Russ Lossing: Expressing Emotion Through Music

Russ Lossing: Expressing Emotion Through Music

by Troy Collins

New York City based American pianist, composer, and improviser Russ Lossing is a relatively unsung master who demonstrates a command of the tradition with an original approach that blends tonal and non-tonal musical languages with myriad improvisational techniques.

Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1960, Lossing quickly moved from classical piano lessons at the age of five to studying jazz when he was thirteen at the Jazz and Contemporary Workshop with Dave Wheeler, eventually earning a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music in the late 1980s. Touring incessantly ever since, Lossing has performed in some of the world’s leading jazz clubs, concert halls, and festivals in North America and Europe over a span of more than 35 years.

An active member of the York jazz scene since 1986, Lossing is featured on over 60 albums as a sideman and collaborator with celebrated musicians such as Billy Hart, Dave Liebman, and John Abercrombie, among countless others. Most notably, Lossing played with legendary drummer Paul Motian for 12 years and was a member of the Paul Motian Quintet, which played weeklong engagements at the Village Vanguard in New York.

Lossing has composed over 400 pieces and released around two dozen albums as a bandleader on an array of independent labels, including Clean Feed, Double Time, Fresh Sound, HatHut, OmniTone, Steeplechase, and Sunnyside, as well as six albums on his own Aqua Piazza Records. Having led or co-led numerous bands over the years, Lossing’s current working ensembles include: his trio with Masa Kamaguchi and Billy Mintz; Triple Dip with Samuel Blaser and Mintz; Mood Trio with Mark Helias and Eric McPherson; a quartet with Loren Stillman, John Hebert, and either Michael Sarin or Eric McPherson; King Vulture with Adam Kolker, Matt Pavolka, and Dayeon Seok; and duos with Loren Stillman, Gordon Grdina, and Gerry Hemingway.

I interviewed Lossing in the early spring of 2025, just after he returned from a European tour with Triple Dip, which coincided with the release of Moon Inhabitants, a trio recording with bassist Masa Kamaguchi and drummer Billy Mintz on Sunnyside Records that comprises a dynamic mix of vibrant originals, canonical jazz tunes, and rearranged standards.

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Troy Collins: Some early biographical information might be of interest to readers unfamiliar with your background. How did you get your start playing music?

Russ Lossing: I began classical piano studies in 1965 at the age of five. When I was ten years old, I became fully aware of the concept of improvisation. At that point I began my daily practicing by improvising before I started working on my lesson material. At first, I would improvise for 10-15 minutes non-stop, and then gradually increase the time to one hour over the next couple of years. Over the decades I developed my own vocabulary, concepts, and strategies. I started jazz lessons when I turned 13. In addition to jazz and classical music I have explored many other types of music including Indian Classical, Various African traditions, Balinese, Folkloric Music from around the world, Funk, Rock, R&B, Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and many others.

TC: Did you have any memorable teachers or mentors that influenced your approach to music?

RL: In the classical piano realm George Haddad is responsible for my technique. I started studying with him at age 21 and he broke down my technique and rebuilt it. He showed me how to play with absolute relaxation in every moment automatically, a process that took the better part of a year to fully understand and implement. I do some of the exercises that he showed me to this day as a constant reminder. It’s easy to fall into bad habits, so it is important to refresh the principles of mechanics on a daily basis. I also studied briefly with classical pianists Earl Wilde, Ruth Laredo and Andre LaPlante. On the jazz side I began jazz studies at a place in Columbus, Ohio called Jazz and Contemporary Music Workshop led by Dave Wheeler, a great teacher and remarkable personality. I started my jazz studies with Scott Steelman there, also an excellent teacher, composer, and player. Later I studied with Dave. At O.S.U. I studied for a year with jazz organist Hank Marr, which consisted of just playing duos – a great experience with a master be-bop pianist/organist. I would say that 98% of what I know as a jazz pianist and composer is self-taught, however. Actually, I believe all artists are essentially self-taught.

And by the way, I studied composition with Henry Brant and he introduced me to John Cage, whom I had two “lessons” from. We spent 3-4 hours discussing music and philosophy as well as playing duos on his piano; 1 piano/4 hands improvising. A great experience, he was a unique individual. (I was 23 or 24 at the time).

TC: You mentioned studying for a year with jazz organist Hank Marr. As someone who plays an entire range of keyboards (both acoustic and electric) does your approach vary depending on the instrument, and if so, how?

RL: I approach every instrument for what it actually is. So, I don’t try to play a Rhodes in the same way I would play an acoustic piano. It has tines, not strings. The hammers are plastic/rubber, not felt. It’s a totally different instrument other than the actual keys. I bought my first Rhodes in 1977 and over some years developed a personal sound on it. I still use the same effects pedals that I bought in the ‘70s. Same goes for Wurlitzer Electric Piano and Clavinet. Way back before I moved to New York I did organ trio gigs quite often in Columbus, but I never really got into the pedals – i.e., walking the bass with your feet. I also got into synthesizers and spent time in studios creating electronic music, electro-acoustic as well as Musique Concrete. I now mostly play acoustic piano, but I do have a recent record out called Alternate Side Parking Music in which I play piano, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer all at once live in the studio. It’s a nice record – no overdubs.

TC: Continuing with the acoustic versus electric dynamic, while you tend to mostly play acoustic piano, there are quite a few instances of you playing analog keyboards as a sideman; the most notable to me is with Michael Bates and/or Gordon Grdina. Since those performances tend to use a fair amount of creatively implemented effects, I’m curious what your approach is to sound construction, when you’re typically relegated to an acoustic instrument?

RL: With the electric keyboards, particularly electro-acoustic instruments like Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and Clavinet, effects pedals are essential to my approach – similar to electric guitar. Whether electric or acoustic piano I’m always looking to find the broadest possible sonic palette. Tone production is one of the most important aspects of playing the piano, something that pianists work on for years to achieve. That sense of color and shading transfers over to electro-acoustic instruments for me, but can only be fully exploited by the use of external affects. I only use analog effects and use them very sparingly: less is more.

TC: Not to get too techy, but I’m curious what effects pedals you use?

RL: Very old, retro pedals mostly. Boss Super Overdrive SD-1 (original one from the ‘70s), MXR Flanger (also original), Cry Baby Wah Wah Pedal (I have gone through many Wah pedals because they wear out and start to be noisy). That’s it. Other than that, the amp(s) must be tube amps, like Fender Twins etc. It doesn’t take much to create an array of colors and textures, you just have to know how to use the tools.

TC: I believe you’re just back from a European tour. How did it go?

RL: I just returned from a concert of Europe with Triple Dip, a trio of Samuel Blaser (trombone), Billy Mintz (drums), and myself. We have been together as a trio for about two years. This tour consisted of all new original music by Samuel and me. We all learned and memorized the music, which is quite complex, ahead of the tour. We played the first gig of the tour in a Bavarian town called Prien and went on stage without a rehearsal, playing the music for the first time together all from memory – no music on stage. It was a unique experience and very successful!

We traveled for 16 days through Switzerland, Germany, and Italy with one concert up in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The highlight of this tour was two days of recording at Salle de Musique, a renowned concert hall in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Famous for its special acoustics, the hall also possesses an extremely excellent piano which has been hailed as the greatest piano on the planet by classical pianists Martha Argerich and Claudio Arrau. After spending two full days playing this instrument, I would have to agree with them. It’s hard to talk about, but I can say that this piano is so perfect that there is zero resistance to anything I want to play at any time instantly: from a roar to a whisper; as fast as possible; to extreme slow and quiet passages. We recorded five albums in two days.

TC: Five albums in two days? Wow! Can you give more details as to what was recorded and what the similarities and/or differences might be within that much material?

RL: We recorded all of the trio material with multiple takes of each composition, which were composed by Samuel and myself; about 10 pieces. We each recorded a solo album. I recorded 70 minutes of totally improvised music, Samuel recorded about 45 minutes of music and Billy recorded 1 hour of solo drums non-stop. The fifth album is duets that we recorded throughout the two days in the concert hall: piano/trombone, piano/drums, trombone/drums. Four albums of improvised music and one album of compositions (with a lot of improvising within them). It was a great two days in an amazing hall on a fantastic piano and it was all recorded with the utmost care and attention to detail by Martin Ruch, one of the premiere recording engineers in Europe.

TC: That’s a lot of material to record all at once. How do you intend to release it?

RL: I don’t know the answer to this question, ha ha! Samuel and I are discussing this problem. Stay tuned!

TC: Since you’re just back from touring overseas, do you have any recent observations regarding the current state of international affairs for American musicians abroad? Does anything seem different yet, if at all?

RL: I did not feel anything different this time. But many folks wanted to talk about the current political situation in the U.S. Trying not to think about that.

TC: Speaking of touring, the last time we spoke you told me a story about Jim Pepper getting held up in customs. Can you retell this story for the benefit of our readers? It’s quite the tale.

RL: Well, I heard the story from friends that were there for it. I did not know Jim personally. The short version is this:

Going through security before boarding a flight, the security agents asked Jim what was in his saxophone case. He said, “a saxophone.” They said, “do you know how to play it?” He says “yes.” They ask him to prove it. He takes out the tenor and wails like a banshee as loud as possible – my friends heard it all the way down at the gate it was so loud. They quickly let him go through.

TC: I realize every interviewer probably asks you about this, but since you played with Paul Motian for a dozen years, what do you feel your biggest take-away was working with him? I know he was quite a character, so I imagine there were plenty of stories ...

RL: Yes, there are many, many stories! I was lucky to have known him. Despite our age difference we actually became good friends. I will always cherish our friendship. I met him just before I turned 40, so my style and concept was solidly in place. But he had a profound influence on me as a musician. His feel on drums was so easy and his groove so wide that you just felt like you could play anything and it would work. He had a way of playing time that was not actually time, in the strict sense – just creating forward momentum without locking it down and fencing everyone in. I think everyone that ever played with Paul was changed forever. Even though he had a formidable technique, it was never about “what” – just “how” and “when.” We played together for 12 years. We recorded my albums Dreamer and As It Grows, as well as a few records and gigs as side-men and I played in Paul’s quintet for a week at the Village Vanguard.

Paul was attracted to contrast – both in music and the musicians he chose to play his music. He would purposely put together players with opposing styles to keep things interesting and off kilter. Paul enjoyed a certain amount of conflict in his bands because he felt it added an element of energy. He said to me on more than one occasion: “We don’t all have to love each other on the bandstand.” He also constructed his setlists with the same philosophy. He would often alternate between one of his wide-open compositions featuring freely improvised solos and an old song like “Be Careful it’s My Heart” or “Blue Room” – played “in time.” You never knew what was coming next. That way the music never became boring or predictable.

At one point, Paul and I were talking about the whole point of playing and improvising music and he said, “My only job is to make everyone sound good.”

That bit of wisdom has stayed with me ever since.

TC: Since you mentioned recording totally improvised music, what are your thoughts regarding “pure” free improvisation compared to more traditional theme and variations-based strategies – and how do you negotiate the differences between the two in different settings?

RL: Pure improvisation, for me, means improvising from nothing: no discussions; planning; no preconceived ideas or guidance. This concept has been particularly interesting to me since an early age. In a nutshell, my approach to fully improvised music is the following:

Musically speaking, I create my own reality and follow myself into it.

As I improvise, I invent themes and then develop those ideas and let them spin out of my sub-conscious, morphing into sub-themes and asides, mutations, and transformations, cultivating form as well as content as I play in real time. I spin complex webs of themes and melodies, rhythmic motifs, harmonic structures, variations of timbre, and intricate forms. Expression of the full range of human emotions through music is my primary objective.

I think about content, flow, and expression while improvising.

TC: Are all the pieces on your recently released solo album, INVENTIONS: A Suite of Improvisations totally improvised, in the moment?

RL: Yes, the music on INVENTIONS is pure improvisation. Nothing is pre-conceived or written down in advance.

TC: Thinking of recent releases, I’ve been enjoying your new trio recording Moon Inhabitants a great deal but was curious about the sequencing. The album is a wonderful mix of classic jazz numbers and Great American Songbook standards, as well as originals, but the way you’ve arranged it is intriguing. There are dynamic readings of tunes by Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins woven together with sensitive interpretations of pieces by Tchaikovsky and Harold Arlen, and then the album concludes with a trilogy of originals. I was curious what your motivation was for this sequence and whether or not it reflected how the trio’s live set lists are structured?

RL: I am happy you are enjoying my new album Moon Inhabitants! We recorded this album in “real time” in the studio without headphones. All one-takers – no second takes. We did not rehearse these tunes; I just pulled them out and we played them in the moment. The trio has been working together so long that we have a profound, mutual symbiotic relationship. As far as the sequencing is concerned, that’s always an issue when assembling an album. I usually ask for outside advice from trusted sources for their opinions on the opener and closer, etc. In most cases I “audition” a variety of sequences to see which one has the most pleasing “flow.” I decided to put the title track first this time because Sunnyside Records producer Francois Zalacain suggested it as the album title. The original compositions just happen to come at the end because that was how I thought the album unfolded best. Every album that I issue has the same problem of sequencing; a very important aspect of presenting recorded music.

TC: I completely agree with you, I find album track sequencing an incredibly important consideration, especially nowadays when many people listen to music in such unstructured ways – shuffling individual tracks and/or allowing algorithms to create random playlists. As an old school listener, I take notice when an artist has put thought into the sequencing of an album, and it really shows with Moon Inhabitants.

As an encapsulation of almost everything it seems the trio is capable of – from choice of material to performance dynamics – it’s even more impressive that the whole album consists of single takes. At this late stage, does the trio ever get together to rehearse, or do you feel that is un-necessary at this point? And maybe more to the point, how do you introduce new material to a pair of musicians who have worked with you for so long?

RL: No, we don’t rehearse. Actually, we never did. At first, we just got together weekly and played. That’s how we found our “spaces” together. If I want to record original music with this trio, I usually write something specific for the three of us. And I keep it very sparse and easy to realize instantly. If the material is good, it will happen!

TC: Considering your ability to navigate multiple styles and genres, are there any aspects of the tradition you currently find inspiring and/or any established practices you find creatively constraining?

RL: I also love to play “time and changes” and other more traditional jazz-based improvisation practices. I have shed relentlessly on changes, forms, meters, etc. – you name it and I’ve shed it. I believe in intense preparation and then throwing it all away in the moment of performance. Pure instinct.

TC: Switching gears a bit, the touring jazz bands of a prior era featured long-term personnel, but that has largely changed today, for various reasons. What advantages and challenges do you personally find in maintaining so many different groups?

RL: Well, I do have long time ensembles that I work with. My trio with Masa Kamaguchi and Billy Mintz has been together about 25 years. I have been working with trombonist Samuel Blaser for about 15 years. And there are many more long-term musical partners in my life. However, it’s always a challenge to play with new people – and also rewarding. It can be a struggle to connect with some players for whatever reasons, but it’s always worth it because situations that take you out of your comfort zone are valuable for growth, and I’m constantly looking to grow and develop.

TC: As a composer, do you write parts with specific players in mind, or do you embrace a more egalitarian approach, where the tunes are open to interpretation by different groups of players?

RL: I employ both approaches. I wrote mostly very specific music for the latest Triple Dip tour and recording: music designed for Samuel and Billy and me. But I write on a daily basis and just spin out compositions that can be adapted to any ensemble, large or small.

TC: How do personal and stylistic dynamics end up shaping the inner workings of your various groups?

RL: I think everyone chooses players for their bands that they get along with naturally. Ideally, musicality and personality line up nicely.

TC: In reference to performing, how do you feel about studio recording compared to live performance and how does that affect your playing in each situation?

RL: I like both. They are two different experiences. It’s all about listening and being able to hear everyone clearly. In the studio, usually this is not a problem, with or without headphones. Live concerts can get tricky and it comes down to the players (and often the drummer) and the sound engineers for the concert.

TC: Have you had trouble with overly loud drummers in the past? That seems like it could be a common complaint for anyone who plays an acoustic instrument.

RL: Everyone has experienced loud drummers at some point in their careers! I’m very lucky to play with hyper-sensitive drummers – real serious listeners who adjust to the circumstances and room, etc.

TC: In the same line of thought, what are your thoughts on the state of the recording industry, especially regarding archival copies (CDs, LPs) versus more ephemeral formats (downloads, streaming)?

RL: It is what it is. I highly value the record labels that have believed in my music and have issued my recordings. I prefer LPs and CDs. But streaming is very convenient and good for checking out musicians easily. And selling CDs and downloads online is somewhat remarkable. Who knows where it will go next, but it certainly won’t stay where it is forever.

TC: In conclusion, what projects do you have planned for the immediate future?

RL: There is a lot going on these days. As I mentioned, we have just recorded five albums with Triple Dip, I have a new trio album, Moon Inhabitants (with Kamaguchi and Mintz), out on Sunnyside Records, and I will be releasing another trio album this coming September called Proximity Alert with Mark Helias and Eric McPherson, featuring all original music of mine. And there is much more coming including a solo standards album, and two quartet albums that Samuel Blaser and I made last Fall.

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