Lee Konitz!

Tom Storer · July-8th-2003, 05:51 AM

I did a search and found to my astonishment that no Konitz-specific thread seems to exist yet. I could have sworn there was one... anyway, here's this one.

I've just discovered his 1996 album on Enja, "Strings For Holiday" - Konitz playing tunes associated with Billie Holiday, backed by a string section that includes Mark Feldman and Erik Friedlander, with Michael Formanek on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. String arrangements by Daniel Schnyder. Yet another indispensable Konitz album - absolutely gorgeous.

Konitz is my current all-time favorite jazz musician. I think he's a treasure of world culture. He's been around for a long, long time, always vital, always playing the most wonderful music - Dr. Dave and I saw him a few months ago in a duet with Martial Solal that I thought was brilliant. He embodies the continuity of the jazz tradition from the 40s to the present. All hail!

List your favorite Konitz records here.

July-8th-2003, 06:38 AM

Tom Storer · July-8th-2003, 07:14 AM

Much as I like "Satori" - and I do, I do - and am fascinated by his early-70's period and its experimentations, my favorite Konitz is later Konitz. Among his trillion duet albums with pianists are some gems, and the most recent - "Live-Lee," with Alan Broadbent - is perhaps my favorite. "Sound of Surprise," with Ted Brown, John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, is also a favorite of mine. But it's hard to go wrong with Konitz.

Captain Hate · July-8th-2003, 07:35 AM

Tom, check out the Montreal Festival thread for the latest on Lee; he appeared on four consecutive nights with different lineups (with varying degrees of success, from what I heard). I was shocked with how totally undiminished his skills are at age 75, I think. I mentioned to others there that a marriage made in heaven would be a recording with Ran Blake. Lacking that, my faves are the recording he made with Martial Solal, Four Keys which also featured Scofield and NHOP on the PAUSA label and is oop, I think; and his playing on Angel Song with Wheeler, Holland and Frisell is superb.

john williams · July-8th-2003, 07:45 AM

I don't have a single Konitz recording and have never heard one. I have no idea why but thanks to this thread I may learn of Lee's better recordings. Lee's output is significant The one I always see in the shops here is Parallels. Lee isn't well stocked here except at Birdland Records in Sydney, or perhaps Big Star in Adelaide. Motion gets a crown in Penguin and I was wondering if others here thought it was a standout?

I will try to get "Strings for Holiday"as I am a fan of Feldman and Friedlander (and Holiday). I Really liked Feldman on Abercombie's Cat and Mouse from last year. This will be my first Konitz I think. Great thread idea Tom. I often wondered about Lee Konitz but never got around to buying any. I will be interested to read the responses on this thread.

mjb · July-8th-2003, 07:54 AM

I too dig Konitz - two particular favourites are "L'Age Mür" with Enrico Rava and "The Lee Konitz Duets" with Jim Hall, Joe Henderson, Karl Berger, Ray Nance, Marshall Brown and others.

Gentle Giant · July-8th-2003, 08:22 AM

I have records he plays on but only one of him as a leader and it's on cassette and I haven't seen it in years. I, too, will be eagerly pulling recommendations from this thread, as I've always liked his tone and his playing.

shrugs · July-8th-2003, 08:45 AM

Konitz has a very intimidating discography. There is so much out there that finding a starting point can be difficult. And he hasn't stopped recording and often does so on labels with poor distribution! Some of my favorite early sessions are Subconscious-Lee, Inside Hi-Fi, Lee Konitz w/Warne Marsh(both of these are within the Tristano/Konitz/marsh Mosaic set), An Image and Motion. Later in the 70's I really like the duets with Martial Solal on Horo. Two lp's of wonderful investigations of some great standards. Their playing together is often sublime and one must pay full attention to the proceedings. Moving on there are the Steeplechase duets with Hal Garper. That session is called Windows and grab it if you find it. I don't see it too often but it's wonderful. Same goes for Oleo on Sonet. It's not a perfect recording but there is a wonderful Lush Life and the title track is also good. Konitz is joined by Dick Katz and Wilbur Little.
My two favorite later dates are Ideal Scene with Harold Danko, Rufus reid and Al Harewood. The other is Three Guys with Steve Swallow and Paul Motian. Excellent trio recording on Enja.

shrugs · July-8th-2003, 08:53 AM

and how could I forget Tenorlee and Meets Warne Marsh Again! Especially the latter. Maybe their best duet recording?

Clay Fink · July-8th-2003, 09:02 AM

Ditto on the "Strings for Holiday".

The duets with Solal are wonderful - I have the Horo and also one on PAUSA. There's also a duet on Hatology that's still in print.

I also like "Thingin'", also on Hatology/Hat Art with Don friedman and Atilla Zollar. I have a wondeful duet with Franco D'Andrea on Philology called "Inside Cole Porter".

Also: don't forget that the Mosaic box of his Atlantic dates with Tristano and Marsh (along with those artist's Atlantic sides) is still available.

Clay Fink · July-8th-2003, 09:10 AM

Here's Lee on Braxton. I'm sure some have read this before.

"The Wire" Issue 189/Nov.1999:
Excerpt from Lee Konitz' comments on A.Braxton's version of "April"
from "8 (+3) Tristano Compositions":

"Well, it's the worst solo I ever heard in my life, I think. I don't
know what his real intention was in doing this [covering a Lennie
Tristano tune]. There are many wrong notes in the line of Tristano's,
and the tempo is impossible; we never played the tune at that tempo.
So obviously he was trying to impress with some kind of a technical
flurry. Anthony doesn't relate to the rhythm section at all, they
might as well be out to lunch. For some reason he pays great lip
service [to the Tristano school]. Every time I'd meet him, he would
sing my solos to me and I would never recognise them. I thought to
myself, 'I wonder if he plays them on the horn too', because there's
not too much indication for just playing a good melody, in time, with
a good sound. I think this a travesty, I think it's an insult to the
memory of Tristano."

LK further says that he acknowledges AB's respect for Marsh, Tristano
and himself, calls AB a "deep thinker" and concedes that "he's trying
to go in a different direction". But on the other hand LK "can't stand
his sound [...] it's awful."
He ends with a more conciliatory tone: "The most interesting thing
I've heard him do was a duet with Max Roach, where there was no longer
any consideration for melodies and sound, and traditional rhythmic
impetus."

MRS · July-8th-2003, 09:58 AM

I've heard Lee has some strong opinions. . .thanks for the quote, Clay.

Okay, 1 obvious and 1 not so obvious: The first disc of "Motion" is some of the greatest music in my collection, so if you can find this, it's worth whatever you'll drop.

"I Concentrate On You" is a duo w/Red Mitchell from '74 off Steeplechase and I've always felt this a very personal and satisfying recording.

shrugs · July-8th-2003, 10:06 AM

Those duets with Red are great. Red's duets with Barney Kessell don't get their due either.

hermann · July-8th-2003, 10:19 AM

I like my 'Art of the Duo' CD where Albert Mangelsdorff und Lee Konitz speak together (rec.1983).

Canuck Don · July-8th-2003, 11:00 AM

I like Lee Konitz.Checking my jazz collection ,I only have 3 recordings of his though.

Satori.
Konitz meets Mulligan.
Chicago'n all that Jazz.

I like the one with Mulligan the best.
1953 session with :
Mulligan - b.s.
Chet Baker - tr.
Larry Bunker - dr.
Carson Smith - b.

Jon Abbey · July-8th-2003, 11:06 AM

Motion was just issued on a single CD for the first time, so no need to drop big bucks anymore, Michael.

I always had a weak spot for Konitz's duo discs from 1980 with Gil Evans, Heroes and Anti-Heroes, a nice relaxed vibe that makes you feel like you're in the smoky club with them.

Joe Milazzo · July-8th-2003, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon Abbey
I always had a weak spot for Konitz's duo discs from 1980 with Gil Evans, Heroes and Anti-Heroes, a nice relaxed vibe that makes you feel like you're in the smoky club with them.

Those are indeed fascinating records.

FROM NEWPORT TO NICE offers a nice, single-disc overview of Konitz down through the years, from the achingly pure-toned lyricist of the 50's to the more acerbic-sounding, more cerebral and, for my money, more intense improvisor of later years.

Finally, for a really intriguing experience, check out ALTISSIMO, the 1973 (?) alto summit record with Jackie McLean, Gary Bartz, Charlie Mariano, and Konitz. With Han Bennink on drums. Pretty monumental...

Al in NYC · July-8th-2003, 11:18 AM

The original single-disc Motion was just reissued by Verve and has been available cheap at Borders and Tower. I think some copies of the 3-disc version are still floating around out there, but the price can be a big deterrent on that one.

Konitz is easily one of my favorite living musicians, and I second all endorsements here for his work with Solal (another under-recognized living great), and, of course, anything with Warne Marsh. This is all subtle work, and the greatness of it may not jump out immediately to listeners used to the chain running out of Parker, Rollins, Coltrane et. al., but listen carefully and ye shall be copiously rewarded.

I've always enjoyed his music on some level, but it took me years to really really "get" it. I think seeing him live was a real turning point for me and made me into a Konitz fanatic. As others say here, he is still playing at a very very high level, and I'd urge anyone to get out and see him if he's playing anywhere nearby.

Appropos of the Braxton comments above, there is a scene in a documentry on alto players I have on tape somewhere of Braxton excitedly humming out-of-tune to a visibly perplexed Konitz what he says is a Konitz solo on "The Song is You." Once he finally stops, a now rather aggravated-looking Konitz laughs derisively and says "nah, that wasn't me." Sounds like Braxton pissed him off with one too many of these encounters.

Tom Storer · July-8th-2003, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JBW
I will try to get "Strings for Holiday"as I am a fan of Feldman and Friedlander (and Holiday).

Note that Feldman and Friedlander don't do any soloing on the record, they're just in the string section. But the string section isn't huge, and I'm sure the presence of jazz-savvy players makes the section work so well.

Another good duo is "Toot Sweet," with a young Michel Petrucianni - 1980 or 81, I think.

I second the votes for "Motion," a trio of Konitz, Sonny Dallas on bass, and Elvin Jones or Nick Stabulas on drums. He also sounds good on Bill Evans' "Crosscurrents" with Warne Marsh on board as well.

And an interesting date, particularly with reference to the quoted remarks about Braxton, is Dave Brubeck's 1976 "All The Things We Are" - one track with Konitz, one with Braxton, one with both, and the rest a trio. Jack Six is on bass, with Roy Haynes on drums for the quartet tunes, Alan Dawson for the trio. One of Brubeck's more interesting records.

Squaredancecalling Steve · July-8th-2003, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Storer
I did a search and found to my astonishment that no Konitz-specific thread seems to exist yet. I could have sworn there was one... anyway, here's this one.

There was one, Tom. You didn't imagine it. Must have been deleted when we lost all those weeks. I remember because I asked if there was any record of Lee's period with Miles' group, you wondered when he played with Miles (other than Birth of the Cool), and somebody (Pete?) mentioned where a few cuts were available. (I think it's on Miles' early Quintet/Sextet album.)

Short of buying the Mosaic box, you can find Konitz with Tristano and Marsh on the Rhino two-fer 'Lenny Tristano/The New Tristano' and on Tristano's 'Intuition' (actually of two-fer of Intuition and Marsh's 'Jazz of Two Cities').

For early works, I like the one Canuck Don mentions with Mulligan. And if you want to go to very early Konitz, try him as a teenager with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra (w/Mulligan and Gil Evans arranging). 'The Uncollected Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra, 1947' is the best I've found.

For later works, of those not mentioned, I like "Alone Together" (with Brad Meldau and Charlie Haden), "Three Guys" (with Steve Swallow and Paul Motian), and "Round and Round" (a quartet with Fred Hersch).

[edit]: I see now that shrugs already recommended Three Guys, so make that a second of that disc.

Nate Dorward · July-8th-2003, 12:55 PM

Well, don't take the quote from the Wire Invisible Jukebox on Braxton out of context. If you look at the rest of the interview you'll see that Konitz was incredibly negative about absolutely everything played for him that day, including negative comments on a Tristano recording[!] & a Jimmy Giuffre.

I wouldn't grab Parallels as a first approach to Konitz, though it's a good disc, a little too becalmed perhaps to bring out Konitz at his best (though the encounter with Mark Turner is intriguing). I'm quite fond of the Live at the Half Note sessions with Marsh, Evans, Garrison & Motian. The Atlantics are all good, as is the early session for Prestige.

I believe that Mark Feldman has a role also on Rhapsody 2, though I haven't heard it. I have Rhapsody (the first volume) & while it's quite rarefied, it's one of Konitz's more challenging & interesting latterday discs, especially the encounters with the Paul Motian Trio & with the Jimmy Giuffre Trio (with Peacock in for Swallow). Alone Together is marred slightly by some of Brad Mehldau's mannerisms (especially during solos, where he occasionally drives the same 4-note pattern into the ground over the course of an entire chorus) but it's got some electrifying Konitz on it. I'm quite fond of Plays French Impressionist Music even though it's barely "jazz" at all--only a small amount of improvisation actually, on string quartet arrangements of Debussy, Koechlin, Satie, Ravel &c.

Fred K · July-8th-2003, 01:13 PM

I have 16 Konitz discs total and there isn't a bad one in the bunch. In addition to several that have been mentioned already here are a few others:

Yes, Yes Nonet (Steeplechase, 1979) - Recommended especialy for fans of Jimmy Knepper who contributed 4 songs (and their arrangements).

Jazz Nocturne (Evidence, 1994) - A standards CD of high quality with Kenny Barron, James Genus and Kenny Washington.

It's You (Steeplechase, 1996) - It's interesting to hear Konitz in a trio format with Ron McClure and Billy Hart. This is the Konitz I've listened to most in the last year.

Gong with the Wind Suite (Steeplechase, 2002) - A duo with Matt Wilson -- no standards, all improvised. Very nice.

Tom Storer · July-8th-2003, 01:18 PM

A second for "Yes, Yes, Nonet" - some great arranging and playing on that album. There's a part in "Footsteps" where the piano swirls up and down rather wildly behind the horn arrangement - a cool effect. As a matter of fact, Konitz's nonet was the first group I saw him in, in 1976, I think.

I have yet to warm up much to "Gong With The Wind." It's a little unfocused, I find - but I'll reserve judgment until I've lived with it longer.

Squaredancecalling Steve · July-8th-2003, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nate Dorward

I believe that Mark Feldman has a role also on Rhapsody 2, though I haven't heard it.

He's there for a grand total of 2'16"! Konitz does three versions of "Short Cuts" -- one with Feldman (1'10"), one with Yuko Fujiyama on piano (1'00"), and one with Feldman and Fujiyama (1'16").

I've hated and liked both of the Rhapsody discs. Need to listen to them some more and sort it out.

Peterdubya · July-8th-2003, 02:18 PM

There is a new Konitz CD called "Live Lee"
A CD of duos with Alan Broadbent recorded at the JAzz Bakery in 2000 just out on Milestone.

I have mixed feelings about it.

shrugs · July-8th-2003, 03:09 PM

does anyone actually like Live at Laren? Maybe the only Konitz I have ever dumped.

Rob C · July-8th-2003, 09:09 PM

I just picked up Some New Stuff, his recent trio with Greg Cohen and Joey Baron. I haven't given it quite enough of a listen yet, but I'm enjoying it so far.

The three-disc Motion is one of my all-time favorites. I also enjoy his playing on Koglmann's We Thought About Duke. That's about all the Lee I have yet, though, so I've got a lot to listen to....

EKE BBB · July-9th-2003, 08:09 AM

Some interesting stuff, IMHO....don´t know if it could be a "starting point":

-Konitz meets Mulligan (1953, Pacific Jazz Records)
-Alone together (with Charlie Haden and Brad Mehldau) (1997, Blue note)
-Yes, yes nonet (1979, Steeplechase)
-12 Gershwin 12 keys (Philology, 88)
-Another shade of blue (BN, 97)
-Art of the duo (Enja, 83)
-Dedicated to Lee (Dragon, 83)
-ezz thetics! (prestige, 51-53)
-Jazz a Juan (steeplechase, 74)
-Motion (Verve, 61)
-Subconscious lee (Ojc, 49-50)
-The Lee Konitz duets (OJC466, 67)
-Very cool (Columbia, 55)
-Zounds (Soul note, 90)

Tom Storer · July-9th-2003, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peterdubya
There is a new Konitz CD called "Live Lee"
A CD of duos with Alan Broadbent recorded at the JAzz Bakery in 2000 just out on Milestone.

I have mixed feelings about it.

Elaborate on your mixed feelings, Peter. I love this one.

Chaz Longue · July-9th-2003, 11:57 AM

I'm not an old fan of Konitz - What I've heard of his recordings I've enjoyed. I know him more by reputation than from hearing a lot of his recordings.

It was great to hear him several times recently in Montreal though. He looked good, played well, and made witty remarks from the stage - any of which I'd be happy to be able to pull off when I'm his age.

I'm looking forward to grabbing a few more of his recordings and also hearing him on the forthcoming Elvis Costello cd, "NORTH".