Spanning Generations While Sticking to Old Standards

There was a time when the alto saxophonist Lee Konitz wasnt a regular attraction on the New York club circuit. Actually, that was the case for much of his career: Mr. Konitz, never the warmest or most ingratiating of jazz legends, has long had a fickle relationship with the spotlight. That probably says more about the spotlight than it does about his art, which has been consistent over the years, obstinately so. Now 82, he has settled into a late-career renaissance by renewing the same lines of inquiry hes had all along.

Of course it helps that he keeps changing the context, or letting it change around him. Last week Mr. Konitz was at Birdland with an all-star quartet whose youngest member, at 39, was the pianist Brad Mehldau. This week hes working at Iridium with another intergenerational group, jointly headlined by the eminently gifted tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, who is 44. Without really trying, the engagement serves both as a tribute to Mr. Konitzs early style and a confirmation of his endless renewal.