Lee Konitz & Jimmy Giuffre – Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre (2020)

This intimate live program pairs two Lennie Tristano disciples: Lee Konitz, in his eighth decade and at the height of his powers, and the distinctive, calmly extraordinary pianist Alan Broadbent. The clarity and expressiveness of these performances from the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles make it difficult to accept this was the duo's first time playing together. In working out how best to interact with Konitz, Broadbent found that less is more. Supporting Konitz with supple, swinging, spacious structures, he frees the saxophonist to create and explore. Liberated, Konitz gives himself over to the flow of his ideas and impulses, his sound and phrasing natural, unforced. Not that Broadbent is confined to the supporting role; he and Konitz each have considerable space for unaccompanied playing, joint extemporizing, and situations where the lead moves in subtle shifts between the two.

Lee Konitz - Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre (1951-1959) {2CD Set Verve 527 780-2 rel 1996}
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© 1951-59, 1996 Verve / PolyGram | 527 780-2
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Saxophone

This unusual two-CD set not only reissues the original LP of the same name but three other rare Verve LP's from the 1950's. Altoist Lee Konitz (on "An Image") is showcased during a set of adventurous Bill Russo arrangements for an orchestra and strings in 1958, pops up on half of Ralph Burns' underrated 1951 classic Free Forms (the most enjoyable of the four sets) and meets up with baritonist Jimmy Giuffre, whose arrangements for five saxes (including the great tenor Warne Marsh) and a trio led by pianist Bill Evans are sometimes equally influenced by classical music and bop.

Although four musicians are listed for this date (Jimmy Giuffre, altoist Lee Konitz, guitarist Bill Connors and pianist Paul Bley), these five performances are actually a set of duets featuring Giuffre on tenor, clarinet, bass flute and soprano interacting with the other players. Three songs are duets with Konitz (there is also one apiece with Bley and Connors), including "Blues In the Closet," and these are the main reasons to acquire this disc. The CD reissue is an exact duplicate of the original LP, with just 37 minutes of music, but it is definitely worth hearing. This was the final release by Bley's Improvising Artists label.

Lee Konitz - You and Lee (1959) {Japan Verve DSD Mini LP UCCV-9329 rel 2007}
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© 1959, 2007 Verve Music Japan | UCCV-932 | DSD mastering
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Big Band / Saxophone

A beautiful lost session from Lee Konitz – one that has him blowing beautifully over larger backings penned by Jimmy Giuffre – all done with that great blend of modern and swing that Jimmy was bringing to his best work of the 50s! Bill Evans and Jim Hall provide support in the rhythm section, using their fluid styles of piano and guitar to gently swing the tunes without pushing too much on the bottom – so that Lee's flowing solos on alto are allowed to glide majestically over the top! The Konitz presented here is a rare one, and an extremely charming player who's more concerned with tone and soul than on some of his other more modern outings of the time.

The rhapsody of the vocal tracks is matched by the more private dialogues of the instrumentals. Demanding but rewarding, this is an essential Konitz album.

Lee Konitz - The Complete 1956 Quartets (2010) {2CD Set American Jazz Classics AJC 99017}
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© 1956, 2010 American Jazz Classics | AJC 99017
Jazz / Cool / Saxophone

2 CD set. The complete contents of the original Atlantic label LPs Worthwhile Konitz & Inside Hi Fi, which contain all of Konitz' 1956 quartet recordings. Among the highlights are the sides featuring Konitz, Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar and Shelly Manne. This exact formation would never record again. Other tracks feature Sal Mosca, Billy Bauer, Peter Ind, Arnold Fishkin and Dick Scott. The complete 1957 LP The Real Lee Konitz also originally issued by Atlantic has been added as a bonus. It showcases Konitz in a quartet setting again on most of the album.

It was a tragedy that Lee Konitz's versatile nonet was not able to succeed commercially. Just like its leader, the group was able to stretch from swing standards, bop and cool jazz to freer improvisations and challenging originals…

The Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker despite its prolific recorded output and its impact on jazz and the American public lasted for less than one year. Ensconced as the house band at The Haig in Los Angeles and able to record at is own discretion for Pacific Jazz (as well as single sessions for two other labels), this revolutionary, pianoless quartet crafted its own repertoire and arrangements and built a solid, prolific legacy.
By January of 1953, when he recorded the tentette, Mulligan felt confident that his quartet was ready to record live at their Los Angeles home The Haig. Dick Bock started bringing down his portable tape recorder to capture the band for possible record releases. One night, Lee Konitz, who was then a member of the confining, pompous, ponderous Stan Kenton Orchestra, came to the club to sit in…