Jazz Articles about Lee Konitz

Lee Konitz and the Axis String Quartet: Play French Impressionist Music from the 20th Century

by Jack Bowers
April 1, 2001

This homage to 20th–century French Impressionist composers by alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and the Axis String Quartet might best be described as a sometimes interesting but more often overly ambitious venture. Konitz is an undeniably marvelous player (although not especially well–recorded here) and the quartet is clearly an accomplished unit, but the music itself is on the whole less than inspiring while its relationship to Jazz, at least as depicted on this album, is tenuous at best. It seems that ...

Lee Konitz: Some New Stuff

by Andrew Lindstrom
February 1, 2001

One of the most exciting and unique aspects of “saxophonitz" Lee Konitz's playing and writing is his intense respect for both the intuitive nature of the improvisational process as well as the practical nuts and bolts of making music with others. This is a characteristic of many of pianist/pedagogue Lennie Tristano's pupils to a certain extent, but Konitz has always been the most creatively restless of that school (at one point Tristano himself felt “betrayed" by Konitz's individualism). A thorough ...

Lee Konitz: Some New Stuff

by Mark Corroto
January 1, 2001

Recently, I’ve rediscovered the music of Lee Konitz. Actually never lost, I just kind of never favored his sound. Till now. Maybe he has mellowed, or I’ve aged, but to my ears he has set aside attitude to favor beauty.

Konitz, a Lennie Tristano disciple, has for years been undeservedly labeled with a cool-school moniker. His music was never consciously ‘cool’ as much as it was aloof and distant, giving the appearance of arrogance. His tone was acerbic, but had ...

Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Plays French Impressionist Music from the 20th Century

by David Adler
November 1, 2000

Joined by the Axis String Quartet, alto sax veteran Lee Konitz puts a very unique spin on pieces from French Impressionist repertoire. Claude Debussy is the album’s most prevalent composer, represented by “Rêverie," “Soupir," and “Valse Romantique." Erik Satie is a close second with “Sur Un Lanterne" and “Seul à La Maison." There are also pieces by Ravel and three somewhat less familiar figures: Fauré, Chausson, and Koechlin.Israeli composer Ohad Talmor arranged the works, taking certain compositional liberties ...

Lee Konitz: Sound Of Surprise

by Mark Corroto
June 1, 2000

New Lee Konitz records have recently been coming out at a rate to match David Murray’s output of the early 1990s. There are my favorites, the two Blue Note live sessions with Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden, Alone Together and Another Shade Of Blue. Also, Three Guys (Enja) with Paul Motian and Steve Swallow, Dig It a reunion with Ted Brown on Steeplechase, plus a few more out this year. He seems to be able to record with small and ...

Konitz/Swallow/Motian: Three Guys

by Derek Taylor
March 1, 2000

Perenially the self-deprecating soul, Konitz offers a brief but highly understated analysis of the music contained here in his brief notes to the disc. For my money, the evidence presented in aural form is all the proof necessary as to why he remains one of the most inventive improvisers alive. He can take even the most deceptively simple melodic line and twist it into shapes and textures you didn’t even realize where there. Then there’s his instantly recognizable tone- a ...

Lee Konitz: Another Shade Of Blue

by Mike Neely
January 1, 2000

To be able to hear the hesitancies and offerings of vivid thought and in turn the delicate reactions of exchange is to hear the poetry of jazz at its elemental level. This is the accomplishment of a recent Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, and Charlie Haden trio recording entitled: “Another Shade Of Blue."

This CD is the companion to “Alone Together," both discs taken from a live recording originally scheduled to be a Konitz and Haden duet. In the liner notes, ...