George Russell/David Baker on "Night Lights"

[ghost of miles]

In the summer of 1959 a 27-year-old David Baker and several bandmates from Indianapolis attended the Lenox School of Music in Lenox, Massachusetts. There they met George Russell, a jazz composer and theorist in his mid-30s who had first gained renown in the late 1940s for his compositions "Cubana-Be, Cubana-Bop" and "A Bird in Igor's Yard," and who had published a book about his progressive jazz ideas and theories called THE LYDIAN CHROMATIC CONCEPT OF TONAL ORGANIZATION. Russell had recorded several highly noteworthy albums in the 1950s, including JAZZ WORKSHOP (which will be included in a future "Night Lights" program) and NEW YORK, NEW YORK, and was looking to form his own small group. Baker and his colleagues were young, energetic, and ready to embrace new musical modes of thinking, despite their roots in bebop. In the next year and a half, after intensive rehearsals with Russell in Indianapolis, the George Russell Sextet--comprising Russell, bassist Chuck Israels, and the nucleus of David Baker's Indianapolis group--Baker on trombone, David Young on tenor sax, Al Kiger on trumpet, and Joe Hunt on drums--played a well-received three-week gig at New York's Five Spot club, toured the Midwest, and recorded three albums. The results--AT THE FIVE SPOT, STRATUSPHUNK, and the rarely-heard KANSAS CITY--can be heard this week on "Night Lights" at 11:10 Saturday night on WFIU and on the web at WFIU.

Here's a Darius Brubeck interview with David Baker about Lenox: BakeronLenox

And, of course, Michael Fitzgerald's research, replete with photos, program lists, and much more: Lenox

Next week: the 1960s Blue Note recordings of Jackie McLean and Grachan Moncur.

[sheldonm]

Ghost,

I'll make sure to tune it. Did you by chance interview either Baker or Young? I talked to David Young this summer and told him I really enjoy his playing on these lps. He just smiled and said "Man, that was a long time ago". He's a man of few words but he sure can play!!!

Mark

[ghost of miles]

Ghost,

I'll make sure to tune it. Did you by chance interview either Baker or Young? I talked to David Young this summer and told him I really enjoy his playing on these lps. He just smiled and said "Man, that was a long time ago". He's a man of few words but he sure can play!!!

Mark

Mark,

No, I didn't--I'm hoping to do a more extended (two-hour) special on the group sometime in the next year as a supplement to my series on Indiana jazz. I talked with David Baker on the phone Wednesday after taping the program, and he's very happy that it's going to air--even asked me to give him a CD-R to send to George Russell! He also says that KANSAS CITY may be re-issued sometime in the near future, as he was recently asked for clearance on the composition he contributed to the record ("War Gewesen").

More than agreed on David Young! Looking forward to meeting you Monday in Indy for "the connection." B-)

[sheldonm]

Thanks David, see you Monday!

[ghost of miles]

Up for broadcast in about 8-10 minutes.

[sheldonm]

Listening to it as I type....very good! B-)