George Allen Russell, born on June 23, 1923, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a pioneering American jazz musician, composer, arranger, and theorist. Adopted by a nurse and a chef, he grew up immersed in the rich musical traditions of the black church and riverboat music. Russell's early musical journey began with the Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps, leading to a scholarship at Wilberforce University, where he joined the Collegians, a band known for nurturing future jazz legends.

Russell's career took a significant turn during World War II when he was hospitalized with tuberculosis. During his recovery, he delved into music theory, laying the groundwork for his revolutionary "Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization," published in 1953. This theory, which emphasized the use of the Lydian scale as the primary scale of Western music, was instrumental in the development of modal jazz, influencing iconic works like Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue."

In the late 1940s, Russell moved to New York, joining a circle of innovative musicians including Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He composed "Cubano Be, Cubano Bop" for Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra, a groundbreaking fusion of bebop and Afro-Cuban rhythms. His work continued to evolve, and he led influential ensembles, recording albums that anticipated future jazz movements.

Throughout his career, Russell's contributions to jazz theory and composition left an indelible mark on the music world, inspiring generations of musicians. He passed away on July 27, 2009, in Boston, Massachusetts, leaving behind a legacy as one of jazz's most profound theorists and composers.