george russell 6tet feat al heath thad jones

This is a true classic. Composer, pianist George Russell gathered together a very versatile group of talents (trumpeter Don Ellis, trombonist Dave Baker, Eric Dolphy on alto and bass clarinet, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Joe Hunt) to explore three of his originals, Round Midnight (which is given an extraordinary treatment by Dolphy), Miles Davis Nardis, and David Baker s The music is postbop and although using ideas from avantgarde jazz, it does not fall into any simple category. The improvising is at a very high level and the frameworks (which include free and stoptime sections) really inspire the players. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow, AMG