AOTW November 6-12

[Guy Berger]

Request: please don't post in this thread until the current AOTW is finished -- I just want to give people a heads up so they can pick this up in time for November 6.

Recorded on September 25, 1967

1. Struttin' with Some Barbecue

2. You Don't Know What Love Is

3. Variations on Alone Together

4. Checkerboard

5. Erb

6. Tickle Toe

7. Duplexity

8. Alphanumeric

Personnel:

Lee Konitz (as 1, 2, 3iii, 3v, 4, 5, 8; varitone 3i, 8; ts 3ii, 3iv, 6, 7; bs 1)

Marshall Brown (euphonium & valve trombone 1, 8)

Joe Henderson (ts 2, 8)

Elvin Jones (dr 3ii, 3v, 8)

Karl Berger (vib 3iii, 3v, 8)

Eddie Gomez (b 3iv, 3v, 8)

Dick Katz (p 4, 8)

Jim Hall (g 5, 8)

Richie Kamuca (ts 6, 8)

Ray Nance (violin 7)

[JSngry]

I kid you not - it was between this one and Dancing In Your Head as to what last week's AOTW was going to be,

This is a fine album. Not Konitz' "best" or anything, but the various duets reveal a player who really has no limits other than those of expectations put on him by others, which he routinely goes about ignoring, bless him.

I think the Ray Nance duet might well be my favorite, Ray getting into the free improv setting, and the Brown my least favorite (something about Brown just leaves me feeling like I've gotten all that I have a right to expect, in a non-satisfactory way).

The rest of it is never less than interesting, and often quite captivating. Such an album from such a player was a bold concept back in that day, and as Konitz' inaugural album on Milestone, first of a very good run, it was a pretty bold "career move" for him and the label. Not that Lee's ever been a "career move" kinda guy...

I hope that lots of people who haven't heard it take advantage of the spotlighting of this album and get on about checking it, and Lee Konitz' Milestone (and beyond) work, out. There is so much richness to be found. Accusations of "coldness", etc. are nothing more (or less) than matters of personal taste, as is the old argument over the "true jazz" quality of his playing. Again, purely personal taste. When viewed objectively, in terms of what he actually plays, the guy's a true giant of improvisation, period.

[Guy Berger]

Wow, I can't believe I forgot to comment on my own AOTW!

Anyway, I'm not incredibly familiar with this album -- I picked it up in an "OJC panic binge" last fall and first listened to it less than a month ago. But, it is remarkably good, with no real weak spots. Lots of interesting playing, a tremendous amount of variety. And I think that while these kinds of albums are a dime, a dozen today, back in 1967 this was a very unusual concept.

My favorite duet -- and this might just be a superficial observation from someone who's listened to the album less than a dozen times -- is Lee on tenor and Elvin on drums. Interesting because Lee was obviously listening to Trane's performances in a similar format, but totally different in terms of the tenor playing.

As Jim writes above, the Nance duet is the most surprising. He definitely puts in the kind of performance you wouldn't expect.

I'll listen to this some more and add comments as they come.

Guy

[BruceH]

I bought this album several years ago and like it a lot. It's one of my favorite Konitz albums (of the ones I've heard, which I'll admit is a small fraction of the total)----I like the playing, the varitety, and the concept which works great with a musician of Konitz's sensativity.

[ep1str0phy]

This one has been on my "to get" list for a while. How does it compare to the other Konitz duet sessions(/appearances)?

[Kalo]

I'm a big Konitz fan and I really like this album.

I'll give it another spin tonight. Looking forward to it, as I haven't listened to this in ages.

[Quincy]

I found my copy as a Japanese cutout. Imagine if they were all priced so nicely! It was on my hunting list thanks to a Konitz thread and at the time I was after all things Joe Henderson.

As others have said it is blessed with variety and I like the way it was sequenced. I particularly like the "Variations on Alone Together" and how it all comes together at the end. As with many of the finer things in life it gets better with each playing.

[clifford_thornton]

It has been some time since I've heard this one, though I remember liking it well enough.

Also fed into Karl Berger's brief Milestone foray - wonder whether we'll see that record reissued as an OJC?

[BruceH]

Just listened to it again----particularly like the last track, with almost everybody on it, "Alphanumeric" or some such. And "Tickle Toe" with Kamuca and Konitz also on tenor (this kind of reminded me of some of Konitz's work with Warne Marsh.) The album definitely repays repeated listenings.

[danasgoodstuff]

Thanx muchly for making this AOTW, I'm listening to it right now and digging pretty much all of it. But then I dig pretty much all of the delightfull Lee...when Perry Robinson complemented me by comparing my playing to Desmond's I was very flattered and thanked him but made sure to say that I listened to Konitz more (have I mentioned this before, too bad - it's a big deal to me). Has Konitz's Motion been AOTW? I like Marsh too, esp'ly with Lee but I think I dig Konitz more...not sure why, maybe Warne is just a little tooo abstract for me. If Lee has ever made a truly bad LP I haven't heard it.