Lee Konitz & The Art Of Taking Your Time

[HutchFan]

2 hours ago, Coda said:

I see that Lee Konitz is scheduled to play at the Regattabar for this 90th birthday celebration, late January 2018.   I just found my xmas present to me.  There's no mention of a band so I have no idea what to expect.

 

 

I saw Konitz at Birdland in NYC about ten or twelve years ago.  He performed with Peter Bernstein, Dennis Irwin, and Bill Stewart.  I stayed for both sets, sitting less than ten feet away.  When he asked if anyone had a request, I asked for "Subconscious-Lee."  He laughed under his breath, played a few bars solo, and that was it. 

I also recall a sublime version of "A Foggy Day."  

It was a memorable night. 

[Coda]

I found the band:

LEE KONITZ QUARTET 

Lee Konitz - alto saxophone

Dan Tepfer - piano

Jeremy Stratton - bass

George Schuller - drums 

 

January 9/10 - Dizzy's Jazz Club, New York City

January 27 - The Regatta Bar, Cambridge, MA

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Just be aware that during his visit to the Regattabar last year, he didn't play much. My friend went and said that Lee sat & watched the trio play for most of the night. They had to coax him up to the mic to play. He just wanted to sit in the back and watch. At first, my friend thought it was a joke but as it continued through the set, it stopped being funny. My friend won't be going to this show.

I might. Everyone has a bad night.

[Coda]

Thanks for the info Kevin.  This will make me reconsider.  $30/ticket adds up.

[kh1958]

I saw Lee Konitz in early May of 2017 at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage  Festival. It was  not at all  as described  above. He soloed on every song and played beautifully. In fact, the sheer beauty of his alto sound was rather stunning. I would say his solos were not of extreme length (he was 89 at the time)--so it's not like hearing a performance of Motion--but he did ample playing in an hour long set. Also, he did hum/sing in addition to  playing alto sax, which was a bit odd, but I didn't find I minded it too much. I  would definitely attend another performance by him, if presented with the chance.

Edited December 13, 2017 by kh1958

[Kevin Bresnahan]

1 hour ago, kh1958 said:

I saw Lee Konitz in early May of 2017 at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage  Festival. It was  not at all  as described  above. He soloed on every song and played beautifully. In fact, the sheer beauty of his alto sound was rather stunning. I would say his solos were not of extreme length (he was 89 at the time)--so it's not like hearing a performance of Motion--but he did ample playing in an hour long set. Also, he did hum/sing in addition to  playing alto sax, which was a bit odd, but I didn't find I minded it too much. I  would definitely attend another performance by him, if presented with the chance.

As I said, everybody has a bad night. Last year at the Regattabar was one of them.

Now that I think about it, my friend Bob told me that the set started out weird, with Lee realizing that he left his neck strap up in his room. So while the trio banged out a few tunes, he went back up to his room to get his strap. It was after he came back that he didn't really want to play much. Maybe he wasn't feeling well? Who knows.

Maybe it was because I wasn't there.

[kh1958]

One never knows until you hear it. I've had great experiences with similarly elderly musicians (Doc Cheatum, Randy Weston, Benny Waters), whereas seeing Clark Terry was a sad experience.

Earlier the same day, I saw Henry Gray (ex Howlin' Wolf pianist), of a similar age, and he literally collapsed near the end of his set. It actually appeared he might be dying  on stage. Fortunately, after awhile he rallied and walked off with assistance.      

[sidewinder]

He’s coming up at the Bristol Jazz and Blues Festival here in the UK early next year. I’m tempted to go.

Last time I saw him was with Kenny Wheeler.

Edited December 14, 2017 by sidewinder