He has performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz movement of the 1940s and 1950s includes participation in Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool sessions and his work with pianist Lennie Tristano. He was notable during this era as one of relatively few alto saxophonists to retain a distinctive style when Charlie Parker exerted a massive influence.
Like other students of Tristano, Konitz was noted for improvising long, melodic lines with the rhythmic interest coming from odd accents, or odd note groupings suggestive of the imposition of one time signature over another. Other saxophonists were strongly influenced by Konitz, notably Paul Desmond and Art Pepper.
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Biography
Konitz was born on October 13, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois to Jewish parents of Austrian and Russian descent. Aged 11, Konitz received his first instrument: a clarinet. However, he later dropped the instrument in favor of the tenor saxophone. He eventually moved from tenor to alto. His greatest influences at the time were the swing big bands, to whom he and his brother listened on the radio, specifically, Benny Goodman. Hearing Goodman on the radio is, in fact, what prodded him to ask for a clarinet. He recalls improvising on the saxophone before ever learning to play any standards.
Konitz began his professional career in 1945 with the Teddy Powell band as a replacement for Charlie Ventura. A month later, the band parted ways. Between 1945 and 1947, he worked off and on with Jerry Wald. In 1946, he first met pianist Lennie Tristano, and the two worked together in a small cocktail bar. His next substantial work was done with Claude Thornhill, in 1947, with Gil Evans arranging and Gerry Mulligan as a composer, in most part.
He participated with Miles Davis in a group that had a brief booking in September 1948 and another the following year, but recorded in 1949 and 1950 the sides collected on the Birth of the Cool album. The presence of Konitz and other white musicians in the group angered some black jazz players, many of whom were unemployed at the time, but Davis rebuffed their criticisms. Konitz has stated he considered the group to belong to Gerry Mulligan. His debut as leader also came in 1949 with sides later collected on the album Subconscious-Lee. (Prestige, 1955). He also turned down an opportunity to work with Goodman in 1949—a decision he is on record as regretting. Parker lent him support on the day Konitz's child was being born in Seattle, Washington, while he was stuck in New York City. The two were actually good friends, and not the rivals some jazz critics once made them out to be.
In the early 1950s, Konitz recorded and toured with Stan Kenton's orchestra, but he continued to record under his own name. In 1961, he recorded Motion with Elvin Jones on drums and Sonny Dallas on bass. This spontaneous session, widely regarded as a classic, consisted entirely of standards. The loose trio format aptly featured Konitz's unorthodox phrasing and chromaticism. In 1967, Konitz recorded The Lee Konitz Duets, a series of duets with various musicians. The duo configurations were often unusual for the period (saxophone and trombone, two saxophones). The recordings drew on very nearly the entire history of jazz, from Louis Armstrong's "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" with valve trombonist Marshall Brown to two completely free duos: one with a Duke Ellington associate, violinist Ray Nance, and one with guitarist Jim Hall.
Konitz contributed to the film score for Desperate Characters (1971). In 1981, he performed at the Woodstock Jazz Festival, which was held in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Creative Music Studio.
Konitz has recorded or performed with, Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Attila Zoller, Gerry Mulligan, Elvin Jones, and several others. His latest recordings are a pair of trio dates with Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden, released on Blue Note as well a live album recorded in 2009 at Birdland and released by ECM in 2011 featuring the same lineup with the addition of drummer Paul Motian. Konitz has become more experimental as he has grown older, and has released a number of free and avant-garde jazz albums, playing alongside many far younger musicians. His album with Grace Kelly was given 4 1/2 stars by Michael Jackson in Down Beat magazine. Konitz has released albums on contemporary free jazz/improv labels such as hatART, Soul Note, Omnitone and the aforementioned ECM.
He has also had problems with his heart which he has received surgery for in the past. He was scheduled to appear at Melbourne's Recital Centre as a key attraction of the 2011 MelbourooInternational Jazz Festival. However he fell ill causing the last minute cancellation of the performance.
In August 2012 Konitz played to sell-out crowds at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village as part of Enfants Terribles, a collaboration with Bill Frisell, Gary Peacock and Joey Baron. Just days after his 87th birthday in 2014, Konitz played three nights at Cafe Stritch in San Jose, California with the Jeff Denson Trio, improvising on the old standards he favors.
As leader/co-leader
1949–50: Lee Konitz and Stan Getz The New Sounds (10", Prestige)
1949–50: Subconscious-Lee (Prestige, 1949–50) aka Lee Konitz with Tristano, Marsh and Bauer
1951: The New Sounds Lee Konitz Featuring Miles Davis (10", Prestige) - reissued on Conception in 1956)
1953: Lee Konitz Plays with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Pacific Jazz) with Gerry Mulligan
1954: Lee Konitz Plays (Vogue)
1954: Lee Konitz at Storyville (Storyville)
1954: Konitz (Storyville)
1954: Lee Konitz in Harvard Square (Storyville)
1955: Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh (Atlantic)
1956: Lee Konitz featuring Hans Koller, Lars Gullin, Roland Kovac (Swingtime)
1956: Inside Hi-Fi (Atlantic)
1957: The Real Lee Konitz (Atlantic)
1957: Very Cool (Verve)
1957: Tranquility (Verve)
1958: An Image: Lee Konitz with Strings (Verve)
1959: Live at the Half Note (Verve)
1959: Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre (Verve) with Jimmy Giuffre
1959: You and Lee (Verve) arranged by Jimmy Giuffre
1961: Motion (Verve)
1965: Trio and Quartet (Magnetic)
1966: Modern Jazz Compositions from Haiti (Impulse!)
1967: The Lee Konitz Duets (Milestone)
1968: Alto Summit (MPS) with Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright
1968: European Episode (Campi)
1968: Impressive Rome (Campi)
1968: Stereokonitz (RCA)
1969: Peacemeal (Milestone)
1971: Spirits (Milestone)
1973: Altissimo (Philips) with Gary Bartz, Jackie McLean and Charlie Mariano
1974: In Concert (India Navigation) with Chet Baker
1974: Jazz à Juan (SteepleChase)
1974: I Concentrate on You: A Tribute to Cole Porter (SteepleChase) with Red Mitchell
1974: Lone-Lee (SteepleChase)
1974: Satori (Milestone)
1975: Oleo (Sonet)
1975: Chicago 'n All That Jazz (Groove Merchant)
1975: Windows (SteepleChase) with Hal Galper
1975: Warne Marsh Quintet: Jazz Exchange Vol. 1 (Storyville) with Warne Marsh
1975: Live at the Montmartre Club: Jazz Exchange Vol. 2 (Storyville) with Warne Marsh
1975: Warne Marsh Lee Konitz: Jazz Exchange Vol. 3 (Storyville, 1975 [1985]) with Warne Marsh
1976: Jazz a Confronto 32 (Horo)
1976: Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again (Pausa) with Warne Marsh
1976: The Lee Konitz Nonet (Roulette)
1976: Figure & Spirit (Progressive)
1977: Pyramid (Improvising Artists) with Paul Bley and Bill Connor
1977: The Lee Konitz Quintet (Chiaroscuro)
1977: Lee Konitz Nonet (Chiaroscuro)
1977: French Concert (Galaxy) with the Shelly Manne Quartet
1977: Duplicity (Horo) with Martial Solal
1977–78: Tenorlee (Choice)
1979: Yes, Yes, Nonet (SteepleChase)
1979: Four Keys (MPS) with Martial Solal, John Scofield and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
1979: Live at Laren (Soul Note)
1979: Seasons Change (Circle) with Karl Berger
1980: Heroes (Verve) with Gil Evans
1980: Anti-Heroes (Verve) with Gil Evans
1955-80: From Newport to Nice (Philology)
1980: Live at the Berlin Jazz Days 1980 (MPS) with Martial Solal
1981: Live in Genoa 1981 (Tramonti) with Art Farmer
1982: High Jingo (Atlas)
1982: Toot Sweet (Owl) with Michael Petrucciani
1983: Dovetail (Sunnyside)
1983: Art of the Duo (Enja) with Albert Mangelsdorff
1983: Glad, Koonix! (Dragon)
1983: Dedicated to Lee (Dragon) with Lars Sjösten
1983: Star Eyes, Hamburg 1983 (HatOLOGY) with Martial Solal
1984: Wild as Springtime (GFM)
1986: Medium Rare (Label Bleu)
1986: Ideal Scene (Soul Note)
1987: The New York Album (Soul Note)
1988: The Space Jazz Trio (with Enrico Pieranunzi): Blew (Philology)
1988: Solitudes (Philology)
1989: In Rio (MA)
1989: Konitz in Denmark (Rightone)
1988: Round and Round (Music Masters)
1988: Saxophone Dreams (Koch) with Netherlands Metropole Orchestra
1988-89: Frank-Lee Speaking (West Wind)
1990: Zounds (Soul Note)
1990: Once Upon a Line (Musidisc)
1990: Swiss Kiss (TCB)
1990: S'Nice (Nabel) with Frank Wunsch
1991: Lullaby of Birdland (Candid)
1992: Lunasea (Soul Note) with Peggy Stern
1992: Unleemited (Owl) with Kenny Werner
1992: Leewise (Storyville) with the Jazzpar All Star Nonet
1992: Jazz Nocturne (Evidence)
1992: Lee Konitz Meets Don Friedman (Camerata) with Don Friedman
1992: So Many Stars (Philology)
1992: The Jobim Colection (Philology)
1993: Very Fool (High Tide) with Massimo Salvagnini Quartet
1993: A Venezia (Philology) with Orchestra Il Suono Improvviso
1993: Free with Lee (Philology)
1993: Italian Ballads, Volume 1 (Philology) with Stefano Battaglia
1993: Speakin' Lowly (Philology) with Renato Sellani
1993: All the Way (The Soft Way) (Philology) with Renato Sellani
1993: Rhapsody (Evidence)
1993: Rhapsody II (Evidence)
1994: We Thought About Duke (HatART) with Franz Koglmann
1995: Haiku (Nabel)
1995: Steps Towards a Dream (Odin) with John Pål Inderberg
1995: Brazilian Rhapsody (Music Masters)
1995: Breaths and Whispers (Philology) with Umberto Petrin
1995: Thingin' (HatOLOGY) with Don Friedman and Attila Zoller
1995: The Frankfurt Concert (West Wind) with Frank Wunsch
1996: Body and Soul (Camerata)
1996: It's You (SteepleChase)
1996: Strings for Holiday: A Tribute to Billie Holiday (Enja)
1996: Inside Cole Porter (Philology)
1996: Inside Rogers (Philology)
1996: Dearly Beloved (SteepleChase)
1996: Unaccompanied Live in Yokohama (PSF)
1996: Alone Together (Blue Note)
1997: Self Portrait (Philology)
1997: L'Age Mur (Philology) with Enrico Rava
1997: Dig Dug Dog (Columbia)
1997: Out of Nowhere (SteepleChase) with Paul Bley
1997: RichLee! (SteepleChase) with Rich Perry
1998: Dialogues (Challenge)
1996–7: Another Shade of Blue (Blue Note)
1998: Subconscious-Lee (Summit) with Johannes Schaedlich:
1999: Three Guys (Enja) with Steve Swallow and Paul Motian
1998: Tender Lee (For Chet) (Philology)
1999: Sound of Surprise (RCA Victor)
1999: Dig-It (SteepleChase) with Ted Brown
1999: Pride (SteepleChase)
2000: Lee Konitz & the Axis String Quartet Play French Impressionist Music from the Turn of the 20th Century (Palmetto) with the Axis Quartet
2000: Lee Konitz at the New Mississippi Jazz Club (Philology)
2000: Some New Stuff (DIW)
2000: Live-Lee (Milestone) with Alan Broadbent
2000: More Live-Lee (Milestone) with Alan Broadbent
2000: Parallels (Chesky)
2003: A Day in Florence (Philology)
2004: BargaLee (Philology)
2004: Sound-Lee (Membran)
2004: One Day with Lee (Capri)
2004: Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor String Project: Inventions (OmniTone)
2005: New Nonet (Directed by Ohad Talmor) (OmniTone)
2006: Organic-Lee (SteepleChase) with Gary Versace
2006: Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor Big Band: Portology (OmniTone)
2008: Lee Konitz/Grace Kelly: GRACEfulLEE (Pazz)
2008: Lee Konitz & Minsarah: Deep Lee (Enja)
2009: Lee Konitz / Dan Tepfer: Duos with Lee (Sunnyside)
2009: Lee Konitz New Quartet: Live at the Village Vanguard (Enja)
2011: Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian: Live at Birdland (ECM)
2014: Lee Konitz/Dan Tepfer/Michael Janisch/Jeff Williams: First Meeting: Live in London, Volume 1 (Whirlwind)
2 017: Lee Konitz / Kenny Barron / Peter Washington / Kenny Washington: Frescalalto (Impulse!)
As sideman
With Chick Corea
Woodstock Jazz Festival 1 (Douglas Music, 1981 [1997]) with
Woodstock Jazz Festival 2 (Douglas Music, 1981 [1997]) with Anthony Braxton, Pat Metheney, Jack DeJohnette, and Miroslav Vitous
With Miles Davis
The Miles Davis Tuba Band (w/ Lennie Tristano) – Why Do I Love You? Rare Broadcasts 1947–48 (Natasha, 1993)
Birth of the Cool (Capitol, 1949)
Miles Ahead (1957)
With Lennie Tristano
Intuition, Lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh: (rec. 1949, Capitol, 1996)
Crosscurrents (Capitol, 1949 [1972])
Lennie Tristano (Atlantic, 1956)
With Stan Kenton
City of Glass (Capitol, 1951)
New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol, 1952)
Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1953)
Sketches on Standards (Capitol, 1953)
This Modern World (Capitol, 1953)
Portraits on Standards (Capitol, 1953)
The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940–54, [1955])
With Gerry Mulligan
The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (World Pacific, 1957)
With others
1947: Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra: The Uncollected Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra (Hindsight)