George Russell (1923-2009)

[blajay]

This is a late post. I need to come here more often. But this is very sad. George Russell was one of my favorite composers. The man never received the recognition he deserved. Not sure why but it's common for truly gifted artists who work outside the commercial and mainstream to not receive the accolades and recognition they deserve.

Also from his website: "Russell has received the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the National Endowment for the Arts American Jazz Master, been elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, the Oscar du Disque de Jazz, the Guardian Award, six NEA Music Fellowships, the American Music Award, and numerous others." I understand maybe he struggled financially, but that list amounts to "recognition," as far as I'm concerned. Do you mean to say that he didn't receive the accolades and recognition he deserves from the commercial mainstream? Would you have expected that?

Sorry for the late Monday crankiness in that tone, there. I guess it just doesn't matter much to me whether the mainstream recognizes everyone I appreciate or not. I'm bored with the "jazz is underappreciated" stuff in every thread.

[Guest Bill Barton]

I wish more folks here would listen to the recordings without Dolphy. This really bums me. Dave Young, Paul Plummer, Hal McKusick and Ray Pitts dug deeper into the world of Mr. Russell. I love Dolphy but feel all the attention paid to that one session disrespects a bunch of other guy.

Very, very good point here, Chuck. David Baker too...

[Stereojack]

I wish more folks here would listen to the recordings without Dolphy. This really bums me. Dave Young, Paul Plummer, Hal McKusick and Ray Pitts dug deeper into the world of Mr. Russell. I love Dolphy but feel all the attention paid to that one session disrespects a bunch of other guy.

I've got to agree, as much as I do love the album with Dolphy. Bill Evans did some of his most adventurous playing on Russell sessions, and Art Farmer and Don Ellis also shone.

[king ubu]

Yes, full agreement with Chuck!

[clifford_thornton]

I wish more folks here would listen to the recordings without Dolphy. This really bums me. Dave Young, Paul Plummer, Hal McKusick and Ray Pitts dug deeper into the world of Mr. Russell. I love Dolphy but feel all the attention paid to that one session disrespects a bunch of other guy.

Of the Riversides that is the one I listen to the least.

Not trying to be all OG or anything, but...

[B. Clugston]

I wish more folks here would listen to the recordings without Dolphy. This really bums me. Dave Young, Paul Plummer, Hal McKusick and Ray Pitts dug deeper into the world of Mr. Russell. I love Dolphy but feel all the attention paid to that one session disrespects a bunch of other guy.

Very, very good point here, Chuck. David Baker too...

Thanks for mentioning Baker. Always enjoyed his playing. Al Kiger too.

[Chuck Nessa]

I wish more folks here would listen to the recordings without Dolphy. This really bums me. Dave Young, Paul Plummer, Hal McKusick and Ray Pitts dug deeper into the world of Mr. Russell. I love Dolphy but feel all the attention paid to that one session disrespects a bunch of other guy.

Very, very good point here, Chuck. David Baker too...

Thanks for mentioning Baker. Always enjoyed his playing. Al Kiger too.

Baker and Kiger are dandy - I was only speaking of saxophonists in comparison with Dolphy.

[six string]

George Russell's albums had such a consistency in quality to me regardless of who played on them. Since the players weren't always "name" players I wondered if it was more about Russell's choices for musicians, his incredible writing or both. David Baker didn't mean anything to me until I heard him play with GR. One of the best things on tape that Jan Garbarek has ever done was with GR (Trip to Prillarguri) and the trumpet player on the date (Stanton Davis) was pretty great too and another person I had never heard of.

Good call on Bill Evans' playing with Russell. Jazz in the Space Age is one of my favorite albums from Russell's dicography.

[Teasing the Korean]

I wish more folks here would listen to the recordings without Dolphy. This really bums me. Dave Young, Paul Plummer, Hal McKusick and Ray Pitts dug deeper into the world of Mr. Russell. I love Dolphy but feel all the attention paid to that one session disrespects a bunch of other guy.

This is an interesting point, although I must say that when I like the work of an arranger, I typically don't pay too much attention to who is in the group. If a soloist I happen to like is participating, that's gravy, but this is never a deal-sealer for me. Maybe I'm the exception.

[ghost of miles]

Probably posted some of these already upstream in the thread, but re: Chuck's very valid point, here are some non-Dolphy GR-related Night Lights shows:

When Russell Met Baker (includes music from KANSAS CITY, AT THE FIVE SPOT, and STRATUSPHUNK)

Very Early: Bill Evans 1956-58 (includes "Concerto for Billy the Kid," "Jack's Blues," and an excerpt from "All About Rosie," as well as Hal McKusick's interpretation of "Stratusphunk")

David Young: a Quiet Strength (includes some of the Russell Deccas and Riversides)

The Jazz Workshops: George Russell and Hal McKusick

...a little bit of material overlap on a couple of these shows.

[Guy Berger]

And I still remember how excited I was to find the original Swedish issue of The Essence of George Russell, with the first, big-band version of "Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved By Nature." Incredible stuff..

Finally getting around to the George Russell BS/SN box and listening to this album for the 1st time. Wow. So good. Anybody who likes music at the nexus of avant-garde big band jazz and rock music should definitely check it out.