George Russell & the Swedish Radio Jazz Orchestra – Vertical Form VI (Soul Note, 1981)

George Russell (composer, asst cond); Carl Atkins (principal cond); Arne Domnérus (ss, as, cl); Ian Uling (ts, as, fl); Lennart Åberg (ts, as, ss, fl); Bernet Rosengren (ts, as, ss, fl); Erik Nilsson (bs, b cl, fl); Americo Bellotto (tr, flgn); Bertil Lövgren (tr, flgn); Håken Nyquist (tr, flgn, Fr hn); Jan Allan (tr, Fr hn); Ivar Olsen (Fr hn); Lars Olofsson (tb); Bengt Edvarsson (tb); Jörgen Johansson (tb); Sven Larsson (b tr, tu); Rune Gustafsson (g); Stefan Brolund (el b); Bronislav Suchanek (b); Lars-Urban Helje (b); Björn Lind (el p); Vlodek Gulgowski (syn, el p); Monica Dominique (celeste, org, el p, clavinet); Lars Beijbon (d); Leroy Lowe (d); Sabu Martinez (cga)

Recorded on March 10, 1977

Reissued as part of George Russell: The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note in 2010.

George Russell is one of the few undeniably "important" figures in jazz whose primary role was that of a conceptualist and composer.  This LP reflects those preoccupations.  

To me, Russell's music is always worth a close listen -- if only because he approaches jazz from such a unique direction.

More George Russell

Recorded about a year after Vertical Form VI, Russell's New York Big Band (Soul Note, 1982) is another outstanding effort.