Russell continues to engage me as I learn more about him. It's surprising that resources are sparse for an educator/composer who made such a difference to jazz.
George was a perfect choice for this kind of discussion.He explained things in a very clear and palatable way.He was(and is) one of the most brilliant contributers to what is called "modern" jazz.I love that he said,"If America has a future,than jazz has a future"
Indeed George Russell's predictions were spot on, jazz would become much more free in the coming decade. So free in fact that free jazzers wouldn't have any use for Mr. Russell's groundbreaking discoveries (with free jazz the music can't be thought of has horizontal or vertical, most free jazz is aural miasma).
George was such an icon to those of us that understand music theory and how a broad theoretical concept transcends the silliness of genres. And he did all that for decades, was tireless, and did it with leukemia. An outstanding human being who still has not been fully appreciated.
I was disappointed when Mr. Russell's Lydian concept was brought up, but never explained in this clip. From what I understand, the Lydian mode is actually more "natural sounding" than the Ionion mode. For one, the #IV sides with all the other naturals in the circle of fifths. Also, if you play the chords of both scales (Ionian and Lydian), in their entirety (CEGBDFA and CEGBDF#A, respectively), the Lydian scalechord sounds less tense, or dissonant. What this all implies is a mystery to me. I suppose I should get the book. Any insights to offer? They would be greatly appreciated.
James Hall The major scale did not sound related to the major chord, in the sense that it was in unity with it. The F natural in the C-major scale was definitely the note that made the major scale sound a duality. It sounded two tetrachords: C-D-E and F, of which F was a duality. I took the second tetrachord at the G-major scale: G-A-B-C, in a C-major scale. I said to myself, 'That sounds the unity.' Then, logically, I just ran the second tetra- chord at the G-major scale: D-E-F-G, and I said, 'Damn! The major scale sounds more of the unity with C than the C-major scale!* Because at least the D-E-F sharp and G resolves into a tone that's in a C-major scale, C-F-G. And the scale just absolutely sounded closer to the tonality of a C-major scale. "Then I began looking at the modes of the G-major scale. The Ionian mode was G-A-B-C-D-E-F sharp-G. The Dorian was D-E-F-G-A-B-C sharp-G and A. The Phrygian, E-F-G- A-B-C sharp-G-A-B-C. Instead of telling musicians, 'When you see a C-major chord, play a G-major scale,' I could say, Play a Lydian scale.' I lifted the Lydian scale of G out of the G-major scale and put it on the tonic of C, which I called the 'C Lydian scale' forever after. It is a scale of unity with the C-major scale. "Now that proves that a ladder of fifths is the strongest the first interval, or the first tonically based interval to enter into the overtone series. In the overtone series, you have one C and then an octave C, which is the same note, and then a fifth of C to G. With the tonic of an interval fifth, you can go anjrwhere in the world and play a fifth. You can ask people to sing the note that sounds the tonical integrity of a fifth, and they are going to sing the lower tone. If you take a ladder of fifths: C-G-D-A-F sharp, the scale would be C-D-E-F natural-G-A-B. It would sound completely as if it has little to do with the unity of a C-major chord. It is not unity; it is supposed to be a duality. It is supposed to resolve to C. "Traditional European harmony overlooked a lot. Har- mony was viewed in a progressional manner, going from one chord to the five-chord and back to the one. That was consid- ered 'harmony.' But the dictionary says that 'harmony is unity.' People completely overlooked the individual chord as a viable and individual entity that has unity and could evolve into a Lydian chromatic scale, which is all of equal tempera- ments. "Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was recently analyzed in some bullshit way, like 'Oh, this is the first theme, and then he repeats the second in bars three and four' and so on. But what is really going on in the music? Analysis like this has no name for it. "Ornette Coleman asked me in 1959, 'What's the tonic?' That was a hell of a question, but back then I could not answer it. Now I would say, It's the sun; it is the center of tonal organization in a Lydian chromatic scale. It is like gravity.' "The Concept defined the meaning of 'horizontal' and 'ver- tical' playing. These terms depend on how the musician relates to the chord of the moment. The vertical player depends on the chord of the moment to access a scale that will enable him to sound the genre of the chord in an artful way. The horizontal player depends not on the chord of the moment, but rather, the chord to which chords are resolving. The non-final chords resolve to a final, and the horizontal player depends on that final, of which he picks the scale to sound over. Musicians have always chosen styles that are either vertical or horizontal. Out of a certain kind of snob- bery, Coleman Hawkins, for example, liked the vertical. The vertical players had to be reasonably sophisticated musically. -New York, Chicago, and so forth. Horizontal playing had to do with the cotton fields, and the black interpretation of English ballads. That is where the blues come from. Lester Young was the grandfather of the horizontal, and he also played verti- cally in a beautiful way. Bird personified the melding of hori- zontal and vertical. "Western traditional music theory overlooked the vertical aspect of music, which means it left out one-third of music. The Concept is the first theory to address that missing third. No reason was ever given for why an F-major chord resolves very nicely to a C-major chord. The Concept does, because it is based on gravity. Everything I say is provable." That went well with the bigger cities in the country
I had a friend/really into this at music school-he said the #4 was just more natural sounding to Black Jazz Musicians- and also that raised 4th is used in the ethnic music of many cultures-years later I have found this to be very accurate!
this is because lydian follows Pythagorian tuning closer. It is explained in book. rest of "auxilary" tones in cromatic scales are also taken from overtone series from Pythagorian tuning. In fact LCCOTO is just combination of various ideas.
This interview was too short, not insightful, and not informative about Lydian mode at all. Sadly, to this day aficionados often misrepresent it. For example, Mark Swed, music critic for the LA Times, wrote an article in which he said Lydian mode is like playing the white keys on the piano. Not true. Doing that will generate a C major (Ionian) scale. Lydian scales begin with three whole steps which create an opaque relationship to traditional tonality and thus are very freeing. Lydian mode is still a primary scalar resource for jazz improvisers today. I knew George when I was VP and Music Director of New England Conservatory of Music (1977-1982) where George was on the faculty. I treasure those years and my time with George who was brilliant, at times irascible, a passionate teacher, and highly creative. It was an honor just to know him and be the beneficiary of his stories about his life in the world of music, and not just jazz.
Russell continues to engage me as I learn more about him. It's surprising that resources are sparse for an educator/composer who made such a difference to jazz.
George was a perfect choice for this kind of discussion.He explained things in a very clear and palatable way.He was(and is) one of the most brilliant contributers to what is called "modern" jazz.I love that he said,"If America has a future,than jazz has a future"
1958.!!.... even with cable and hundreds of stations you don't see anything close to TV shows like this 60 + years later..
I love you george! You were a great grandfather:)
Who had a very beautiful granddaughter.
This is maybe the coolest comment I've seen in 2020.
How much better was tv in the 50's than it is today?
Humankind is yet to invent a number large enough to measure that.
Indeed George Russell's predictions were spot on, jazz would become much more free in the coming decade. So free in fact that free jazzers wouldn't have any use for Mr. Russell's groundbreaking discoveries (with free jazz the music can't be thought of has horizontal or vertical, most free jazz is aural miasma).
this is one of the dumbest things I have ever read
still love it!!
George was such an icon to those of us that understand music theory and how a broad theoretical concept transcends the silliness of genres. And he did all that for decades, was tireless, and did it with leukemia. An outstanding human being who still has not been fully appreciated.
I owned one his recordings with Eric dolphy..it was my favourite music..🎷🎹🎼
Ezzthetics!!
I was disappointed when Mr. Russell's Lydian concept was brought up, but never explained in this clip. From what I understand, the Lydian mode is actually more "natural sounding" than the Ionion mode. For one, the #IV sides with all the other naturals in the circle of fifths. Also, if you play the chords of both scales (Ionian and Lydian), in their entirety (CEGBDFA and CEGBDF#A, respectively), the Lydian scalechord sounds less tense, or dissonant. What this all implies is a mystery to me. I suppose I should get the book. Any insights to offer? They would be greatly appreciated.
James Hall
The major scale did not sound related to the major chord, in the sense that it was in unity with it. The F natural in the C-major scale was definitely the note that made the major scale sound a duality. It sounded two tetrachords: C-D-E and F, of which F was a duality.
I took the second tetrachord at the G-major scale: G-A-B-C, in a C-major scale. I said to myself, 'That sounds the unity.' Then, logically, I just ran the second tetra- chord at the G-major scale: D-E-F-G, and I said, 'Damn! The major scale sounds more of the unity with C than the C-major scale!* Because at least the D-E-F sharp and G resolves into a tone that's in a C-major scale, C-F-G. And the scale just absolutely sounded closer to the tonality of a C-major scale.
"Then I began looking at the modes of the G-major scale. The Ionian mode was G-A-B-C-D-E-F sharp-G. The Dorian was D-E-F-G-A-B-C sharp-G and A. The Phrygian, E-F-G- A-B-C sharp-G-A-B-C. Instead of telling musicians, 'When you see a C-major chord, play a G-major scale,' I could say, Play a Lydian scale.' I lifted the Lydian scale of G out of the G-major scale and put it on the tonic of C, which I called the 'C Lydian scale' forever after. It is a scale of unity with the C-major scale. "Now that proves that a ladder of fifths is the strongest the first interval, or the first tonically based interval to enter into the overtone series. In the overtone series, you have one C and then an octave C, which is the same note, and then a fifth of C to G. With the tonic of an interval fifth, you can go anjrwhere in the world and play a fifth. You can ask people to sing the note that sounds the tonical integrity of a fifth, and they are going to sing the lower tone. If you take a ladder of fifths: C-G-D-A-F sharp, the scale would be C-D-E-F natural-G-A-B. It would sound completely as if it has little to do with the unity of a C-major chord. It is not unity; it is supposed to be a duality. It is supposed to resolve to C. "Traditional European harmony overlooked a lot. Har- mony was viewed in a progressional manner, going from one chord to the five-chord and back to the one. That was consid- ered 'harmony.' But the dictionary says that 'harmony is unity.' People completely overlooked the individual chord as a viable and individual entity that has unity and could evolve into a Lydian chromatic scale, which is all of equal tempera- ments.
"Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was recently analyzed in some bullshit way, like 'Oh, this is the first theme, and then he repeats the second in bars three and four' and so on. But what is really going on in the music? Analysis like this has no name for it.
"Ornette Coleman asked me in 1959, 'What's the tonic?' That was a hell of a question, but back then I could not answer it. Now I would say, It's the sun; it is the center of tonal organization in a Lydian chromatic scale. It is like gravity.'
"The Concept defined the meaning of 'horizontal' and 'ver- tical' playing. These terms depend on how the musician relates to the chord of the moment. The vertical player depends on the chord of the moment to access a scale that will enable him to sound the genre of the chord in an artful way. The horizontal player depends not on the chord of the moment, but rather, the chord to which chords are resolving. The non-final chords resolve to a final, and the horizontal player depends on that final, of which he picks the scale to sound over. Musicians have always chosen styles that are either vertical or horizontal. Out of a certain kind of snob- bery, Coleman Hawkins, for example, liked the vertical. The vertical players had to be reasonably sophisticated musically.
-New York, Chicago, and so forth. Horizontal playing had to do with the cotton fields, and the black interpretation of English ballads. That is where the blues come from. Lester Young was the grandfather of the horizontal, and he also played verti- cally in a beautiful way. Bird personified the melding of hori-
zontal and vertical. "Western traditional music theory overlooked the vertical
aspect of music, which means it left out one-third of music. The Concept is the first theory to address that missing third. No reason was ever given for why an F-major chord resolves very nicely to a C-major chord. The Concept does, because it is based on gravity. Everything I say is provable."
That went well with the bigger cities in the country
James Hall check out the books The Making Of Kind Of Blue and George Russell The Story Of An American Composer.
+Almighty Shux This comment taught me more than any video youtube has ever offered on the LCC.
I had a friend/really into this at music school-he said the #4 was just more natural sounding to Black Jazz Musicians- and also that raised 4th is used in the ethnic music of many cultures-years later I have found this to be very accurate!
this is because lydian follows Pythagorian tuning closer. It is explained in book. rest of "auxilary" tones in cromatic scales are also taken from overtone series from Pythagorian tuning. In fact LCCOTO is just combination of various ideas.
If America has a future, jazz has a future
This interview was too short, not insightful, and not informative about Lydian mode at all. Sadly, to this day aficionados often misrepresent it. For example, Mark Swed, music critic for the LA Times, wrote an article in which he said Lydian mode is like playing the white keys on the piano. Not true. Doing that will generate a C major (Ionian) scale. Lydian scales begin with three whole steps which create an opaque relationship to traditional tonality and thus are very freeing. Lydian mode is still a primary scalar resource for jazz improvisers today.
I knew George when I was VP and Music Director of New England Conservatory of Music (1977-1982) where George was on the faculty. I treasure those years and my time with George who was brilliant, at times irascible, a passionate teacher, and highly creative. It was an honor just to know him and be the beneficiary of his stories about his life in the world of music, and not just jazz.
Look at the length of the video, seems to compliment the jazz method.
They don't call 'em jazz cigarettes for nothin'.
ruclips.net/video/8t5y1ihklP8/видео.html - "Kind of blue" was released the next year. I think his predictions held true.
George Russell was a big influence on Miles.
Did he record with Elvis,, on 'You ain't nothin but a hound dog'????????
Miles Davis was hip to George Russell. Listen to Bitches Brew and his later work.
whats the name of the song Coleman plays?
Body and soul
Amino, that's Hawk playing Body and Soul.
I wonder what GR would've thought of Robert Glasper.
What a shame the interviewer was totally unprepared and presented a stuffy presence to this God of Harmony.
looks like he fingers c major scale with 12345454.
lol
Jazz is so freakin' Mathematical...
No. That's just one small aspect that mathematical types like to emphasize.
Life is mathematical