Jazz Articles about Lee Konitz

Lee Konitz: The Real Lee Konitz

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 2000

You know the experimental Lee Konitz; he isn’t here. No carefully-planned abstractions or sweating in a studio – everything is spontaneous, including the way it was made. The agent calls on a Friday: “Do you want to open in Pittsburgh on Monday?" He did, and a band was created with a few phone calls. The clubowner likes them and offers a second week; a group sound is forming, and Lee is impressed. Returning to New York on his off-day, he ...

Lee Konitz/Ted Brown: Dig-It

by Mark Corroto
January 1, 2000

Lee Konitz and Ted Brown have lived many lives since they played together as students and sidemen of pianist Lennie Tristano more than fifty years ago. Konitz started with Claude Thornhill’s Orchestra before working with Gil Evans and Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool Nonet. His familiar alto saxophone was featured in what many say was the first recorded free improvisational music. While working in somewhat obscurity, Konitz has managed to record hundreds of records on mostly minor labels. Ted ...

Lee Konitz: The Real Lee Konitz

by Robert Spencer
December 1, 1999

The welcome reappearance of this disc should further cement Lee Konitz's reputation as one of the foremost improvisers of the last few decades.

His is a subtle art, calling attention less to his instrumental abilities (although these are considerable) than to the melodic possibilities of the song at hand. That is, he is a master at drawing out of the harmonic structure of a piece a seemingly endless stream of musical ideas, all of which he uses to create a ...

Konitz/Mehldau/Haden: Another Shade of Blue

by David Adler
November 1, 1999

Put these three highly individualized players in a room together and the music will take to glorious flight. It’s that simple. This drumless trio thrilled us back in 1997 with Alone Together, and they’re back to thrill us again. No surprises in the format department: once again, the saxophonist, pianist, and bassist ruminate at length on a set of often-played standards. In lesser hands the conventional repertoire and subdued vibe could induce yawns. But combine Konitz’s alto hues with Mehldau’s ...

Lee Konitz: Another Shade Of Blue

by Jim Santella
November 1, 1999

Another Shade Of Blue is the second release garnered from this trio’s Los Angeles performance recorded in concert by Blue Note at The Jazz Bakery. Unlike Alone Together, this one presents their mellower side, featuring a slow walking blues, several ballads, and one cool improvised standard. A little melodic change here, an inverted phrase there, alter the harmony but retain most of the chord structure, and what you’ve got is a cool bop “All Of Me" that’s as much fun ...

Lee Konitz & Paul Bley: Out Of Nowhere

by Jim Santella
June 1, 1998

Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz began his more than 50-year career studying with Lennie Tristano and soloing with the Claude Thornhill orchestra and the Miles Davis Nonet before stepping out on his own. His distinctive sound, often described as chilly and dry, and his anti-establishment, modal harmonic improvisations offer the listener a comfortable session containing pleasant lyrical melodies and refreshing colors.

Pianist Paul Bley started his career at about the same time as Konitz, attending the Juilliard School of Music, then ...