Ezz-thetics

Ezz-thetics is a studio album by the George Russell sextet, released on Riverside Records in mid-1961.[1][2]

Ezz-thetics
Studio album by
George Russell Sextet
ReleasedJune or July 1961[1][2]
RecordedMay 1961
GenreAvant-garde jazz, post-bop
Length42:29
LabelRiverside
ProducerOrrin Keepnews
George Russell Sextet chronology
George Russell Sextet in K.C.
(1961)		 Ezz-thetics
(1961)		 The Stratus Seekers
(1962)

Recording and music

The album was recorded in May 1961.[3] In addition to himself on piano, Russell's sextet contained trumpeter Don Ellis, trombonist Dave Baker, Eric Dolphy on alto sax and bass clarinet, Steve Swallow on bass, and Joe Hunt on drums.[3] Three of the tracks were written by Russell.[4] It features a radical reworking of Thelonious Monk's standard "Round Midnight" with an extended solo by Eric Dolphy.[4]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz[3]

The AllMusic reviewer described the album as "a true classic", and added that, "although using ideas from avant-garde jazz, it does not fall into any simple category".[4] The Penguin Guide to Jazz suggested that it was a good place in Russell's discography for a listener to start.[3]

Track listing
  1. "Ezz-thetic" (Russell) – 8:57
  2. "Nardis" (Miles Davis) – 4:34
  3. "Lydiot" (Russell) – 8:06
  4. "Thoughts" (Russell) – 5:26
  5. "Honesty" (David Baker) – 8:55
  6. "Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk) – 6:29
  7. "Kige's Tune" (Al Kiger) (take 2) *
  8. "Kige's Tune" (Al Kiger) (take 5) *

* Bonus tracks, issued for the first time on 2007 CD remaster:

Personnel

References
  1. "June Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box, New York. 24 June 1961. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. Editorial Staff, Billboard (31 July 1961). "Ezz-thetics". Billboard Music Week. The Billboard Publishing Co. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  3. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1249. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. Yanow, Scott (2011). "George Russell: Ezz-Thetics". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  5. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 174. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
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