The Hal Russell Story


The Hal Russell Story is the final album by the Hal Russell NRG Ensemble, recorded in Switzerland in July 1992 and released on ECM the following year—Russell's final recording before his death, five weeks later.

Reception

The AllMusic review awarded the album 4 stars stating "It would be great if Hal Russell were still around serving up his wonderfully skewed jazz-rock, but this is as wonderful and fitting an epitaph as one could hope for."
The DownBeat review by Bill Shoemaker says that "Russell's circuitous route to Haldom is recounted here as a gloriously kaleidoscopic sound experience waxed just five weeks before his death."

Track listing

All compositions by Hal Russell except as indicated
  1. "Intro and Fanfare/Toy Parade/Trumpet March/Riverside Jump" – 5:22
  2. "Krupa" – 5:36
  3. "You're Blasé" – 1:51
  4. "Dark Rapture" – 2:44
  5. "World Class" – 2:25
  6. "Wood Chips" – 2:31
  7. "My Little Grass Shack" – 2:36
  8. "O & B" – 3:44
  9. "For M" – 6:17
  10. "Gloomy Sunday" – 2:31
  11. "Hair Male" – 3:13
  12. "Bossa G" – 0:38
  13. "Mildred" – 1:07
  14. "Dope Music" – 1:44
  15. "The 2 x 2" – 3:13
  16. "The Ayler Songs" – 5:53
  17. "Rehcabnettul" – 4:05
  18. "Steve's Freedom Principle" – 5:33
  19. "Lady in the Lake" – 3:31
  20. "Oh Well" – 2:39

Personnel

Hall Russell NRG Ensemble