Cubano Be, Cubano Bop

Beyond the Lydian (Chromatic) Concept

Abstract

George Allan Russell (1923–2009) is a major historical figure in jazz because of his work as a pianist, composer, and theorist. Up to now, though, scholars mostly focused on his theory, The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, thus neglecting much of his musical output. This essay discusses the compositional techniques Russell used in Cubano Be, Cubano Bop (1947). It makes use of valuable documents from the composer’s archive and examines all available recordings and scores. The music is discussed in relationship to the first version of the Concept, so far sparingly employed in musicological works. Aspects of Russell’s compositional techniques he did not theorize upon are also discussed, as they only emerge from musical analysis. The final discussion of the relationships between Cubano Be, Cubano Bop and the pan-African movement shows the intricate layers of meanings this work contains.

https://www.lim.it/it/rivista-di-analisi-e-teoria-musicale/6864-2024-2-9788855432559.html