Overview

Stratusphunk - George Russell was a unique figure in jazz. He was a theoretician, a composer of note, a working musician, and an educator. He began his life's work developing the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization in the mid-forties. One of a rare breed of thinker-musicians, through his ideas and music, Russell had a remarkable influence on the development of jazz after 1950. From his early composition with Dizzy Gillespie of ""Cubano-Be, Cubano-Bop,"" through the changes wrought by modal jazz as a consequence of his ideas, to his impact on the Scandinavian and European scenes, his achievements are among the most outstanding in the music. His life story weaves its way through contemporary jazz intersecting with the lives of many of its most colourful characters. Charlie ""Bird"" Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis, Gil Evans, Charlie Mingus, and Carla Bley were not just Russell's contemporaries. They were his peers, his colleagues and his friends. He touched their lives and music and, in turn, was encouraged by them. Originally published in 2010 under the title George Russell: The Story of an American Composer, Duncan Heining's biography of George Russell appears in a newly revised paperback edition for the first time.

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9781527278059

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Reviews

What the critics said about George Russell: The Story of an American Composer Duncan Heining's full length biography of Russell is a terrific piece of research...The book also grapples with the contradictions and quirks in Russell's character, and does a commendable job of presenting us with the man. Alyn Shipton, Jazzwise Duncan Heining's biography...could not be more timely in placing [George Russell's] life and work within the broader context of mid-20th century music... Richard Whitehouse, Jazz UK From this research, Heining has constructed the biography of a great musician and thinker... this is a very readable book, which can be safely recommended for anyone with a love for this wonderful multifaceted form of music we call jazz. Dr. Johan Hauknes, Jazznyt, Norway His story begins to come to light in this engaging volume, equal parts biography, social history and musical analysis...The book makes a compelling argument for the importance of the innovative music Russell made... hopefully provoking a re-examination of the composer's total body of work. The New York City Jazz Record All this makes for a good read and a handy companion for anyone wishing to immerse themselves in Russell's work... Cadence Magazine

Author Information

About the Author Dr. Duncan Heining has written about jazz and other musics since 1996 for Avant, The Independent, Jazzwise, Jazz UK and All About Jazz. His other books are - Trad Dads, Dirty Boppers and Free Fusioneers: British Jazz 1960-1975 (Equinox 2012) and Mosaics: The Life and Works of Graham Collier (Equinox 2018).

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