs. Binney, Opsvik and Waits make his writing come alive. He is also an exciting musician as well as a person who has no fear of experimentation, crossing genres and avoiding cliches. What more can an adventurous listener ask for? To find out more, go to www.johnescreet.com.
The week after drummer-composer Paul Motian's passing on November 22, Ottawa-based journalist Peter Hum posted a series of remembrances from a dozen musicians who either worked with or were influenced by the master of understatement and supreme musicality. Veteran players, such as Lee Konitz and Marc Copland, share their thoughts along with his long-time band-mates Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano as well as younger collaborators like Dan Tepfer and Jerome Sabbagh. If you start with the comments of Larry Goldings, you can find links to the other musicians at the bottom of the page. Go to http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2011/11/27/musicians-on-motian-xi-larry-goldings-writes/ - the tributes are heartfelt, honest, touching, and giving the often irascible Mr Motian a sweet sendoff.
Pianist-composer-journalist Ethan Iverson (keeper of the keyboard in The Bad Plus) weighs in on the life and appeal of Paul Motian on his blog, "Do The Math." Read it and you'll learn even more why this drummer was such a influential and inspiring musician (with a wicked sense of humor). Go to http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/the-paradox-of-continuity.html - once you finish reading, find some Motian music and be thankful for his long, fascinating, career.
By now, anybody who is a fan of jazz knows that Paul Motian died Tuesday morning (the link to the obituary in the New York Times is here). The drummer/composer had a wonderfully long career, beginning in the late 1950s and a stint with pianist Bill Evans and truly coming to notice with Keith Jarrett in the 1970s.
But, his CDs as a leader on Black Saint, ECM and Winter & Winter is what most fans of his music love him for. Motian did not really follow fashions; instead he created pieces that opened improvisational doors for his fellow musicians while he (usually) eschewed the spotlight. He played alongside bassist Charlie Haden in a number of projects (besides the Jarrett "American" Quartet, they recorded with a series of wonderful CDs with pianist Geri Allen) and had a long-standing trio with guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano. Motian recorded standards as well as Broadway show tunes and bebop swingers while his own compositions were often, in later years, ballads with long melody lines. His recent work with saxophonist Bill McHenry, pianists Frank Kimborough and Russ Lossing and trumpeter Enrico Rava displayed his "minimalist" tendencies. Paul Motian did not "swing" like the bebop drummers he grew up listening to; more likely he was constructing percussive "cushions" for soloists and space for bassists to create counterpoint. If you pay attention to the sound of his drums on the ECM CDs with Frissell and Lovano, he plays as much melody as they do as well his own aural sound-scapes that captured the ear without overwhelming the songs. Still, he was no slouch when it came to playing rhythms and there are a slew of recordings to back up that claim.
There should be plenty of well-deserved tributes to Paul Motian - on the eve of Thanksgiving, one should give thanks he had such a long and often fascinating career. Terry Gross chatted with Motian in 2006 and it gives great insight into his style - go to www.npr.org/2006/03/13/5256495/paul-motians-jazz-garden-of-eden. Then, listen to him put his ideas to work in this 2008 live gig from the Village Vanguard, a place that was Motian's home away from home (especially in the later years of his career when he rarely left New York City. Go to www.npr.org/2011/06/10/94206624/paul-motian-bill-frisell-joe-lovano-live-at-the-village-vanguard and enjoy the ride.
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