Su Rossy Girod - Three Trios (2024)

Jorge Rossy is an influential Catalonian jazz drummer, pianist, vibraphonist, and marimbist. His precise, fluid touch on the drum kit has graced hundreds of recordings by artists ranging from Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson, to Mark Turner and Kurt Rosenwinkel, to name a scant few. Further, his résumé as a first-call touring sideman includes work with artists as diverse as Woody Shaw, Charlie Haden's Quartet West, and Joe Lovano. Rossy and his bass-playing brother Mario Rossy made their debut as co-leaders with Mehldau on 1993's When I Fall in Love, billed to the Mehldau & Rossy Trio. He joined the pianist's trio in 1995. Rossy is a formidable composer and leads an all-star vibes and marimba quintet. Their debut, 2015's Stay Here and 2018's Beyond Sunday, won critical notice across the globe. In 2020, Rossy played drums with pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and bassist Jasper Somsen on the widely celebrated trio offering Common View.

Born in Barcelona in 1964, Rossy began playing drums at age 11. He was formally educated in music composition and began a study of jazz pianists; he claimed they informed his sense of touch on the kit. Continuing to develop his skills through hours of daily practice, Rossy developed into a formidable jazz drummer by the time he was in high school, he was sought after by local and traveling jazzmen. Between 1980 and 1989, he worked live with a number of touring artists, including trumpeters Woody Shaw, Kenny Wheeler, and Jack Walrath. His love of the trumpet became a catalyst for study. In 1989 he moved to Boston to attend the Berklee School of music, where he majored in trumpet. He couldn't escape the drums, though -- nor did he wish to: Rossy became the drummer of choice for many of his peers. He joined pianist Danilo Perez's trio and toured the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Upon return he subsequently joined the Paquito D'Rivera Sextet and remained for two years.

In 1991 Rossy and his brother Mario moved to New York City. He The drummer himself launched himself into the jazz scene early by working on the bandstand and in the studio with several of his Berklee classmates including saxophonists Mark Turner and Chris Cheek, and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. In addition, he and Mario formed their own groups. Jorge won steady gigs accompanying younger bandleaders including Brad Mehldau, Ethan Iverson, Reid Anderson, and Avishai Cohen. In 1993, the Mehldau-Rossy Trio cut When I Fall in Love for Fresh Sound, followed almost immediately by the two-volume New York-Barcelona Crossing for the same label. The group was expanded into a quartet for these outings with the addition of tenorist Perico Sambeat.

In 1995, Rossy joined Mehldau's trio with bassist Larry Grenadier. He remained for 11 years, playing on all five Art of the Trio volumes, Largo, Anything Goes, and House on Hill. During his tenure with the pianist, Rossy branched out; he also toured and recorded with Joshua Redman, Mike Kanan, Ben Monder, and Ben Street, among others.

He moved back to Barcelona in 2000 and began to shift his focus to the piano, though he still worked mainly as a drummer. In 2003, he made his debut as a pianist on the Jordi Matas Quintet's All That Matas, and reprised it two years later on Racons. In 2006, Rossy returned to Fresh Sound, leading his own piano trio on the critically acclaimed Wicca with drummer R.J. Miller and organist Albert Sanz. Two years later he led a piano quintet on Iri's Blues for Moskito Records that included Miller, bassist Street, saxophonist Raffi Garabedian, and son Felix Rossy on trumpet and cornet.

Rossy played drums with Steve Swallow's quintet on Into the Woodwork, and later that year worked in pianist Ethan Iverson's quartet with Grenadier and saxophonist Lee Kontiz on Costumes Are Mandatory for High Note. Two years later, he served as vibraphonist and marimbist on Aphorism in collaboration with pianist Michael Beck and saxophonist Iri's Blues for Moskito Records that included Miller, bassist Street, saxophonist Raffi Garabedian, and son Felix Rossy on trumpet and cornet.

In 2016, Rossy released Stay There, the debut long-player by his marimba and vibes quintet. Its personnel included drummer Al Foster, Turner on tenor, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and bassist Doug Weiss. Later that year he reprised his role as a session drummer on Fox with electric guitarist Pierre Perchaud and bassist Nicolas Moreaux.

In 2018, Rossy returned to work with Landolf in a pianoless quartet. Entitled Off the Cuff, the set also featured tenorist Bill McHenry and double bassist Bänz Oester. He also issued Beyond Sunday for Jazz & People, the sophomore outing with his vibes and marimba quintet. It featured guitarist Jaume Llombart in place of Bernstein. In 2020, the drummer worked with pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and bassist Jasper Somsen on the widely acclaimed trio offering Common View for Challenge Records. That year he also played in guitarist Jakob Bro's trio with trumpeter/electronicist Arve Henriksen on the ECM album Uma Elmo. It saw release in February 2021. ~ Thom Jurek