''The Jazz Workshop'' is the debut album by jazz composer George Russell, featuring his "Smalltet", which included Art Farmer,

Hal McKusick Hal McKusick (June 1, 1924 – April 11, 2012) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist who worked with Boyd Raeburn from 1944 to 1945 and Claude Thornhill from 1948 to 1949. Career McKusick was born in Medford, Massachus ...

Barry Galbraith Joseph Barry Galbraith (December 18, 1919 – January 13, 1983) was an American jazz guitarist. Galbraith moved to New York City from McDonald, PA in the early 1940s and found work playing with Babe Russin, Art Tatum, Red Norvo, Hal McIntyre, an ...

, and Bill Evans.

Music

"Concerto for Billy the Kid" is a feature for pianist Evans, who starts with two-handed octaves that follow the score, before improvising on the

changes Changes may refer to: Books * ''Changes'', the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a novel by Danielle Steel * ''Changes'', a trilogy of novels on which the BBC TV series was based, written by Peter Dickinson ...

of " I'll Remember April". "Ezz-Thetic" is a bop theme using the changes of " Love for Sale".

Reception

The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars and asserted: "Listening to the music, it is hard to believe that Russell only utilized a sextet... The ensembles are frequently dense, the harmonies quite original and there are often several events occurring at the same time; one would swear there were at least four or five horns being heard in spots... Russell was able to utilize some of the more versatile and technically skilled players of the era, several of whom worked regularly in the studios. Recommended".Yanow, Scott

Allmusic Review AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

accessed 13 November 2009. ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' gave it a maximum four-star rating and included it in the recommended Core Collection of jazz albums, describing it as "an astonishing collection, including several pieces that stand as almost unique avenues of thought in the jazz language".

Track listing

''All compositions by George Russell'' # "Ye Hypocrite, Ye Beelzebub" – 3:53 # "Jack's Blues" – 3:47 # "Livingstone I Presume" – 3:28 # "Ezz-Thetic" – 5:16 # "Night Sound" – 3:58 # "Round Johnny Rondo" – 3:31 # "Fellow Delegates" – 5:42 # "Witch Hunt" – 3:50 # "The Sad Sergeant" – 3:27 # "Knights of the Steamtable" – 2:36 # "Ballad of Hix Blewitt" – 3:18 # "Concerto for Billy the Kid" – 4:44 # "Ballad of Hix Blewitt" lternative take– 3:45 Bonus track on CD # "Concerto for Billy the Kid" lternative take– 4:46 Bonus track on CD

Personnel

*George Russell – chromatic drums, arranger * Art Farmer – trumpet *

– guitar *

– alto saxophone and flute *

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

– bass (tracks 1–6, 8, 12, 14) *

Teddy Kotick Teddy Kotick (born Theodore John Kotick; June 4, 1928 – April 17, 1986) was an American jazz bassist, who appeared as a sideman with many of the leading figures of the 1940s and 1950s, including Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Horace Sil ...

– bass (tracks 7, 9–11, 13) * Bill Evans – piano * Joe Harris – drums (tracks 1–4) *

Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. Motian played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. He first came to prominence in the ...

– drums (tracks 5, 6, 8, 12, 14) *

Osie Johnson James "Osie" Johnson (January 11, 1923, in Washington, D.C. – February 10, 1966, in New York City) was a jazz drummer, arranger and singer. Johnson studied at Armstrong Highschool where he was classmates with Leo Parker and Frank Wess. He firs ...

– drums (tracks 7, 9–11, 13)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jazz Workshop, The George Russell (composer) albums 1956 albums RCA Victor albums