Lee Konitz
Alto Sax
About
Lee Konitz was one of the most distinctive alto saxophonists in jazz history, renowned for forging an individual voice at a time when Charlie Parker's influence dominated nearly every saxophonist of his generation. A protege of pianist Lennie Tristano, Konitz was a foundational figure in cool jazz, most notably through his participation in the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool sessions (1949-1950). Over a career spanning seven decades and more than 350 recordings, he remained committed to spontaneous improvisation, rarely relying on preconceived patterns or licks. His collaborations ranged from Warne Marsh and Stan Kenton to Brad Mehldau and Dan Tepfer. Konitz received the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2009, the Jazzpar Prize in 1992, and was inducted into the DownBeat Critics Poll Hall of Fame in 2015. He died in 2020 from COVID-19 complications at age 92.
Trivia
Konitz was the last surviving musician from the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool sessions. Despite being positioned by critics as Charlie Parker's stylistic rival, the two were actually friends — Parker once offered emotional support on the day Konitz's child was born in Seattle while Konitz was stuck in New York. He turned down an opportunity to work with Benny Goodman in 1949, a decision he later deeply regretted. He recorded his final album, Old Songs New, a week after his ninetieth birthday.
Early Life
Lee Konitz was born in Chicago to Jewish immigrant parents — his father Abraham from Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) and his mother Anna from the Pinsk District (now Belarus). At age eleven, inspired by hearing Benny Goodman on the radio, he asked his parents for a clarinet and began classical training with Lou Honig, who also taught Johnny Griffin and Eddie Harris. He switched to saxophone around age twelve, studying with Santy Runyon. In his mid-teens, a chance encounter with pianist Lennie Tristano at a Chicago club transformed his musical direction. Tristano bluntly told him his tenor playing was "horrible" and urged him to switch to alto — advice Konitz followed. He studied intensively with Tristano, attended Roosevelt University, and followed his mentor to New York in 1948, where he joined the Claude Thornhill Orchestra.
Lee Konitz Solos
1996
Alto Sax solo - Alone Together - 1996
4/4 swing in D minor at 152 BPM
Alto Sax solo - The Song Is You - 1996
4/4 swing in C major at 225 BPM
Alto Sax solo - Cherokee - 1996
4/4 swing in B♭ major at 242 BPM
Alto Sax solo - What Is This Thing Called Love - 1996
4/4 swing in C major at 173 BPM
Alto Sax solo - 'Round Midnight - 1996
4/4 ballad in E♭ minor at 60 BPM
Alto Sax solo - You Stepped out of a Dream - 1996
4/4 swing in C major at 181 BPM
Alto Sax solo - You Stepped out of a Dream - 1996
4/4 swing in C major at 177 BPM