George Russell

Ezz-Thetic (RCA 1957 - two years before Kind of Blue, with the not coincidental presence of Bill Evans on piano, and arriving at pretty well the same conclusions).

Outer Thoughts (Milestone double vinyl compilation 1975, recorded 1960-2 - probably not available anywhere now, but a superb collection of the best of Russell's early '60s work for the Riverside label, all of which albums are individually available on CD. Includes Don Ellis, Eric Dolphy and Steve Swallow amongst others. Definitive mongrelisation of "Round Midnight" and the most frightening piece of music ever made, the almost unrecognisable 12-minute version of "You Are My Sunshine" featuring the greatest female jazz vocal performance ever, courtesy of Sheila Jordan, half of which is completely unaccompanied, like a murdered child)

Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved By Nature 1968 (Soul Note reissue, 1980 - NOT the inferior later re-recording - pioneering electro- acoustic piece, recorded while an artist in residence at Sweden and featuring several future ECM stalwarts sounding decidedly non-ECM, e.g. Garbarek, Rypdal, Christensen)

Living Time (with Bill Evans, CBS 1972, currently unavailable on CD - GR starts getting into rock. Interesting parallels with contemporary work of Gil Evans (Blues in Orbit) and Mike Gibbs. Absolute classic, cries out for reissue)

Many others worthy of attention including Live At Beethoven Hall with Don Cherry (MPS, 1965), Vertical Form # 4 (Soul Note, 1982) and The African Game (Soul Note, 1985). Still tours regularly.

Expand this out -- concept albums is a convenient if awkward term for some of Russell's recorded projects. I got NY New York and Jazz in the Space Age albums on a weirdly juxtaposing "two-fer" or double-lp - - the two different projects could not be more different in some ways, but there the double LP was, "NY NY and Jazz in the Space Age" - - his jazz/space thing can't really be compared to Sun Ra, totally different, but still "out" (?)

The double LP "Electronic Sonata .." (well, 3 sides of that project) on Soul Note is fantastic, perhaps more what you're used to with jazz + electro-wash, but back then it must have sounded totally unique, and it's still first and perhaps best on that angle. "Vertical Form IV" is a challenging listen -- the vertical or 'Lydian' ideas should not be understated -- something of a mind-boggling demonstration.

That's my George Russell experience -- it's jazz, but it always sounds quite different and refreshing -- instrumentalists, orchestrations, all his projects are careful documentations with no waste space, nothing remtely like other jazz you may have heard, yet quite accessible. A good example of jazz cats working with a white guy in the '60s like "so what", like Gil Evans. The Evans/Davis will always sound more ordinary than Russell, given the status and airplay Davis has received. These unique off-the-wall experiments by Russell deserve and reward wider listenings.

Will someone please tell me which one of these is supposed to be the definitive (1967?) version of "Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature": this one (which calls itself "Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature 1968", contains 2 selections entitled Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature Pts I & II, features Garbarek, Rypdal & Christensen, but only gets _3_ stars from AMG and was apparently actually recorded in 1969); or this one (which calls itself "Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature 1980", contains 2 selections entitled Events 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and Events 8,9,10,11,12,13,14, does not appear to feature Garbarek, Rypdal or Christensen, but gets a full _5_ stars from AMG); and where the hell does this one (which includes 3 selections entitled Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature Pts I, II & III, features Garbarek, Rypdal & Christensen, actually appears to have been recorded in 1967 and gets _4_ stars from AMG but is called "The Essence Of George Russell") fit in?

Those times don't appear to tie-in with either version of "Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature" 'though....

It's no wonder my brain hurts.

The "Essence of George Russell" (Sonet, 1967) version is the lengthiest, with three parts stretched over three sides. I think the Soul Note CD brings 'em together into one track, but don't hold me to it. This features a larger ensemble w/ less electronic intervention. The first few minutes are actually somewhat funky.

The "Electronic Sonatas" (Flying Dutchman, 1969) version is the one to search. Sextet recording featuring Garbarek, Rypdal and Christensen w/ lots of electronics and even an extended sample. Rypdal tears the place apart on the second half. Crucial stuff.

I've always avoided the 1980 version, due to an perceived consensus that it falls short of the earlier two recordings.

Shame that "perceived consensus" apparently excludes AMG!

Well, in the absence of an actual review, the five star rating is suspect at best. I've yet to find a discussion of George Russell's discography-- including this one-- that doesn't downgrade the 1980 version.

(That said, I'd still give it a listen if I ever actually stumbled over it.)

Get this: www.amazon.com/Black-Saint-Soul-George-Russell/dp/B003QM1ANU/

The Complete Black Saint & Soul Note recordings (9 CDs!) can be had for less than $40. It has all three versions of *Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved By Nature*, and actually, I think all three are excellent.

1) 1967 studio version (on *The Essence of George Russell*) - recorded by a huge group (21 players), heavy on the brass.

2) 1969 live version (on *Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature - 1968*...why "1968" is in the title when it was recorded in 1969, I don't know.) - sextet.

3) 1980 studio version (on *Electronic Sonata For Souls Loved By Nature - 1980*) with a sextet configuration. This version starts off significantly slower than the previous versions. It doesn't feature Rypdal and Garbarek, but there are some interesting things going on; it definitely is going for a different vibe at the beginning. Don't dismiss it until you hear it.

The boxed set also features an abridged FOURTH version - it's entitled "Souls" and it uses the main theme in an 8-minute live take, recorded in 1970 with a sextet (incl. Rypdal, Garbarek, and Christensen). This is on *Trip to Prillarguri*.

'Intellectual' white jazzer from the mid-50s on

I don't think GR was 'white'?

This page: http://www.scaruffi.com/jazz/russell.html
says Russell was "...the son of a white father and a black mother"