"The Story of an American Composer"

[bobappleton]

This biography arrived in my hand today - and to prove it, a picture:
http://www.4shared.com/photo/3fz93seQ/GR_story.html

b

[bobappleton]

Biographer Douglas Heining's comments from pages 313 and 314 about the relationship between the Concept and current neuropsychology research is followed by "Russell's decision to block through his estate, any future editions of The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization becomes all the more unfortunate. The need for more research both scientific and historic implies that its future must lie in the hands of its most gifted students." This may explain why Volume 2 has not been published.

[bobappleton]

On the first Living Time recording with Bill Evans, Sam Rivers, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, etc, etc... a quote from Dave Bargeron "this music (was) organized in such a way that none of us had ever seen before, and the pieces separated into events with roman numerals, subset of that areas, subset of that ABC within the areas. And coordinating all of these various functions for the very first time, George developing a technique of conducting this way, random events that would last a time span rather than a certain amount of measures."

[bobappleton]

Carla Bley, page 161: "I happened to take a piece of music to George Russell and he looked at it and he said, 'This is fantastic. I want to record it.' So he saved my life. At that moment, I was about to become a seamstress."

[bobappleton]

p 81 - 82 on Stefan Wolpe "Russell is quite specific in identifying the Jazz Workshop album 'Lydian M-1' and All About Rosie as examples of compositions that used Wolpe's ideas and influence... Russell provided his comments for a centennial memorial publication for Wolpe. 'Wolpe and the two principles that stuck with me* and his forceful being are part of me now, and they always have been, and always will be. He's alive in those of us that he touched.'"

* "the two things that impressed me, that caused me to think in a new way, were his theory of the rate of chromatic circulation as a means of destroying any tonical integrity and the principle of thirdless sound." (from Perlis, Inteview with G Russell)

[bobappleton]

p 298-299. Ben Schwendener: "All systems and methodologies, within equal temperament, are embraced in the Lydian Chromatic Concept. The Concept simply offers an objective organization of all the tonal resources (melodic and harmonic) available. It's up to the musician to arrange or combine any selection from these elements in a way that fulfills the creative aim... You can either choose from a methodology, or you can choose from natural elements and their "modes of behavior," (which) as George puts it, allows for direct access to your own essence... referring to that unified code of being... that expresses one's individuality"

[bobappleton]

p 310 "...Natasha Spender has noted 'all scale systems are based on the octave, which suggests a neurological factor.'* How else would it be possible to explain both the octave of 'Western' equal temperament and the Indian octave of twenty-two semitones or different individual responses to music? The approach Spender explores acknowledges three dominant approaches – music as a set of arbitrary conventions (based on David Hilbert's view of mathematics), as a Platonic description of an existing reality, and as a property of the mind (based on Noam Chomsky's theory of language). Of these, George Russell's view is obviously closest to the second."

* Natasha Spender, "Psychology of Music," in Oxford Companion to the Mind

[motherlode]

Reading "The Story of an American Composer", for me, must be something akin to time travel. There are so many instances that I have some recall of from my boyhood and now reading the inside story…it's just fascinating!

Some of the music discussed like, "Sippin' at Bells" aka "Dance of the Infidels" (because they have the same changes) but different heads. I can remember everyone of my peers wanting to be the first to know both heads…it's just fascinating!
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The final chapter, "On Conceptual Thinking", all of the theorist that have issues with the LCC need to read that chapter.
It renders most of the their arguments redundant.
GR in his own time had already faced his critics (p.305) and set forth his 'own perception of the relationship between his ideas and science'.
It all centers around tonal gravity…

"Nevertheless in claiming "scientific" validity for his theory, he also opens to legitimate challenge or analysis…" (p.309)

That explains why so many would be scientist come to these boards with no music, just a bunch of calculations (everybody knows of my disdain for them)…I never understood it until now. Would you believe: They are actually fulfilling some sort of prophecy ? I have suddenly become more tolerant of them (I hope). LOL.

Let me clarify some of my attitudes. Unlike many, I started the study of the LCC as a kid when the concept was brand new ('59-'60). I hadn't been exposed to formal theory (Bach and such) until after high school. I had taken the LCC as the norm.
A music teacher heard one of my writings and asked, "...where did you STEAL that music ? ".
You can imagine my surprise and confusion. I didn't get it. I saw myself as only doing different songs NOT different music. But, he did.

So you see, although I'm not someone famous that you can point to...GR and the LCC have had a profound influence on my life.
My biological father gave me a life...and GR gave me a living!!
How many can make that claim?
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My two biggest surprises were that GR is originally a drummer AND the influence of Gurdjieff.
Have you heard the story about Gurdjieff's funeral? It's been said they couldn't get the casket closed...!!
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There's even reference made to the pitfalls of trying to teach jazz…"merely leads to the creation of clones of the heroes of jazz", and things like why the LCC is so devoid of "paint by the number" rules…
how many times have you heard that one?
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I read the entire book in two days, in silence, now I'll read it again aloud…and then again as if I'm telling the story (the influence of Gurdjieff).

[guitarjazz]

I can't wait to read that book. I knew about George's interest in Gurdjieff after attending the seminar in the '80's. If you look at the new edition you'll find Gurdjieff's influence present , especially in the last few pages.

[motherlode]

I want to make a comment about Gurdjieff. If you don't know who he is then this might appear to be coming from left field...

Regarding the Gurdjieff people, I've been around them a lot. They have a different understanding. Infallible.
They talk about the 'ray of creation' and funny things like making the phone 'ring mad'. Often they won't act until the tension reaches 7, like the leading tone on the scale. Why Gurdjieff even played music with dance movements but it's not like anything you know.

They all work very hard on becoming ONE person. They see people as having multiples of themselves, which is the source of their stagnation, and on and on...
No clear thinking person can have a casual relationship with Gurdjieff. You will be affected.

GR's exposure to Gurdjieff had to have seeped into his work...
The fact that they couldn't get Gurdjieff's casket closed and the number theorist making their annual pilgrimage to these boards is the same thing!!

note: In no way am I qualified to discuss the teachings of Guedjieff.