Duo, nonet or quartet: no matter with what formation he works, Lee Konitz is always keen to push the boundaries. Even when this North Sea Jazz veteran plays the same song, like the ever-popular All The Things You Are, he manages to add a twist with his unparalleled improvisation skills. As an alto saxophonist he has chosen to stick firmly to his own path and refuses to be hemmed in by genre or movement. Nonetheless, largely due to his collaboration with Miles Davis on Birth Of The Cool, his name remains tied to cool jazz, of which he was one of the founders. Just like Davis, Konitz always sounds different yet is always recognizable. And that will be the case for some time yet, because at age 87 he shows no sign of retiring. With his current quartet, Konitz brings to life unforgettable standards like Cole Porter’s What Is This Thing Called Love and Tristano’s 317 East 32nd Street through his innovative improvisations.
