The Rep Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 Being as there has been very little movement in A.O.T.W of late, I thought I would put one up, as I have been listening to this album and would like to hear some other peoples thoughts on it. I would like to put forward "Alone Together" by Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden from 1997. Well, I have had this album for quite a few years and each time I give it a play I like it more. The first time I heard it, it did not exactly excite me but 10 years on I really enjoy it. I gather the recording was originally going to be a live duet album with Lee Konitz and Charlie Haden. Then Haden asked Konitz if Mehldau could be in on it. Over all the sessions went very well but had a very rocky start. Lee Konitz felt Brad Mehldau was to much of a virtuoso and was not listening to the others but by the second session everybody was listening, they were also being inspired by each other. It was a live gig and so no rehearsal with Lee konitz calling the selections, they follow his lead and make music. The tracks are all long enough for each musician to explore the compositions fully, leaving no stone unturned and again being adventurous as a trio. If I had to say something in criticism the endings are slightly uncomfortable a sort of hurried fade out. The individual performances are great. So tell me your thoughts Track listing is as follows, 1, Alone Together, 2, The Song Is You, 3, Cherokee, 4, What Is This Thing Called Love, 5, Round Midnight, 6, You Stepped Out Of A Dream, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 There's a companion piece, "Another Shade of Blue", with the same lineup. I don't think I have these titles anymore, but I thought they were from the same performance. AMG/Ken Dryden says ASoB was recorded a year later at the same venue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 Dig the Kenneth Noland paintings on the covers. I heard the 1st disc, wasn't too impressed at the time (Mehldau) but would be into checking it out again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 I have both cds and they would find a place in the 2nd hundred of Konitz recordings for me. They are ok but not inspired. An inspired Lee is something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 I have both cds and they would find a place in the 2nd hundred of Konitz recordings for me. They are ok but not inspired. An inspired Lee is something else. I agree. Sounds to me like Mehldau gets in the way at times. Lee doesn't care for pianists who are fond of fancy/elaborate substitute harmonies. Of the pianists he's worked with frequently in the last several decades, Harold Danko is one who really gets what Lee wants and needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 Also, in the vein of "Alone Together" and its companion, I much prefer the Konitz-Gil Evans duo CDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 (edited) I had the first release (in the original post), but I never could get into it much -- and got rid of it a couple years later. I remember in the liners something about some miracle revolutionary recording process (was it called "Cello" sound??) that captured the sound more perfectly than anything ever before or since. Something like almost hearing quad sound on a standard stereo, or it was more life-like than life itself. WAY better than sliced bread, in any case. And I also remember thinking the sound was kinda weird, and NOT at all to my liking (and I'm normally NOT very finicky about sound). Edited October 16, 2008 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Dorward Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 It'd be quite a nice disc if they edited out all the damn Mehldau solos (some of his most aggravating playing on record) & kept the endings of the pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Dorward Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Incidentally, anyone ever get hold of the Konitz/Haden duos from, I think, the same period (same sessions?). A Japanese-only release I think. I wonder if it'd be a little too sluggish, but given that Lee's disc with Red Mitchell is a winner.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Anybody heard this Konitz LP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Anybody heard this Konitz LP? Kind of interesting in spots, but (without being a Konitz expert) I would say it's not among his best. The trumpet player (I forget his name) wrote almost all the tunes as far as I can recall, and they are nice witout being anything special. Konitz plays the Varitone on some cuts. The album has a nice vibe but is perhaps a bit shy on substance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 The trumpet player (I forget his name) Giovanni Tommaso? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Rava's on trumpet. Tommaso is a bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 (edited) There's a companion piece, "Another Shade of Blue", with the same lineup. I don't think I have these titles anymore, but I thought they were from the same performance. AMG/Ken Dryden says ASoB was recorded a year later at the same venue. I have this one, but never felt moved enough to seek out Alone Together, and I bought the former on the strength of Konitz and Haden alone. I would've preferred a duo sans piano, but it is what it is and as a result, I haven't played it in years-maybe I'll give it a fresh spin. Edited October 21, 2008 by Holy Ghost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Anybody heard this Konitz LP? Now THAT album cover I dig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Digging through my massive backlog of never-listened-to CDs and got to this one over the past week. I like it, and Konitz's playing on it. But Haden is so low in the mix, it's ridiculous. Mehldau doesn't bother me on this as much as he bothers others on this thread, though I agree that another pianist would probably have been better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I've listened to this CD several times over the last 6 or so months and just can't get into it. Really does nothing for me. No one seems at their best in these performances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imeanyou Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I've had both Konitz/Mehldau for a long time but have listened to them sparingly. Mehldau seems to see the first session as an opportunity to prove points and show he has the chops to mix it with one of the big boys. His refusal to listen to or follow Konitz's lines really starts to grate after a while and I recall feeling at the time that Lee just stops playing in places because he's so exasperated by Mehldau's grandstanding. Things do seem to improve on ASOB. If i want to hear Lee with a piano I just need to put on the wonderful 'Star Eyes' with Martial Solal from a live concert in Hamburg in 1983. Comparing Mehldau with Solal is (literally) comparing boys to men. The gulf in musicality is staggering. Lee sounds a bit lacklustre on these efforts and even haden seems to get tired of 'wunderkind' Mehldau at times. BTW I'm no Brad hater, I love his trio stuff and have it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 There's a companion piece, "Another Shade of Blue", with the same lineup. I don't think I have these titles anymore, but I thought they were from the same performance. AMG/Ken Dryden says ASoB was recorded a year later at the same venue. Per the Blue Note discography, the same date (12/21-22/96) produced both albums. It states "Year was incorrectly listed as 1997 on CD 4-98222-2" (Another Shade of Blue). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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