Pianist George Russell

George Russell's career in music spans six decades. He tells us how he went from being an aspiring drummer to become one of the most freethinking composers, educators, and theorists in modern jazz. Russell talks about his concept behind the famous composition "Cubano Be, Cubano Bop," made famous by the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, which was part of that band's pioneering experiments in fusing bebop and Cuban jazz elements. We find out how he developed his Lydian chromatic concept. Russell has been part of the New England Conservatory faculty for 40 years, and we sit in on one of his classes.

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Producers: Steve Schwartz, Margot Stage
Engineer: Jane Pipik

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