Baritone saxophonist Gil Melle was one of the most fascinating and under-appreciated figures in post-bop jazz. A prodigy as both a musician and painter, he was a pioneer of jazz/classical fusion and electronic music. Melle was born in New York City on December 31, 1931. In 1950, at nineteen, Melle became the first white musician signed to Blue Note, and also designed several album covers for records by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins as well as several of his own records
. He also introduced Alfred Lion to his friend, recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, whose methods became an essential element in the Blue Note sound.From the get-go Melle’s music was well advanced beyond modern jazz of the time, reflecting early developments in the classical/jazz fusion he later dubbed “Primitive Modern”.He made several 10″ (including this one) for Blue Note and Prestige in the early 50’s before recording his first lp for Blue Note “Patterns in Jazz in 1956.
Patterns in Jazz was one of the label’s most modernistic releases for years to come. Later that year he signed to Prestige, for whom he recorded three albums in one year before leaving the jazz scene in favor of studio work.
In the early 1960s Melle began working as a film and television composer in Los Angeles, writing music for Rod Serling’s “Night Gallery”, “The Andromeda Strain”, and over 125 other movies and TV shows along with more standard orchestral works. Many of his scores were entirely electronic, completely innovative at the time. Melle also pioneered many developments in electronic music, including early analog synthesizers and drum machines. His band The Electronauts was the first all-electronic ensemble to perform at Monterey. Melle only recorded sporadically from the late 1960s until his death, preferring in the end to concentrate on painting and digital art.
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