Ross Russell

Ross Russell was an archive shop owner (the Tempo Music Store) when he formed the Dial label in 1946 specifically to record Charlie Parker, who was simply staying in LA. Although Russell courted controversy by liberating Parker’s infamous “Enthusiast Man” program (sense during Bird’s producing convalescence in Camarillo Condition Hospital that this altoist might by no means play once again), he previously other possibilities to document the fantastic altoist, and also acted as his supervisor for a 12 months. Russell also documented Dizzy Gillespie, Howard McGhee, Dodo Marmarosa, Dexter Gordon and Erroll Garner, amongst others, before Dial turn off in 1949. A unique facet of Dial’s later on reissues is the fact that Russell preserved the alternate requires, thereby multiplying the quantity of music within the label’s vaults, an undeniable fact that enthusiasts in potential years appreciated. Because the past due ’40s, Russell frequently worked like a jazz journalist, adding items to Down Defeat, composing two books (Jazz Style In Kansas Town as well as the Southwest and Parrot Lives) and teaching jazz at schools. He passed away January 31, 2000 at age 90.