Lee Konitz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lee Konitz | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lee Konitz |
| Born | October 13, 1927 |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Jazz Cool jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist, Composer |
| Instrument(s) | Alto saxophone |
| Associated acts | Jim Hall, Elvin Jones, Lennie Tristano Warne Marsh |
Lee Konitz (b. October 13, 1927) is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois. He has been noted to be one of the few alto saxophonists of his era to remain uninfluenced by Charlie Parker.[1] His approach—more subdued and measured than that of Parker—took several fellow musicians some time to grow accustomed to after first listens. This does not mean to imply that he feels his approach toward the alto sax in any way superior to that of Parker. If anything, it is the other way around.[2] "Bird"—as Charlie Parker is known—would often tell Konitz that he appreciated the fact that he didn't play like him.[3]
Konitz is sometimes regarded as the preeminent cool jazz saxophonist, because he performed and recorded with Claude Thornhill, Lennie Tristano (both often cited as important cool jazz proponents of the mid 1940s), and with Miles Davis on his epochal Birth of the Cool. He has also stated that he can play the alto in any key, and that the tone of Lester Young and Johnny Hodges were major influences on his own.[4]
For those who wish to know all there is to know about Konitz, the penultimate publication on his life and work is "Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art" by Andy Hamilton, available from the University of Michigan press. This comprehensive book is comprised almost entirely of extensive interviews with Konitz himself.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Lee Konitz was born in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois into a Jewish family. 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.[5]
[edit] 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.[6][7]
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 regrets when looking back.[8]
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.
[edit] 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.[9] He has also had problems with his heart which he has received surgery for in the past.[10]
[edit] Discography
| Year | Album | Notes | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | "1947 Transcription Performances" | Claude Thornhill (Orchestra) CD, 1999 | Hep Records |
| 1948 | "1947 Transcription Performances" | Claude Thornhill (Orchestra) CD, 1994 | Hep Records |
| 1953 | "Konitz Meets Mulligan" | Lee Konitz with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet | Pacific Jazz |
[edit] References
- ^ Gordon, Jack (2004). Fifties Jazz Talk: An Oral Retrospective. Scarecrow Press, 122. ISBN 0810849976.
- ^ Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ "Ibid"; An Interview with Lee Konitz
- ^ "Ibid"; An Interview with Lee Konitz
- ^ Robinson, Michael. An interview with Lee Konitz. Retrieved on 2007-05-31.
- ^ "Ibid"; Gordon, Jack
- ^ "Ibid"; Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center
- ^ "Ibid"; Gordon, Jack
- ^ "Ibid"; An Interview with Lee Konitz
- ^ Jung, Fred. A Fireside Chat With Lee Konitz. Retrieved on 2007-05-32.
