Jazz / Cool, Ballads, West Coast Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Lee Konitz - Soloist, Liner Notes
Andy Waterman Engineer
Bill Perkins Saxophone, Soloist
Bob Enevoldsen Trombone, Soloist
Cecilia Coleman Soloist, Piano
Dave Woodley Trombone, Soloist
Jack Montrose Saxophone
Jerry Pinter Saxophone, Soloist
Kendall Kay Soloist, Drums
Les Benedict Soloist, Trombone
Louis Fasman Trumpet
Mark Masters Conductor, Arranger
Putter Smith Soloist, Bass
Ron Stout Soloist, Trumpet
Scott Englebright Trumpet
Steve Huffsteter Soloist, Trumpet
Lee Konitz has long been one of the most distinctive sounding alto saxophonists in jazz, with a cool yet dry tone. He guests with the Mark Masters Ensemble on this 2002 studio session, which concentrates on Masters' arrangements of his originals, many of which are based upon standards. The guest is the primary soloist, though each member of the big band is featured at some point. "Thingin'," Konitz's well-known reworking of "All the Things You Are," features its composer, trumpeter Steve Huffstetter, and pianist Cecilia Coleman. "Dream Stepper" (based on "You Stepped Out of a Dream") features terrific interplay between Konitz and fellow alto saxophonist Gary Foster. The intricate "317 East 32nd Street," a brilliant piece inspired by "Out of Nowhere," finds Konitz in a humorous mood. Konitz is the lone soloist in the one outright standard of the date, which incorporates his orchestrated solo from a 1953 recording with Gerry Mulligan. The finale, "Palo Alto," begins with a pulsing rhythm before taking off into an adventurous, demanding chart which the musicians interpret flawlessly. Lee Konitz had high praise for Mark Masters' scoring of his works, and the obvious pleasure had by everyone involved in the making of this recording is readily apparent to the listener. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Lee Konitz
Active Decades: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Oct 13, 1927 in Chicago, IL
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Modern Creative, Cool, Post-Bop
One of the most individual of all altoists (and one of the few in the 1950s who did not sound like a cousin of Charlie Parker), the cool-toned Lee Konitz has always had a strong musical curiosity that has led him to consistently take chances and stretch himself, usually quite successfully. Early on he studied clarinet, switched to alto, and played with Jerry Wald. Konitz gained some attention for his solos with Claude Thornhill's Orchestra (1947). He began studying with Lennie Tristano, who had a big influence on his conception and approach to improvising. Konitz was with Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool Nonet during their one gig and their Capitol recordings (1948-1950) and recorded with Lennie Tristano's innovative sextet (1949), including the first two free improvisations ever documented. Konitz blended very well with Warne Marsh's tenor (their unisons on "Wow" are miraculous) and would have several reunions with both Tristano and Marsh through the years, but he was also interested in finding his own way; by the early '50s he started breaking away from the Tristano school. Konitz toured Scandinavia (1951), where his cool sound was influential, and he fit in surprisingly well with Stan Kenton's Orchestra (1952-1954), being featured on many charts by Bill Holman and Bill Russo. Konitz was primarily a leader from that point on. He almost retired from music in the early '60s but re-emerged a few years later. His recordings have ranged from cool bop to thoughtful free improvisations, and his Milestone set of Duets (1967) is a classic. In the late '70s Konitz led a notable nonet and in 1992 he won the prestigious Jazzpar Prize. He kept a busy release schedule throughout the '90s and dabbled in the world of classical with 2000's French Impressionist Music from the Turn of the Twentieth Century. The Mark Masters Ensemble joined him for 2004's One Day with Lee. And in 2007 he recorded Portology with the Ohad Talmor Big Band. He has recorded on soprano and tenor but has mostly stuck to his distinctive alto.Konitz has led consistently stimulating sessions for many labels, including Prestige, Dragon, Pacific Jazz, Vogue, Storyville, Atlantic, Verve, Wave, Milestone, MPS, Polydor, Bellaphon, SteepleChase, Sonet, Groove Merchant, Roulette, Progressive, Choice, IAI, Chiaroscuro, Circle, Black Lion, Soul Note, Storyville, Evidence, and Philogy.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
