George Russell

Russell has been influential both as a composer and a theorist. His 1953 treatise "The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization" sparked interest in modal improvisation, as demonstrated by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and others in the late '50s and early '60s. The recipient of numerous awards and grants, he continues to tour extensively with his Living Time Orchestra, as well serving on the faculty of the New England Conservatory.