Off the Beaten Track(s)

Pianist, composer and arranger George Russell (1923-2009) passed away on 27 July. He began as a percussionist but soon went on to write striking pieces for the bands of Benny Carter, Artie Shaw, Buddy DeFranco and Dizzy Gillespie. In the 50s, his music theory ‘The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization’ was released. After that he founded many small ensembles in which important jazz innovators can be found every time.