Customer Reviews

New York, New York

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alongside the seriousness and musical sophistication of all of George Russell's work, there's always a sense of excitement and discovery. Occasionally, there's some wry humor as well. "New York, N. Y." (recorded in late 1958 and early 1959 is one of his most approachable long-form suites, with the excitement and the humor at center stage.

Nothing in jazz quite duplicates Jon Hendricks' scat-poetry introductions to each piece. Once they were hip; now they are classic. Of the six compositions that make up the suite, three are standards -- Rodgers & Hart's "Manhattan," Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York," and the Lane-Freed "How About You" (You know, "I like New York in June, how about you . . ."), which makes this Russell's last major outing as an "arranger" of other people's music.

Russell "re-composes" the standards, introducing the harmonic originality that gives his work its distinctive tone colors. The familiar themes are jumping-off points for some very rich big band writing and beautiful solo work. John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Art Farmer and Bob Brookmeyer are all memorable in solo roles here. Russell's own three compositions are in the same spirit (although much more complex and colorful), so the parts work together very well.

Here are some of New York's best players in their prime, challenged by a master composer to build on the familiar and stretch themselves in new directions. Everyone sounds like they're having a wonderful time.

Its early 1959, and New York is at it's pinnacle as a jazz Mecca. Miles is recording "Kind of Blue", Trane is doing "Giant Steps", Bill Evans is the hot new piano player. The uncompromising George Russell (he of the musical treatise, "The Lydian Chromatic Concept") assembles top-notch musicians like John Coltrane, Max Roach, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Bob Brookmeyer, Milt Hinton, Bill Evans, Art Farmer -- all in the same band. And with that late-fifties cool narration of Jon Hendricks too!. Even with SOME familiar standards, plus his own compositions, Russell takes it "outside" sometimes, approaching the music adventurously and unpredicatably ,stretching harmonic structures and tempos, yet somehow it all fits together. Evans, Trane, Max and Phil Woods make near-perfect solo statements and the band swings. All in all, it's not your typical big band date from that era, but rather tightly-knit ensemble sessions of stellar players creating some music that if not ahead of its time, may at least be said to be underrated. (Though remastered, the left channel is a little harder to hear than the right, and you may have to adjust your system to hear ity all evenly.) Recommended -- for those with a sophisticated ear for jazz.

Five HUGE Stars!! Genius jazz composer, arranger, musician, and educator George Russell, a MacArthur Fellowship 'genius' award winner as well as a winner of 2 Guggenheim fellowships, is caught in 1958 with a daring, mesmerizing thematic salute to the 'Big Apple'. Using singing legend Jon Hendrick's riveting commentary throughout, Russell ramps up his awesome music with a stellar group that includes the likes of pianist supreme Bill Evans, trumpet king Art Farmer, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, bassist Milt Hinton, guitarist Barry Galbraith, saxist Hal McKusick, Sol Schlinger on baritone, Charlie Persip with some stunning drumming, drum progenitor Max Roach in an appearance and the legendary John Coltrane. And also in the group is Doc Severinsen and Ernie Royal pumping up the trumpet section. Mr Russell is the creator of the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization which has had a profound effect on jazz musicians and it is in evidence in this recording. Russell's compositional and arranging legend goes all the way back to the stunning "Cubano Be, Cubano Bop" for the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, so this CD catches him already a decade into his masterful relentless jazz career.

Framed by the songs "Manhattan", with the sole appearance of John Coltrane who lays down a blazing solo, and "A Helluva Town" at the end, we find in between Russell's own "Big City Blues" and "Manhatta-Rico", as well as "East Side Medley" ("Autumn in New York" and "How About You"). Preceding each song, the captivating Jon Hendricks sets the stage with wonderfully-incisive words and singing. Bill Evans is a marvel on piano, Art Farmer soars on trumpet, and Charlie Persip lays down some impressive drumming in and out of 4/4 and driving latin beats. His brush work is amazing, as is the Max Roach 'boiler-works' on "A Helluva Town". Tenorist Benny Golson and Brookmeyer's trombone also make telling appearances. This is a fabulous salute to the greatest city on earth by one of jazz' most creative minds who digs deep into psyche of the "sky high" city with a hip, still-modern take on what makes it tick. Intricate section work and outstanding solos mark this as a must-hear big band performance. Wonderfully recorded, this performance gets my Highest Recommendation. George Russell is among our greatest living musical composers and theorists in any genre. Five EZZTHETIC Stars. (iTunes digital download of approximately 50 minutes.)

George Russell assembled some of the greatest Jazz musicians of all time for this recording. New York New York consists of some standards and originals but the Russell trademark of creative arranging is all over this. Soloists include John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Bob Brookmeyer, Max Roach, the underrated Charlie Persip, and Jon Hendricks. George Russell is not only a great composer but he can do amazing things with standards you thought you knew. This could well be one of the ten best jazz recordings of all time. I am sorry that only recently began to explore the work of Russell but I am glad that I finally did.

George Russell was a jazz arranger who later got into free jazz and eletronics: check out ELECTRONIC SONATA FOR SOULS LOVED BY NATURE.

In 1958, though, he made this terrific album with stars like Bill Evans, Max Roach, and John Coltrane. New York New York is a swing portrait of the big apple as the jazz capitol of the world. It does include some standards, reworked by Russel, as well as his fine, progressive swing compositions.


Russell is not well known, and more jazz people should get hip to George. He was flexible enough to work in many genres, experimenting liberally, as jazz grew. If Russell has a stamp, it is his work's ability to convey a sense of time, place and mood for his chosen subject.

Check George Russell out. This would be a great start.

"New York, N.Y." is George Russell's bittersweet homage to the Big Apple. Russell's unique writing for jazz orchestra is enhanced by uniformly great solos from John Coltrane, Bob Brookmeyer, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Max Roach, and, most movingly, Bill Evans. The entire album is really one long suite. Material from "Manhattan" and "Autumn in New York" are woven throughout Russell's beautiful tapestry. Additionally, Jon Hendricks prefaces each section with a `rap.' This is one of the greatest jazz records of all time.

doc severinsen, trumpeter and leader of the tonight show orchestra when the tonight show was hosted by johnny carson, plays with john coltrane and bill evans in george russell's orchestra, jon hendricks doing jazz poetry. late 50s, a new york kind of jazz album of jazz luminaries of the 60s.