Lee Konitz

Infobox musical artist
Name = Lee Konitz

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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Lee Konitz
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1927|10|13
Died =
Origin = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Instrument = Alto saxophone
Voice_type =
Genre = Jazz
Cool jazz
Occupation = Saxophonist, Composer
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts = Jim Hall, Elvin Jones, Lennie Tristano
Warne Marsh
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Lee Konitz (b. October 13, 1927) is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois. Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in BeBop and Avantgarde settings. Konitz was one of the few altoist to retain an distinctive sound in the 50s, when Charlie Parker exercised a tremendous influence on other players.

Lee Konitz, like other students of pianist and theoretician Lennie Tristano, was noted for spontaneous composition of 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. Paul Desmond and, especially, Art Pepper were strongly influenced by Konitz.

Konitz's association with the Cool Jazz movement of the 1940s and 50s, includes participation in Miles Davis' epochal "Birth of the Cool" sessions, and his work with Lennie Tristano came from the same period. During his long career, Konitz has played with musicians from a wide variety of jazz styles.

Biography

Early life

Lee Konitz was born in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois into a Jewish family (Konitz is a variant of the name: Cohen). At age eight Konitz received his first instrument—a clarinet—but later dropped the instrument in favor of the tenor saxophone. Konitz eventually moved from tenor to alto. His greatest influences at the time were the swing big bands he and his brother listened to on the radio, in particular Benny Goodman. Hearing Goodman on the radio is actually what prodded him to ask for a clarinet. On the saxophone he recalls improvising before ever learning to play any standards. [cite web| last = Robinson| first = Michael| title = An interview with Lee Konitz| url=http://www.sawf.org/Newedit/edit09182000/musicarts.asp| accessdate = 2007-05-31 ]

Career

Konitz began his professional career in 1945 with the Teddy Powell band as a replacement for Charlie Ventura. The engagement apparently did not start out smoothly, as Ventura is said to have banged his head against a wall when Konitz played. 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—himself still a teen—and worked in a small cocktail bar with him. His next substantial work was done with Claude Thornhill in 1947, with Gil Evans arranging and Gerry Mulligan as a composer in most part. ["Ibid"; Gordon, Jack] ["Ibid"; Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center]

In 1949 he teamed up with the Miles Davis group for one or two weeks and again in 1950 to record "Birth of the Cool". Konitz has stated that he considered the group to belong to Gerry Mulligan, and credits Lennie Tristano as the true forebearer of "the cool". His debut as leader also came in 1949, with the release of Subconscious-Lee on Prestige Records. He also turned down an opportunity to work with Benny Goodman that same year—a decision he is on record as regretting. ["Ibid"; Gordon, Jack]

In the early 1950s, Konitz recorded and toured with Stan Kenton's orchestra. In 1961, he recorded "Motion" with Elvin Jones on drums and Sonny Dallas on bass. This spontaneous session, widely regarded as a classic in the cool genre, 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 a Louis Armstrong dixieland number 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).

Konitz has been quite prolific, recording dozens of albums as a band leader. He has also recorded or performed with Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Elvin Jones and others.

Konitz has become more experimental as he grows older, and has released a number of free and avant-garde jazz albums, playing alongside many far younger musicians. He has released albums on contemporary free jazz/improv labels such as hatART, Soul Jazz and Omnitone.

Personal life

Charlie Parker lent him support on the day Konitz's child was being born in Seattle, Washington with him stuck in New York City. The two were actually good friends, and not the rivals some jazz critics once made them out to be. ["Ibid"; An Interview with Lee Konitz] He has also had problems with his heart which he has received surgery for in the past. [cite web| last = Jung| first = Fred| title = A Fireside Chat With Lee Konitz| url=http://www.jazzweekly.com/interviews/konitz.htm| accessdate = 2007-05-31 ]

Discography

• Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor Big Band: Portology(featuring the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos) (OmniTone) - 2007
• Lee Konitz/Brian Dickenson: The Glen Gould Session (Philology) - 2007
• Lee Konitz/Riccardo Arrighini: The Soprano Sax Album: Standards (Philology) - 2007
• Lee Konitz: New Nonet (directed by Ohad Talmor) (OmniTone) - 2006
• Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor String Project: Inventions (OmniTone) - 2006
• Lee Konitz: BargaLee (Philology) - 2004
• Lee Konitz: One Day With Lee (Capri) - 2004
• Lee Konitz: Sound-Lee (Membran International) - 2004
• Lee Konitz: A Day in Florence (Philology) - 2003
• Lee Konitz: Live-Lee (Milestone) - 2003
• Lee Konitz/Kenny Werner: Unleemited (Owl) - 2003
• Lee Konitz/Stephano Bollani: Suite for Paolo (Philology) - 2003
• Lee Konitz: At the New Mississippi Jazz Club (Philology) - 2002
• Lee Konitz/Barbara Casini: Outra Vez (Philology) - 2002
• Lee Konitz/Irio De Paula: Duas Contas (Philology) - 2002
• Lee Konitz/Matt Wilson: Gong with Wind Suite (Steeplechase) - 2002
• Lee Konitz Quintet: Parallels (Chesky) - 2001
• Lee Konitz Trio: Some New Stuff (DIW) - 2001
• Lee Konitz/Franco D'Andrea: Inside Rodgers (Philology) - 2001
• Lee Konitz/Renato Sellani: Minority, Volume 2: All The Way (The Soft Ways) (Philology) - 2001
• Lee Konitz: Pride (SteepleChase) - 2000
• Lee Konitz Quartet: Sound of Surprise (RCA Victor) - 2000
• Lee Konitz/rich Perry: RichLee! (SteepleChase) - 2000
• Lee Konitz/The Axis Quartet: Play French Impressionist Music from the Turn of the Twentieth Century (Palmetto) - 2000
• Lee Konitz Trio: Another Shade of Blue (Blue Note) - 1999
• Lee Konitz/Steve Swallow/Paul Motian: Three Guys (Enja) - 1999
• Lee Konitz/Ted Brown: Dig-It (SteepleChase) - 1999
• Lee Konitz: Dialogues (Challenge) - 1998
• Lee Konitz: Saxophone Dreams (Koch) - 1998
• Lee Konitz: Self Portrait (Philology) - 1998
• Lee Konitz: Tender Lee (for Chet) (Philology) - 1998
• Lee Konitz/Enrico Rava: L' Age Mur (Philology) - 1998
• Lee Konitz/Franco D'Andrea: Inside Cole Porter (Philology) - 1998
• Lee Konitz/Johannes Schaedlich: Subconscious-Lee (Summit) - 1998
• Lee Konitz: Body and Soul (Camerata) - 1997
• Lee Konitz: Dearly Beloved (SteepleChase) - 1997
• Lee Konitz/Franco D'Andrea: Twelve Gershwin in Twelve Keys (Philology) - 1997
• Lee Konitz/Frank Wunsch: The Frankfurt Concert (West Wind) - 1997
• Lee Konitz/Paul Bley: Out of Nowhere (SteepleChase) - 1997
• Lee Konitz: Guarana (AxolOtl Jazz) - 1996
• Lee Konitz: It's You (SteepleChase) - 1996
• Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Meets Don Friedman (Camerata) - 1996
• Lee Konitz: Strings for Holiday: A Tribute To Billie Holiday (Enja) - 1996
• Lee Konitz: Unaccompanied Live in Yokohama (PSF) - 1996
• Lee Konitz Trio: Alone Together (Blue Note) - 1996
• Lee Konitz/Jeanfranois Prins Trio: Live at the Manhattan Jazz Club (GAM) - 1996
• Lee Konitz: Free with Lee (Philology) - 1995
• Lee Konitz: Move (Moon) - 1995
• Lee Konitz Quintet: Haiku (Nabel) - 1995
• Lee Konitz/Don Friedman/Attila Zoller: Thingin' (HatOLOGY) - 1995
• Lee Konitz/John Pl Indreberg: Step Towards a Dream (Odin) - 1995
• Lee Konitz/Umberto Petrin: Breaths and Whispers (Homage to Alexandr Skrjabin) (Philology) - 1995
• Lee Konitz/Alain Guyonnet: Swiss Kiss (TCB) - 1994
• Lee Konitz/Orchestra Il Suono Improvviso: A Venezia (Philology) - 1994
• Lee Konitz: Brazilian Rhapsody (BMG/Music Masters) - 1993
• Lee Konitz: Italian Ballads, Volume1 (Philology) - 1993
• Lee Konitz: Rhapsody (Evidence) - 1993
• Lee Konitz: Rhapsody II (Evidence) - 1993
• Lee Konitz: So Many Stars (Philology) - 1993
• Lee Konitz/Renato Sellani: Speakin' Lowly, Volume 1 (Philology) - 1993
• Lee Konitz: Frank-Lee Speaking (West Wind) - 1992
• Lee Konitz: From Newport to Nice (Philology) - 1992
• Lee Konitz: Lunasea (Soul Note) - 1992
• Lee Konitz Quartet/Kenny Barron: Jazz Nocturne (Evidence) - 1992
• Lee Konitz/The Jazzpar All Star Nonet: Leewise (Storyville) - 1992
• Lee Konitz: Lullaby of Birdland (Candid) - 1991
• Lee Konitz/Lars Sjosten Quartet: Friends (Dragon) - 1991
• Lee Konitz: Once Upon a Line (Musidisc) - 1990
• Lee Konitz: Zounds (Soul Note) - 1990
• Lee Konitz/Frank Wunsch Quartet: S'Nice (Nabel) - 1990
• Lee Konitz: In Rio (MA) - 1989
• Lee Konitz: Konitz in Denmark (Rightone) - 1989
• Lee Konitz: Round and Round (Music Masters) - 1989
• Lee Konitz: Solitudes (Philology) - 1988
• Lee Konitz/The Space Jazz Trio: Blew (Philology) - 1988
• Lee Konitz Quartet: The New York Album (Soul Note) - 1987
• Lee Konitz: Medium Rare (Label Bleu) - 1986
• Lee Konitz Quartet: Ideal Scene (Soul Note) - 1986
• Lee Konitz: Wild as Springtime (GFM) - 1984
• Lee Konitz: Art of the Duo (Enja) - 1983
• Lee Konitz: Dedicated To Lee: Lee Konitz Plays The Music of Lars Gullin (Dragon) - 1983
• Lee Konitz: Dovetail (Sunnyside) - 1983
• Lee Konitz: Glad, Koonix! (Dragon) - 1983
• Lee Konitz/Martial Solal: Star Eyes, Hamburg 1983 (HatOLOGY) - 1983
• Lee Konitz: Toot Sweet (Owl) - 1982
• Lee Konitz/Gil Evans: Heroes (Verve) - 1980
• Lee Konitz/Martial Solal: Live at the Berlin Jazz Days (MPS) - 1980
• Lee Konitz: Yes, Yes Nonet (Steeple Chase) - 1979
• Lee Konitz Nonet: (Soul Note) - 1979
• Lee Konitz/Karl Berger: Seasons Change (Circle) - 1979
• Lee Konitz: The Lee Konitz Quintet (Chiaroscuro) - 1977
• Lee Konitz: Pyramid (Improvising Artists) - 1977
• Lee Konitz: Tenorlee (Candid) - 1977
• Lee Konitz: The Lee Konitz Nonet (Chiaroscuro) - 1977
• Lee Konitz Quintet: Figure and Spirit (Progressive) - 1976
• Warne Marsh/Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again (PAUSA) - 1976
• Lee Konitz: Chicago 'n' All That Jazz (Denon/LaserLight) - 1975
• Lee Konitz Trio: Oleo (Sonet) - 1975
• Lee Konitz/Hal Galper: Windows (SteepleChase) - 1975
• Warne Marsh Quintet: Jazz Exchange (Storyville) - 1975
• Lee Konitz: I Concentrate on You (A Tribute to Cole Porter) (SteepleChase) - 1974
• Lee Konitz: Jazz Juan (SteepleChase) - 1974
• Lee Konitz: Lone-Lee (SteepleChase) - 1974
• Lee Konitz: Satori (Milestone/OJC) - 1974
• Various artists: Altissimo (WestWind) - 1973
• Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (Columbia) - 1972
• Lee Konitz: Spirits (Milestone/OJC) - 1971
• Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Sax Duets (Music Minus One) - 1970
• Lee Konitz: Peacemeal (Milestone) - 1969
• Attila Zoller: Zo-Ko-Ma (MPS) - 1968
• Lee Konitz: European Episode (CAM) - 1968
• Lee Konitz: Impressive Rome (CAM) - 1968
• Various artists: Alto Summit (BASF) - 1968
• Lee Konitz: The Lee Konitz Duets (Milestone/OJC) - 1967
• Lee Konitz: Modern Jazz Compositions from Haiti (Impulse!) - 1966
• Lee Konitz: Trio and Quartet (Magnetic) - 1965
• Lee Konitz Trio: Motion (Verve) - 1961
• Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre (Verve) - 1959
• Lee Konitz: Live at the Half Note (Verve) - 1959
• Lee Konitz: You and Lee (Verve) - 1959
• Lee Konitz: An
  (Verve) - 1958
• Lee Konitz: Very Cool (Verve) - 1958
• Lee Konitz: The Real Lee Konitz (Atlantic) - 1957
• Lee Konitz: Tranquility (Verve) - 1957
• Lee Konitz: Inside Hi-Fi (Atlantic) - 1956
• Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Featuring Hans Koller, Lars Gullin, Roland Kovac (Swingtime) - 1956
• Lee Konitz/Warne Marsh: Lee Konitz/Warne Marsh (Atlantic) - 1955
• Lee Konitz: In Harvard Square (Black Lion) - 1954
• Lee Konitz: Jazz at Storyville (Black Lion) - 1954
• Lee Konitz: Konitz (Black Lion) - 1954
• Lee Konitz: Konitz Meets Mulligan (Pacific Jazz) - 1953
• Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz/Bob Brookmeyer in Paris (Vogue) - 1953
• Stan Kenton: City of Glass: Stan Kenton Plays Bob Graettinger (Capitol) - 1952
• Lee Konitz: Sax of a Kind (Dragon) - 1951
• Various artists: New Sounds (Prestige) - 1951
• Lee Konitz: Subconscious-Lee (Prestige/OJC) - 1949
• Lee Konitz Quintet: Lee Konitz (Prestige) - 1949
• Lennie Tristano/Warne Marsh: Intuition (Capitol) - 1949
• Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (Capitol) - 1949
• Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra: The Uncollected Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra (Hindsight) - 1947
• Stan Kenton: Retrospective (Capitol) - 1943

Books on Konitz

Andy Hamilton: *Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art* (University of Michigan Press, 2007).

Crafted out of numerous interviews between the author and his subject, the book offers a unique account of Konitz’s life and music, detailing his own insights into his musical education and his experiences with such figures as Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, Warne Marsh, Lennie Tristano, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, and Bill Evans. Konitz shows total honesty, almost to a fault, and proves himself an acute observer of the scene, full of wisdom and musical insight. Interviews with other noted musicians are woven into the narrative.http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=130264

This book raises the bar for musical biography.

References

External links

* [http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/Interviews/konitz.html A 1985 interview]