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Lee Konitz

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Lee Konitz was an American alto saxophonist and composer. He was born in Chicago in 1927, the son of Jewish immigrants. At eleven he was given a clarinet, inspired by Benny Goodman, but out of admiration for Lester Young he switched to the tenor saxophone and later to the alto. In 1945 he began as a professional musician. A year later he met the pianist Lennie Tristano, who would influence him strongly. In 1947 he played in Claude Thornhill's orchestra, where Gil Evans arranged and Gerry Mulligan composed.

Music and breakthrough

In 1948 he became a member of Miles Davis's nonet. The recordings of that group from 1949 and 1950 later appeared as Birth of the Cool, one of the sources of Cool Jazz. Davis was criticised for hiring a white saxophonist, but replied that he would hire anyone who played as well as Konitz. In 1949 he also recorded early free improvisations with Tristano and the saxophonist Warne Marsh. His first albums as a leader were later collected on Subconscious-Lee. He then played in Stan Kenton's orchestra and with Gerry Mulligan. His trio album Motion (1961) is regarded as a high point. He kept on playing into old age, including free jazz and avant-garde. He died in 2020 of the effects of COVID-19.

Influence

At a time when almost every alto saxophonist imitated Charlie Parker, Konitz found a sound of his own: light, dry and without much vibrato. He played long, melodic lines with unexpected accents. In this way he influenced saxophonists such as Paul Desmond and Art Pepper.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Subconscious-Lee and notice Konitz's tone: light and clear, almost without vibrato. Hear how he plays long, winding lines in which the accents keep falling in unexpected places.

Discography

Studio albums

Other work

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: ArtistsCool Jazz and modal jazzBebop