George Russell on the DuPlex

The DuPlex Mystery Jazz Hour took a look at the work of this important composer/arranger/pianist on 6.22.17. Russell should be given his due as an important formulator of the modal concept in jazz,   adopted by so many musicians in the 50's and 60's. He was also a very early adopter of electronic instruments and synthesizer in jazz.

LISTEN HERE

PLAYLIST

Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra with Chano Pozo "Cubana Be Cumana Bop" 1947 on RCA Victor

Buddy DeFranco "A Bird in Igor's Yard" 1949 on Capital-Buddy DeFranco (clarinet), Al Cohn (tenor sax), Gene DiNovi (piano), Bernie Glow, Paul Cohen, Jimmy Pupa, Jack Eagle (trumpets), Ollie Wilson, Earl Swope, Bart Varsalona (trombones), Lee Konitz, Frank Socolow (alto saxes), Gerry Sanfino (tenor sax), Serge Chaloff (baritone sax), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Irv Kluger (drums), possibly Jimmy Raney (guitar). Composed by George Russell.

Artie Shaw & His Orchestra "Similau"  1950

George Russell Sextet "Concerto for Billy the Kid" from "The Jazz Workshop" 1956 on RCA Victor-Art Farmer (trumpet), Hal McKusick (alto), Bill Evans (piano), Barry Galbraith (guitar), Milt Hinton (bass), Paul Motian (drums), George Russell (arrange)

George Russell Sextet "Fellow Delegates" from "The Jazz Workshop" 1956 on RCA Victor Teddy Kotick -b, Osie johnson-drums

George Russell Sextet "Ezzthetic" from "The Jazz Workshop" 1956 on RCA Victor

"Manhattan" from "New York, N Y"1959  on Decca-George Russell - arranger, conductor' tpts-Art Farmer - Doc Severinson Ernie Royal Joe Wilder Joe Ferrante; tbpne Bob Brookmeyer Frank Rehak Tom Mitchell Jimmy Cleveland Hal McKusick - alto saxophones Phil Woods - tenor saxophone John Coltrane -Al Cohn Benny Golson -Sol Schlinger - baritone saxophone, bass saxophone Gene Allen - baritone saxophone Bill Evans - piano Barry Galbraith - guitar George Duvivier - bass Milt Hinton - bass Charlie Persip - drums Max Roach - drums Don Lamond - drums Al Epstein - bongos Jon Hendricks - vocals, narration

"Waltz from Outer Space" from "Jazz in the Space Age" 1960 on Decca= -George Russell: arranger, conductor;trumpet Ernie RoyalAl Kiger Marky Markowitz:tbn Frank Rehak: David Baker:Bob Brookmeyer: Jimmy Buffington: french horn Hal McKusick: alto, Dave Young: tenor, Sol Schlinger: baritone Bill Evans: piano Paul Bley: piano Barry Galbraith: guitar Howard Collins: guitar Milt Hinton: bass Don Lamond: drums Charlie Persip: drums

George Russell "The Lydiot" from "Jazz in the Space Age" 1960 on Decca

George Russell Sextet "Round Midnight" from "Ezzthetics"1961 on Riverside George Russell - piano, arranger  Don Ellis - trumpet Dave Baker - trombone Eric Dolphy - alto sax and bass clarinet Steve Swallow - bass Joe Hunt - drums

George Russell Sextet "Nardis" from "Ezzthetics" 1961 on Riverside

"The Stratus Seekers" from "The Stratus Seekers" 1962 on Riverside Stratus Seekers  -George Russell: piano, arranger, conductor Don Ellis: trumpet David Baker: trombone Paul Plummer:tenor John Pierce: alto Steve Swallow: bass Joe Hunt: drums

"Pan Daddy" from "The Stratus Seekers" 1962 on Riverside
"Othello Ballet Suite" from "Othello Ballet Suite" 1968) on Riverside- recorded November 3, 1967 at the studios of Radio Sweden in Stockholm; Alto–Arne Domnerus Drums–Jon Christensen; Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Tenor– Bernt Rosengren and Jan Garbarek Trumpet – Rolf Eriksson

George Russell's Living Time Orchestra "Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature" from "Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature" 1969 on Flying Dutchman-Jan Garbarek: tenor, Manfred Schoof: tot,Terje Rypdal:  guitar, Jon Christensen: drums, Red Mitchell: bass, George Russell: piano

Lisen to the Silence- live album by George Russell originally recorded in 1971. Text Credits:"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown, "The Mark" by Maurice Nicoll, "Duino Elegies" by Rainer Maria Rilke. George Russell-timpani, arranger Stanton Davis-tpt,Jan Garbarek - tenor sax,Terje Rypdal-electric guitar,Webster Lewis - organ, Bobo Stenson-electric piano,Bjørnar Andresen- fender bass, Arild Andersen-acoustic bass Jon Christensen -percussion, Chorus of the Conservatory of Music in Oslo, Norway George Russell "Event 1" "Event II" from "Listen to the
"Event III" from "Listen to the Silence" 1971) on Concept Records
   

"Mutes and Other Distortionary Audio Lenses" by Steve Provizer

My last post showed some of ways mutes have been used in jazz trumpet playing.  The technological extension of the sound alteration/manipulation done by mutes is, of course, electronics. Or, before that-mechanics. The photo below shows the mechanical trumpeter constructed by Friedrich Kaufman in 1810. Obviously, after a very tough gig.

T. Blanchard w. wireless mic

Note that I'm not talking about simply updating the means of amplification by having a wireless mic attached to the bell of the horn; that simply allows the player to move away from a stationary mic and still be heard. 


You do need to run through a mic so that the sound becomes an electronic signal. Then, you can run it through an effects box. Initially that process involved re-shaping an analog wave, but for the last couple of decades, like everything else, this has moved into the digital domain; domain being the appropriate word for the hegemony of this technology.