George Russell Sextet & Septet - Complete 1960-1962 Decca & Riverside Album Collection / 4CD set

This 4-CD box set contains all the Decca & Riverside albums recorded by the George Russell Sextet & Septet between 1960 and 1962 plus two live recordings: a 1960 concert at Music Inn, and a 1964 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. Including a 36-page booklet with session details, photos, original art & liner notes.

-At the Five Spot
-Stratusphunk
-In K.C.
-Ezz-thetics
-The Stratus Seekers
-The Outer View

Already recognized as one of the most gifted and innovative jazz composers, in 1960 George Russell added a new string to his bow, as pianist and leader of a remarkably individual series of sextets which narrowed the gap between free-blowing jazz and written chamber jazz. All were cooperative ventures whose success was due as much to his ability to attract and stimulate men sympathetic to his musical goalsand to draw the utmost from themas to his gifts as composer and arranger. A pianist whose chord voicings still sound strikingly fresh, he had a way of accenting that, like Thelonious Monks, was totally unpredictable.

His original sextet had a hard-swinging rhythm section and three potent hornmen: fierce-toned trumpeter Al Kiger, gruff trombonist Dave Baker, and the intense tenor of Dave Young. In 1961 avant-gardist Don Ellis replaced Kiger, and although Eric Dolphy was the most flamboyant soloist in this set, others like trombonist Garnett Brown and saxophonists John Pierce (alto) and Paul Plummer (tenor), showed great promise.

Apart from some jazz standards, most pieces here are Russell originals, although Baker, Kiger and pianists Carla Bley and David Lahm, applying concepts acquired while they were studying under Russell at the Lenox Jazz School, also wrote for the group, which was filled with the most impressive and interesting fresh young talent around.