Lee Konitz Quartet (USA)

Alto Saxophonist Lee Konitz was born in Chicago in 1927 and has enjoyed one of the most creative and prolific careers in modern jazz. After early experience with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra (arranged by Gil Evans), Stan Kenton’s Orchestra, the innovative small groups of pianist Lennie Tristano, and the Miles Davis Capitol Orchestra, Konitz turned freelance and has remained on the cutting edge of post-bop improvisation ever since. 

 

He has occasionally led a nonet and various quartets, but his exceptionally large and varied discography also includes an early unaccompanied saxophone solo album, several innovative albums of duets that spanned jazz styles, and collaborations which reads like the “who’s who” of the Jazz world. Lee Konitz is the only still active musician to have played all three ever excisting Birdland clubs in New York City.

 

Like Gil Evans or Coleman Hawkins，Lee is always open and interested to play with young musicans and participates in exciting new musical projects co-lead by them (like the Lee Konitz New Nonet or the Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor String Project). Lee Konitz was named „Alto Saxophonist“ of the year by Downbeat Magazine (critics poll) numerous times. At the moment he mostly performs with his quartet and in duos with pianist Dan Tepfer. 

 

In 2008 Lee Konitz was named an NEA Jazz Master in the United States. 

 

Lee Konitz – saxophone, Florian Weber – piano, Jeremy Stratton – bass, George Schuller – drums