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Russ Lossing Trio: Oracle

By Mark Corroto
May 17, 2011
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Pianist Russ Lossing's trio evokes a dreamlike state on Oracle, by communicating an atmosphere of unearthly elegance through trance-inducing energy.

Lossing, bassist Masa Kamaguchi and drummer Billy Mintz commune at this level because they'd been a working trio for six years when this studio recording was made in 2007. Besides that, all three bring experience from the fertile jazz world: Lossing, as a member of bands led by

Paul Motian

drums
1931 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian,

Dave Liebman

saxophone
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Liebman, and

Mat Maneri

viola
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Mat Maneri; Kamaguchi, with

Frank Kimbrough

piano
1956 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Kimbrough,

Matt Renzi

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Renzi, and

John O'Gallagher

saxophone, alto
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">John O'Gallagher; and Mintz, in bands with

Vinny Golia

woodwinds
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Vinny Golia,

Tony Malaby

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Malaby, and

Nels Cline

guitar, electric
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Nels Cline.

Like his previous recordings—the solo All Things Arise (Hatology, 2007) and trio session, As It Grows (Hatology, 2004) (with Motian and

Ed Schuller

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Ed Schuller)—Lossing's composing and playing tends to be meditatively sparse, but satisfyingly sufficient, petitioning the listener to fill in the gaps of silence. This is accomplished through sometimes achingly slow passages that rely on expression over thrills.

The disc opens with Lossing drifting into the melody of "Swimming Dragon," as Mintz and Kamaguchi apply accents instead of a pulse, segueing from a simple theme into sliced abstraction. Likewise, the title track begins simply enough, with ruminations on a dream that evolve into a flurry of energy. The trio plays as if its group improvisation is not on the melody, as much as it is a meditation. The solidarity of its fantasy is the attraction here. Even when

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk is imagined on Mintz's left-handed tribute, "Beautiful Ugly," the trio eschews stride piano for a two-handed dance, with the drummer supplying his own travel plans. The music is beautifully open, applying time at an unhurried pace that favors accent over cacophony.

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Track Listing

Swimming Dragon; Beautiful Ugly; No Trace; Oracle; Intermezzo; Love And Beauty; Huge; Underground Ballad; Caldron.

Personnel

Russ Lossing

piano

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

Album information

Title: Oracle | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Hat Hut Records

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