Lennie Tristano: Duo Sessions

In 1968, pianist Lennie Tristano stopped touring. Traveling had become too much for him and he preferred to focus on teaching. During this period, he recorded with students in his home studio at his loft apartment at 317 East 32nd Street. The tapes of three of Tristano's students appear with him on an album called The Duo Sessions (Dot Time), released last year.

The students were saxophonist Lenny Popkin, pianist Connie Crothers and drummer Roger Mancuso. Popkin's October 1970 tracks are Out of a Dream, Ballad, Chez Lennie, Inflight, Ensemble and Melancholy Stomp. Crothers' tracks in 1976 are Concerto: Part 1 and Part 2. And Mancuso's tracks in circa 1968 are Palo Alto Street, Session, Changes, My Baby, Imagery, That Feeling, Minor Pennies and Home Again. 

The material here is for Tristano fans who will appreciate the dry and free-form competition between student and teacher. Listening to these recordings is like watching a champion handball player take on younger players in a closed room.

Tristano remains one of the most intriguing and underrated jazz pianists of the post-war period. From his 1945 recordings on onward, Tristano, who was blind, had a magical sense of swing whether playing bebop or his modernist cool with a trio, quartet or quintet. His playing never ceases to dazzle and raise hairs.

Lennie Tristano died in 1978.

JazzWax clips: Here's Imagery with Lennie Tristano and Roger Mancuso...



Here's Ensemble with Tristano and Lenny Popkin...



Bonus: Here's Tristano's first recording, Tea for Two in June 1945, with Marky Markowitz (tp), Earl Swope (tb), Emmett Carls (ts), Lennie Tristano (p,arr), Chubby Jackson (b) and Don Lamond (d)...



Here's Blue Boy in May 1947 with Lennie Tristano (p), Billy Bauer (g) and Bob Leininger (b)...



Here's Tristano playing solo piano on Just Judy in September 1947...



And here's the Lennie Tristano Quintet in May 1949 playing Marionette, with Lee Konitz (as), Warne Marsh (ts), Lennie Tristano (p), Billy Bauer (g), Arnold Fishkin (b) and Denzil Best (d)...