George Russell: Lydian Chromatic Concept Of Tonal Organisation (4th Edition)

This rare sought after text, first published in 1953, was the first theoretical book to come from jazz. It kick started modal jazz, which culminated in the recording of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue album and gave musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Eric Dolphy a harmonic foundation for further exploration.

Russell's book represents a radical expansion of the harmonic language for both composition and analysis. It marks an abandonment of the major-minor system, which dominated Western music for over 350 years. The word Lydian is here derived from one of the classical Greek scale modes. Russell's root scale follows the natural overtone series and runs from C to C with F#, rather than with the customary F natural of the major scale.

If you've listened to jazz during the past fifty years, you've heard Russell's ideas. He is one of the 20th century's bravest originals and innovators. His contribution stands head-to-head with Schoenberg's liberation of the twelve-tone scale, the polytonal work of Stravinsky, and the ethnic scale explorations of Bartok and Kodaly.

Painstakingly revised by Russell this new edition is beautifully produced and includes is a foldout chart listing all permutations of the Primary Modal Genres and the seven Principal Scales of the Lydian Chromatic Scale.

Hardback, (4th ed) 268 pages

"Gives you so much more to work with" - Eric Dolphy