Updated: March 18, 2024
Born: March 29, 1980
A stalwart of the Brooklyn creative music scene, Dan Loomis is a daring leader, a sought-after sideman, and a composer whose unique view of the world and music has led to the creation of innovative and moving works.
Loomis has produced over a dozen recordings as leader and co-leader of collective ensembles including Spoke and The Wee Trio. In 2020, he released the project “Job’s Trials: A Jazz Song Cycle”, an original musical/theatrical presentation which earned glowing praise from the press. A song from “Job’s Trials” went on to become the title track on the album“Abundance”, earning Loomis a Juno Award with Turboprop. The Wee Trio and Spoke also released critically-acclaimed albums in recent years, including Spoke’s (r)anthems in 2014, and The Wee Trio’s recording Wee+3 in 2017. Loomis is also consistently in demand as a recording artist and sideman, most notably with The Joel Frahm Trio and Vadim Neselovskyi trio, which recently recorded with John Zorn on his Book of Beriah release Loomis has toured extensively around the world, all over NYC including many appearances at The Blue Note and Village Vanguard.
In addition to his work on the bass, he’s a prolific composer and leader. He recently formed an ensemble called REVOLUTIONS that uses its music to explore the Haitian and South American uprisings, and to comment on the world’s continuing need for a revolution of spirit and action. His newest compositional project, ‘Songs for the Mother Tree’ explores humanity’s interwoven relationship with Trees.
A small sample of the notable names with whom Loomis has performed includes TS Monk, Gary Burton, Wycliffe Gordon and Joel Frahm. He’s a regular in all of New York’s major clubs and in addition to appearing on stages on every habitable continent in the world.
Awards
"Job's Trials", Top 10 Albums of the Year on UK Vibe, "Wee+3", The Wee Trio, 4 stars in Downbeat "Get up and Go", Vadim Neselovskyi Trio, 4 stars in Downbeat "Ashes to Ashes: A David Bowie Intraspective", The Wee Trio, 4 stars in Downbeat "Live at the Bistro", The Wee Trio, 4 stars in Downbeat "Capitol Diner, Vol. 1" The Wee Trio, 3 1/2 stars in Downbeat
Gear
American Standard Contrabass
Lenzner gut G String
DPA Microphone
Tags
All About Jazz Articles
Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop: A Canadian Songbook
by Dan McClenaghan
Toronto-based drummer, Ernesto Cervini has a “T" theme going with the groups he leads. There is the funky, forward-thinking Tetrahedron. Then we have the terrific trio (bass, drums and saxophone) TuneTown. And the third: Turboprop, presenting their fourth album, A Canadian Songbook, which digs into the musical soul of their home turf. Turboprop is a sextet with a powerhouse three-horn front line, featuring three of Canada's finest, Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, and ...
read moreNoa Fort: Everyday Actions
by Jerome Wilson
Noa Fort is an Israeli-born pianist, vocalist and composer now living in New York City. She has worked as a music therapist and believes in using music as a healing force. That sentiment comes through in this CD of alternately stimulating and peaceful music. She sings on most of the tracks but only one has lyrics. On the rest her voice floats wordlessly over her piano and various combinations of trumpeter Josh Deutsch, bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Ronen Itzik. ...
read moreJoel Frahm: The Bright Side
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist Joel Frahm is an accomplished virtuoso with an easily recognizable style. He deftly balances an accessible, mellifluous sound with an explorative spirit. His tenth release as a leader, the captivating The Bright Side, is a collection of ten brilliant originals interpreted in a spare trio setting. The laid back atmosphere and the band's seamless camaraderie make for an engaging listening experience and the warmth, whimsy and intelligent motifs create the album's cohesiveness. “Thinking of Benny" opens with ...
read moreJoel Frahm: The Bright Side
by Dan McClenaghan
Chordless trio recordings featuring saxophone, bass and drums, no piano or guitar in the building, always draw comparisons to 1957 when a pair of the groundbreakers of the genre were recorded by saxophonist Sonny Rollins with A Night At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note Records, 1958) and Way Out West (Contemporary, 1957). Saxophonist Joel Frahm obviously looked back to that time, having transcribed and memorized Rollins' solo on “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" (from the Village Vanguard album) as ...
read moreErnesto Cervini's Turboprop: Abundance
by Dan McClenaghan
Delve into Toronto-based drummer Ernesto Cervini's discography and you find an artist who seems to be trying to be a force for good in the world. His CD releases feature his Ernesto Cervini Quartet, MEM3, Myraid3, and Turboprop (and others, for he is prolific). His is a sound that brims with buoyancy, whether it's a trio outing or a sextet. Abundance is the Turboprop sextet's third outing. The group could be considered Cervini's nod to the Art Blakey ...
read moreErnesto Cervini's Turboprop: Rev
by Dan McClenaghan
The Toronto-based septet Turboprop serves, in part, as an arrangement-expanding vehicle for drummer/leader Ernesto Cervini. With his work in two ongoing, outstanding trio's—MEM3 and Myriad3—Cervini helps shape modernist jazz in the piano trio mode. Turboprop, with its three horn front line—two saxophones and a trombone—gets the chance to stretch his arranging chops, with Rev, the group's sophomore effort. Cervini is a guy who wears his joy on his sleeve. His approach—with Turboprop especially—is busy, orchestral. It is not ...
read moreVadim Neselovskyi: Get Up And Go
by Jerome Wilson
Ukrainian pianist Vadim Neselovskyi has an affecting, organic sound that draws more from classical and folk idioms than the usual jazz materials. It can range from fragile to overpowering and on this CD, it allows him to establish a strong, individual presence in the crowded piano trio field.On fast pieces like “On A Bicycle" and “Who Is It?" Neselovskyi's playing is busy and relentless and stays in close rapport with bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Ronen Itzik who ...
read morePianist Vadim Neselovskyi, Bassist Dan Loomis, Drummer Ronen Itzik Shine In Live Performance Video
Source:
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
Last May, the Ukrainian pianist Vadim Neselovskyi released his trio's debut recording Get Up and Go (May 19, Jazz Family and Neuklang Records) with bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Ronen Itzik, and the three musicians have been burning up stages around the world ever since. Their spring performance at jazzahead! 2017 in Bremen, Germany is a perfect example. Neselovskyi's precision and technical skill, honed during years of studying classical piano, work hand in glove with his creative compositions and brilliant ...
read more
STLJN Interview: Dan Loomis of the Wee Trio on Recording Live at Jazz at the Bistro
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
As mentioned several times before in this space, The Wee Trio (pictured, top left) are in St. Louis this weekend, performing and recording a live album on Friday and Saturday nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Though scheduling complications over the past week rendered fruitless our attempts to connect via phone with bassist and St. Louis native Dan Loomis, he was kind enough to respond to a few questions about the impending gig/recording session via email: StLJN: Your last album ...
read more
"Oak-tree thick bass" - All About Jazz
"Loomis straddles a fine line between understatement and aggression." - Downbeat
Primary Instrument
Bass
Location
New York City
Willing to teach
Intermediate to advanced
Credentials/Background
I accept private students in the Brooklyn and greater NYC area. Zoom lesson are an option for more remote students. Areas of study range from acoustic and electric bass fundamentals, jazz bass, classical bass, recording fundamentals and composition. Email for rates and times - [email protected]
Clinic/Workshop Information
The trio will perform classic jazz compositions and also modern popular compositions played in a jazz style for the students. This leads to a question and answer format discussion of:
Wayne Shorter
saxophone
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto
Charlie Haden
bass, acoustic
Vijay Iyer
piano
Brad Mehldau
piano
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric
The Bad Plus
band / ensemble / orchestra
