Results for "George Russell"

George Russell

George Russell is a hugely influential, innovative figure in the evolution of modern jazz, the music's only major theorist, one of its most profound composers, and a trail blazer whose ideas have transformed and inspired some of the greatest musicians of our time. Russell was born in Cincinnati in 1923, the adopted son of a registered nurse and a chef on the B&O Railroad. He began playing drums with the Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps and eventually received a scholarship to Wilberforce University where he joined the Collegians, whose list of alumni include Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Ben Webster, Cootie Williams, Ernie Wilkins and Frank Foster

Farnell Newton, Nuphar Fey and a tribute to Jon Christensen

By BOB OSBORNE

Two featured new albums from Farnell Newton and Nuphar Fey and a comprehensive tribute to Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen who passed away on 18th February Farnell Newton gets up on the good foot and heads off full speed ahead on his second leader album for Posi-Tone. This action packed session features the high powered ...

Lydian Sound Orchestra: Mare 1519

By ANGELO LEONARDI

Lo straordinario viaggio attorno al mondo del 1519 di Magellano e dei suoi uomini (tra cui il vicentino Pigafetta che ne raccontò le vicende) è il motivo da cui prende spunto il nuovo concept album della Lydian Sound Orchestra. L'anno di partenza di quella straordinaria spedizione (che si concluse, morto Magellano in battaglia, nel 1522) è ...

Silenced in Their Prime - Eric Dolphy & Booker Little (1961 - 1964)

By RUSSELL PERRY

From his first recordings with Chico Hamilton in 1958 until his untimely death from misdiagnosed diabetic shock in 1964, Eric Dolphy was limited to only six years in which to record the music that has defined his extraordinary legacy. Previously, in this series, we have heard from Dolphy's great 1960 recording, Far Cry and his contributions ...

Vintage Dolphy

By DUNCAN HEINING

Vintage Dolphy appeared originally in 1986/7 on both vinyl and CD. Featuring recordings from three separate live performances from Eric Dolphy, two at Carnegie Hall, both with his own quartet and in two 'third stream' settings devised by Gunther Schuller, the album provided intriguing insights into Dolphy's improvisational skills and approach. Were this not enough, the ...

The Very Singular Mr. Ran Blake

By DUNCAN HEINING

There have been few American composers and musicians, with the ability to encapsulate their country's music in all its racial and ethnic complexity. We might perhaps point to Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Ives and perhaps, in their own distaff ways, Harry Partch and Steve Reich. In jazz, their number is fewer still--Duke Ellington and George ...

Issie Barratt: Every Solo Is A New Invitation

By DUNCAN HEINING

Issie Barratt is one of the most significant jazz educators in Britain today. From 1999-2004, Barratt was head of Jazz at Trinity College of Music but her role as Artistic Director of the National Youth Jazz Collective has been of even greater importance in developing young jazz talent. Now in its, thirteenth year, NYJC goes from ...

Alan Pasqua: Keys That Unlock Many Doors

By JIM WORSLEY

Recently, and just a few days before Thanksgiving (2019), I was thankful for the opportunity to have two separate conversations with renown pianist Alan Pasqua. As generous with his time and candid commentary as he is talented as a musician and composer, both conversations crashed the one-hour mark. For you non mathematicians, that is over two ...

Welcome to the Deep End

By PATRICK BURNETTE

The boys contemplate the profundity of the abyss--or, at least, of some fairly serious third-streamy jazz releases, on this very “whoa, man" episode. A three-disc extravaganza from a feted musician on Blue Note, a challenging big-group project on the always challenging Intakt label, and a ballet score by jazz's favorite theoretician from the sixties make up ...