Catching a thoroughly disappointing set by the 79-year old Konitz this past Friday at the Artist’s Quarter in Saint Paul seems reason enough to comment briefly on this singular curio from his catalog. The album was first pressed back when Steeplechase was prone to bare bones packaging so there’s nothing in the way of liners or ephemera other that the basic particulars: Konitz and his alto in a Copenhagen studio summer of 1974, waxing loquacious on two standards and putting his status as top-tier improviser to a simple yet rigorous test. The acoustics are dry and a shade flat, but they do little to compromise Konitz’s debonair tone and insouciant delivery. Expanded from an LP-edit to its original nearly 40-minute length, “The Song Is You” consequently has its share of lulls and cul de sacs. Konitz takes these periodic moments of pause and possible quandary and folds them directly into the performance. Paying meticulous attention to all that transpires in the stream of seemingly endless melodic variations doesn’t seem to be the point. Instead, I find it best to let my mind drift in out of focus on the trajectories of his ornamented, slightly acerbic lines. At nearly 18-minutes the reading of “Cherokee” is far more than cavalier coda, offering another canny succession of spontaneous interpolations and extrapolations. Lacy’s many solo recitals are an obvious analogue, both in sound and scenario. Considering his success here, it’s a small wonder that Konitz hasn’t returned to this format over the years. In other words, it’s high time that he did and I only wish that he had on Friday.
Posted by derek on June 18, 2007 3:32 PMI can assure you that LK's recorded several other solo albums over the years. There's one I haven't heard which if I recall is called [i]Unaccompanied in Yokohama[/i] (actually a guitarist sits in for a few tunes) and there's also an all-solo but overdubbed CD called [i]Self-Portrait[/i]. The latter is rather stupidly engineered (in that there's a slip-up in the layering of one tune & in general the change in volume should have been adjusted for--by the time 4 saxes are present, the track has quadrupled in volume) but has several first-rate tracks, including a 15-minute sorta-blues which is without overdubs.
Posted by: nd at June 18, 2007 11:00 PMI stand corrected & assured :) Does he have any other solo albums that are strictly solo (ie. no overdubs or guests)? Curious too about your thoughts on the one described above.
Tangentially related to Konitz: I'm just now spinning a new Steeplechase by a cat named Eric Rasmussen. It's a program of Konitz, Marsh & Tristano covers w/ instrumentation paralleling Lee's quartet w/ Billy Bauer, Arnold Fishkin & Jeff Morton. The "cool" sound & light attack of guitarist Nate Radley takes a little getting used to, but they capture the dizzying precision of the fast unisons & fertile counterpoint endemic to the tunes. Also, Matt Wilson brings much more rhythmic mutability than Morton ever did.
Posted by: derek at June 19, 2007 4:13 AMDerek,
Curious What was up with Lee's AQ set..Wanted to but didn't make it. I saw Lee last time he played at the Artist Quarter about 3 years ago and I walked away
puzzled. Lee just seemed oddly detached in his playing and demeanor .
Alden,
Similar story on Friday. Part of the problem, I think, was the pick-up band: Phil Aaron, Chris Bates & Kenny Horst, which just didn’t gel w/ Konitz. He seemed bored from the git go & that boredom turned to presumable perturbment when Kenny kicked in w/ his brand of Buddy Rich bombast. Totally inappropriate for Konitz’s preferences. Plus, Lee appeared to be having reed/mouthpiece problems, starting phrases and stopping them mid-sentence to adjust his instrument, repeatedly. A promising “Softly As in a Morning Sunrise” was marred by the discombobulated dynamic and he eventually set up shop behind the band, voicing soft melodic murmurings that were barely audible above Kenny’s clatter.
Out of what felt like a forty-minute set, he played maybe a third and was visibly consulting his watch two thirds in. The AQ staff didn’t charge for the second set, but my friends and I were so disenchanted we split before it started. The really frustrating thing for me is that I had seen Kenny two weeks prior backing Lew Tabackin and he’d sounded pretty good. Keeping his more flamboyant impulses in check while still working up a good percussive lather and pressing Lew into some very spirited playing alongside bassist Billy Peterson. Lew played two 2+ hr. sets and was still ready more when Kenny & Billy pulled the plug, reminding him to save some for the following night’s gig. I had hoped for a similar pianoless set up for Lee, but no cigar.
Fortunately, the Midwest Regional Air Guitar Championships the following night rescued my weekend from complete musical chagrin.
Posted by: derek at June 19, 2007 7:40 AMDerek,
Wow. Everything you just described is exactly what he did when I saw him. Setting up behind the band is a new twist..Maybe Lee should sport a Flavor Flav Timepiece so everbody can see what time it is . I think he might have played a little more when I saw him but not much. I'm also suprised he used a Piano.
Posted by: Alden at June 19, 2007 9:02 AMMust be the AQ curse :-)
The thing that really chaps my hide is that I still think he’s fully deserving of his rep as one of the world’s most accomplished jazz improvisers. In my personal pagoda of altoists, he’s near the top based on his consistency (albeit on record) over the years. And on recent sessions, he shows few, if any, signs of waning powers or an ebb in willingness to experiment (witness his duo disc w/ organist Gary Versace also on Steeplechase as Exhibit A). My expectations were so high that to have them dashed like that was quintupley troubling. In the aftermath, a stiff shot of Motion was just what the doctor ordered.
Posted by: derek at June 19, 2007 9:27 AMMy favorite straight ahead LP is Konitz's duo with Red Mitchell, "Motion" is pretty incredible as well. Koglmann's "We Thought About Duke" is also a great one. I saw Konitz once with Paul Bley and it was pretty boring live.
Kind of like a lot of EAI that I love hearing at home can be boring live.
I realized I would have loved it coming out of my stereo at home but they just did not do much for me live. Trio 3(Lake/Workman/Cyrrile) played after and I nearly forgot Konitz and Bley even played.
As for the drummer, there is that great Chet Baker quote: "It takes a really great drummer to be better than no drummer at all."
Are you referring to the Cole Porter tribute on Steeplechase, Damon? Coincidentally, I have that one in the listening pile here at work today. Agreed, it’s a beaut. As are Mitchell’s later duets w/ Warne. The Koglmann is one I haven’t heard in a long while.
That quip is pretty funny coming from Chet, considering he’s one of the poster boys for up & down chops.
Posted by: derek at June 19, 2007 10:46 AMYeah, that one.
Posted by: Damon Smith at June 19, 2007 9:57 PMReports on Lee's Toronto gig are mostly blahh too. Maybe he's just feeling a bit weary of endless streams of pick-up band gigs. Or just getting old & crabby. Haven't heard anything of note from him for some time--last thing was that pair of disappointing discs with Alan Broadbent.
Posted by: nd at June 19, 2007 10:07 PMThat’s certainly possible. A friend of mine at the AQ gig was speculating on the number of pick-up bands he’s played with over his 60+ years on the road & concluded that it’s well into the triple digits.
As far as notable releases, I mentioned the Versace duo. What about last year’s pair of Omnitones? I like the one with strings quite a bit. And the first Broadbent set is pretty nice, despite its obligatory pun title. Plus there seems to be a fairly steady supply of more recent stuff on Philology incl. a soprano set, though I haven’t heard any of those.
This Monday, 6/25, Lee celebrates his 80th in style with an all-star salute @ Carnegie Hall. Organized by saxophonist Ohad Talmor, guests include: Ted Brown, Steve Swallow, Paul Motian, Joe Lovano, the Spring String Quartet and the Portuguese Big Band Orquestra Jazz Matosinhos. Something tells me he’ll be in a much better mood/form for that gig.
Posted by: derek at June 20, 2007 4:43 AMOh, right, the Omnitones. The nonet disc is nice if not a killer, but the string quartet one is a great one. Haven't heard the Versace album.
Posted by: nd at June 20, 2007 6:09 AMHas everybody heard Konitz' trio disc with Greg Cohen & Joey Baron? That was the one that made me a believer...
Wish Konitz would do more piano-less albums--I usually find his choice of pianists too mainstream for my taste (well, aside from that half an album he did with Andrew Hill's band, decades ago).
Posted by: Bill R at June 20, 2007 1:26 PMThat’s a good one, Bill. Konitz cracking knuckles w/ the Masada rhythm section. And the title ain’t lyin’.
I too pine for pianoless performances. There’s a Konitz quote from the notes to Motion that concisely captures the appeal:
“Playing with bass and drums give me the most room to go in whichever direction I choose. A chordal instrument is restricting to me.”
Loren Stillman is another cat that’s cribbed from Konitz. Both of his Trio Alto discs (second volume just released) are well worth a hearsee.
Posted by: derek at June 20, 2007 2:01 PM"Has everybody heard Konitz' trio disc with Greg Cohen & Joey Baron? That was the one that made me a believer..."
What a drepressing idea. You can't get much further than Elvin Jones and Sonny Dallas than that!
(I have warmed up to that last Ornette album, though)
Don't knock it 'til you try it, Damon. What's your beef w/ Baron & Cohen?
Posted by: derek at June 21, 2007 5:51 AMI think that Baron Cohen Trio record is good..They sound good. You can't compare it to Motion.That Koglemann is good too and I had one a long time ago called Satori. Does anyone have the Lee Konitz Chet Baker Quartet rolling w. Beaver Harris and Micheal Moore live on Prince St? Thats a good one. Loose. I think he gets bummed if he's in a Town and the rhythm section doesn't know his tunes/lines. They should learn that stuff really. The AQ is another story. I'm glad he brings those guys in.
Posted by: Alden at June 21, 2007 6:59 AMIt is documented elsewhere on here - I got "in trouble" for it.
It is just more about how great Dallas and Jones are.
Sonny Dallas has the most incredible quarter note lines ever.
I like Lee Konitz alot and he's a great Improvisor and what not but I like Oliver Lake and the Late Julius Hemphill just as much if not more. They're both great improvisiors and they write wrote for everything but I don't think they get the props they deserve deserved. I wish Julius was still around.
Posted by: alden at June 21, 2007 11:04 AMOh, yeah, I remember. Sorry for bringing it up again. I am a little surprised by your deification of Dallas. I think he works beautifully on that session as a bridge between the strong musical personalities of the principals, but is his technique really that spectacular? As a non-musician I guess I wouldn’t really know.
Sartori is a good session, interesting for the oportunity to hear him in the company of Holland & DeJohnette. I also like Spirits, mainly for the duets w/ Sal Mosca, and Peacemeal, which is probably the oddest of the three considering the covers of several Bartok compositions from Mikrokosmos. I haven't heard that Chet/Lee set but it sounds very appealing.
Konitz has definitely popped up in some strange places over the years. I think the cake taker is still his guest spot on Georgia bluesman Neal Pattman's Prison Blues.
Posted by: derek at June 21, 2007 11:12 AMOK, I will do my typical hi-jack the thread and talk about bass players:
Laying down quarter note lines that are so strong, clear and interesting that nothing else needs to be played in the days before amps is pretty spectacular.
His lines are just solid and fantasic. Mostly he plays straight down the center, and Elvin has enough swing feel for everyone, but he also phrases on each side of the beat, making subtle adjustments of his line in response to Lee and Elvin, without resorting to fills or any note value beyond a quarter.
I am not a straight ahead player and I only have one life to learn all the things I want to learn.
My main focus in terms of my personal study jazz bass playing is the subtlties of quarter note walking lines.
Sonny Dallas is an absolute master of walking bass, right up there with any of the other masters such as Leroy Vinnegar, Red Mitchell, Mingus, Chambers, Howard Rumsey, Henry Grimes, Wilbur Ware, etc. "Motion" is pretty much a text book case of how to make a kick ass jazz LP.
No complaints here, hijack away. And thanks for the edification. For what Dallas does, I can see/hear what you’re getting at with the encomiums. It’s weird that his discography is so tiny.
Posted by: derek at June 21, 2007 1:55 PMMy favorite quarter note guy is Sam Jones.
I met Lee Konitz at the Knitting Factory. I came by early and watched him soundcheck with Marc Johnson, and some drummer (I can't remember who...wasn't Joey...). Anyway, Lee comes off the stage and walks all the way accross the room right up to me, and I'm shitting...like, what is this?? I imagined he's going to say "I've been checking you out...wanna do a session sometime?" Or maybe, "how'd it sound up there?"
He comes right up to me--Lee KONITZ! He looks me in the eye with ultra-serious expression and says: "Do you have an extra cigarette, man?
Hilarious story, Reuben. Hopefully Konitz is laying off the heaters these days, not exactly conducive to octogenerian longevity.
Sam Jones, yes! Bringing things back round to Steeplechase, anyone heard his duo album w/ Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen? It's kind of an odd one: schmaltzy in spots & heavy w/ that 70s brand of bass amplification, but there's Billy Higgins bolstering the plus end of the equation. Wish I knew more about the techincal side of the bass.
Posted by: derek at June 21, 2007 4:47 PMHey, Damon, I see you're still on an anti-Cohen tear! Actually, I'm probably one of the few people on the face of the Earth who kinda sorta agreed with your comments in that Cohen thread, at least to this extent: While I love Masada, the Konitz/Cohen/Baron trio and the Ackley/Cohen/Baron trio, I came away from all those records with no strong impression of Cohen's playing. He's not the sort of bass player who makes me go "I've got to have every record he's every played on" at first hearing, the way I did with Barry Guy, Simon Fell, Peter Kowald, Reuben Radding, et. al.
On the other hand, as far as I can tell, Cohen hasn't done anything to disgrace himself, either. So, I'm kind of neutral about him--could be persuaded either way. Anway, an album with Konitz, Baron, and any kind of halfway-decent bass player is pretty much guaranteed to be excellent...
Oh, and as for the Konitz/Dallas/Jones: yr humble servant has to confess (hangs head in shame, braces self for onslaught of contumely, obloquy & possible banishment from civilized society) that he hasn't heard it yet. Limited budget, limited time. Someday...
Posted by: Bill R at June 21, 2007 5:41 PMThat NHOP & Sam Jones duo album is cool. I have it. It doesn't sound like it was recorded direct to me (unlike most 70's jazz bass recordings), but maybe they were in booths, cause it does have a certain clinical vibe. Man, they sure play great though...It's called Double Bass. I think it would have been better if they'd left the drummer and guitarist out of it. NHOP does some scary chordal comping, and Sam sounds like a total stud.
Hmmm! I'm putting it on right now.
Posted by: Reuben Radding at June 21, 2007 6:04 PMI’m not so sold on Philip Catherine’s “Spanish” guitar, but I think Higgins adds to the session (kinda fun to hear “Tootie” Heath adding a little Latin spice on a couple cuts too). The cover pic shows Jones & NHØP standing next to each other wearing Air Force pilot-sized sets of ear goggles (the kind with the rubber curlicue cords), but booths & baffles could’ve been part of the bargain. I esp. like the rendering of Coltrane’s “Countdown”.
Bill, I’m sure some kind soul here would be happy to provide you with a copy of the coveted Motion.
Posted by: derek at June 21, 2007 6:53 PM"Hey, Damon, I see you're still on an anti-Cohen tear!"
- I wouldn't say that, like I said I have warmed up to what he does wiht Ornette.
Konitz needs more than that, though - Red Mitchell for example. I bet Marc Johnson sounded good with him. Konitz has really made some of my favorite records.
Sam Jones is awesome. I am going to pull out that Steeplechase LP with NHØP.
The great thing about these discussions is they can make your collection new again.
>not exactly conducive to octogenerian longevity
Wait, being an octogenarian no longer counts as longevity? Guess as a guy not expecting to see sixty, I missed that memo.
Posted by: pdf at June 22, 2007 4:18 AMOkay, I'll split that hair if you like. I was referring to the sage advice that a guy who's pushing eighty shouldn't still be smoking cigs if he expects to last much beyond that milestone. Capiche?
Posted by: derek at June 22, 2007 4:36 AMAnd while we’re at it (realizing that I’m probably coming off like a serious Oscar the Grouch in my current sleep-sapped state), why wouldn’t you expect/want to see sixty? Is it some sort of “live fast, die young” strategy?
Posted by: derek at June 22, 2007 4:47 AMDiabetes can result in shortened life expectancy, Oscar.
Posted by: Reuben Radding at June 22, 2007 5:56 AMWell, I guess that explains it. Thanks, Reuben. Time for me to catch some more z's in order to revert back to my usual happy-go-lucky self.
Posted by: derek at June 22, 2007 6:01 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................