The six albums that George Russell recorded in just two years – starting with Sextet at the Five Spot in September 1960 and concluding with The Outer View in August 1962 – are path- breaking documents that elaborated a radically restructured bridge between the Birth of the Cool and the outermost reaches of the mid-‘60s avant-garde, and set fascinating precedents for subsequent composers who sought to redesign the formal parameters of jazz composi- tion, from Andrew Hill to Henry Threadgill. Of these six, Ezz-thetics and The Stratus Seekers are the most cohesive, most adventurous, and most rewarding. - Art Lange
Personnel
Tracks 1-6: Ezz-thetics
Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone, bass clarinet
Don Ellis - trumpet
David Baker - trombone
George Russell - piano
Steve Swallow - double bass
Joe Hunt - drums
Tracks 7-12: The Stratus Seekers
Paul Plummer - tenor saxophone
John Peirce - alto saxophone
Don Ellis - trumpet
David Baker - trombone
George Russell - piano
Steve Swallow - double bass
Joe Hunt - drums
