Alto Saxophonist Lee Konitz has enjoyed one of the most creative and
prolific careers in modern jazz. After an 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 (aka Miles Davis Tuba Band), Konitz turned freelance and has remained on the cutting
edge of post-bop improvisation ever since.

He has occasionally led a nonet (now resurrected!) 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 has always been open and interested to play
with younger musicans and ti participate in exciting new musical projects co-lead
by them (like the Lee Konitz New Nonet or the Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor String Project).
A new book about Lee Konitz (by Andy Hamilton) was published in 2007. He has received the NEA Jazz Masters Award the

following year.

 

Recently Lee Konitz has performed in a duo with pianist Dan Tepfer and with the trio Minsarah (now his New Quartet).

A new CD of a quartet with Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian will be released on ECM Records next year.

Lee was just voted "Alto Saxophonist of the Year" by Downbeat Magazine.

 

In 2011 he will present his new project "Lee Konitz Songs" - more information can be found in our "Tour Offers 2011" section.

 

PROJECTS:
Lee Konitz Special Trios

Lee Konitz New Quartet
Lee Konitz New Nonet
Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor String Project
Lee Konitz & Dan Tepfer Duo

Lee Konitz & Walter Lang Duo
Lee Konitz & Matt Wilson Duo

 

SELECTED
DISCOGRAPHY:
Birth of the Cool (with Miles Davis) Capitol Records 1949/50
Free Forms (with Ralph Burns) Verve Records 1951
Requiem (with Lennie Tristano) Atlantic Records 1955
The Real Lee Konitz, Atlantic Records 1957
Lee Konitz With String "An Image" Verve Records 1958
Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre, Verve Records 1959
Lee Konitz "Motion" with Elvin Jones, Sonny Dallas, Verve Records 1961
The Lee Konitz Duets, Milestone Records 1967
Spirits (with Sal Mosca) Milestone Records 1971
Lee Konitz Nonet, Chiaroscuro Records 1977
Heroes/Anti Heroes (with Gil Evans) Verve 1980
In Concert (with Chet Baker) India Navigation Records 1982
Dovetail (with Harold Danko/Jay Leonhart) Sunny Side Records 1983
Three Guys (with Steve Swallow/Paul Motian) Enja Records 1995
Lee Konitz (with Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden), Blue Note Records 1997
Sounds of Surprise (Lee Konitz Trio plus one) RCA Victor 1999
Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor & Axis String Quartet, Palmetto Records 2000
Lee Konitz & Matt Wilson, Gong With The Wind, Steeple Chase 2002
Lee Konitz New Nonet (directed by Ohad Talmor), Omnitone Records 2006
Lee Konitz-Ohad Talmor String Project, Inventions, Omnitone Records 2006
Lee Konitz Big Band/Orquestra Jazz Matosinhos, Portology, Omnitone Records 2006
Lee Konitz & Walter Lang, Ashiya, Pirouet Records 2007
Lee Konitz & Minsarah, Deep Lee, Enja Records 2008

Dan Tepfer "Duos with Lee", Sunnyside 2009 

Lee Konitz New Quartet "Live at the Village Vanguard", Enja Records 2010