Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art (Jazz Perspectives) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Meticulously researched, detailed and documented this long awaited overview justly establishes Konitz as one of the most consistently brilliant, adventurous and original improvisers in the jazz tradition - a genius as rare as Bird himself." - John Zorn "Experiencing the music of Lee Konitz in the flesh and in different settings is a reminder of what a unique musician he is. This is an equally unique book which, by contrast with some as-told-to autobiographies, beneficially lays bare the subject's thought processes, thanks to the skillful interviewing of Andy Hamilton." - Brian Priestley, author of Chasin' the Bird: The Life and Legacy of Charlie Parker and co-author of The Rough Guide to Jazz"

Product Description

“Meticulously researched, detailed and documented, this long awaited overview justly establishes Konitz as one of the most consistently brilliant, adventurous and original improvisers in the jazz tradition—a genius as rare as Bird himself.”

—John Zorn

 

“Hamilton’s work may well mark the inception of a format new to writing on Western music, one which avoids both the self-aggrandizing of autobiography and the stylized subjectification of biography.”

—The Wire

 

“An extraordinary approach to a biography, with the man himself speaking for extended sessions. The main vibration I felt from Lee’s words was total honesty, almost to a fault. Konitz shows himself to be an acute observer of the scene, full of wisdom and deep musical insights, relevant to any historical period regardless of style. The asides by noted musicians are beautifully woven throughout the pages. I couldn’t put the book down—it is the definition of a living history.”

—David Liebman

 

The preeminent altoist associated with the “cool” school of jazz, Lee Konitz was one of the few saxophonists of his generation to forge a unique sound independent of the influence of Charlie Parker. In the late 1940s, Konitz began his career with the Claude Thornhill band, during which time he came into contact with Miles Davis, with whom he would later work on the legendary Birth of the Cool sessions. Konitz is perhaps best known through his association with Lennie Tristano, under whose influence much of his sound evolved, and for his work with Stan Kenton and Warne Marsh. His recordings have ranged from cool bop to experimental improvisation and have appeared on such labels as Prestige, Atlantic, Verve, and Polydor.

 

Crafted out of numerous interviews between the author and his subject, the book offers a unique look at the story of Lee Konitz’s life and music, detailing Konitz’s own insights into his musical education and his experiences with such figures as Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, Warne Marsh, Lennie Tristano, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, and Bill Evans.

 

Andy Hamilton is a jazz pianist and contributor to major jazz and contemporary music magazines. He teaches philosophy, and the history and aesthetics of jazz, at Durham University in the United Kingdom. He is also the author of the book Aesthetics and Music (Continuum 2007).

 

Joe Lovano is a Grammy Award–winning tenor saxophonist. His most recent album is Streams of Expression.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press (August 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0472032178
• ISBN-13: 978-0472032174
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,472 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable book, November 3, 2007

By	Lawrence Kart - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am, briefly (on pages 164-5), a contributor to his book -- the author interviewed me several years ago about my feelings about Konitz, a longtime favorite of mine -- but the comments that follow, which I sent in an e-mail to the author, Andy Hamilton, a month or more ago, are ones that I would have made even if I had played no role in this book other than the minor one I did:

"Got it [the book] the other day and devoured it. You and Lee did a superb job, and as someone who used to be a journalist, I don't underestimate your contribution in terms of sound and creative organization of material, consistent attentiveness, ability to get along with/stimulate Lee, ability to set up and conduct intelligent interviews with all those other people, etc. I'm pretty sure there's no other book like it in jazz, and while some of that has to do with Lee's willingness to talk about things as much as and in the ways that he does, without your hard work and imagination and good heart, we wouldn't have this. Many thanks."

Larry Kart
Author of "Jazz In Search of Itself" (Yale University Press)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talkative Lee, April 19, 2008

By	John Northwood (Newcastle, UK) - See all my reviews

In this book of lively conversations on the improviser's art, Lee Konitz talks about all aspects of his music, from his beginnings (as a student of the clarinet, during the late 1930s) to the early years of the new century, and he does so with great candour. There's lots about the Cool School of playing and Konitz's musical mentor, the blind pianist Lennie Tristano. Tristano's music ran on a parallel track to bebop, but because it wasn't such a hot, sweaty affair it's been dismissed as a pallid version of the real thing, cerebral and abstract, disconnected from feelings, a music to be analysed by beard-strokers rather than enjoyed by foot-tappers. Konitz dismisses these false distinctions and emphasises both the vitality and originality of Tristano's music - points supported by several musician-contributors to the book.

The criticisms and comments that Konitz offers are frank, thoughtful and well-argued. Several of the chapters cover specific decades in his career. Others include: Formative Influences; Working with Tristano; Early Collaborators; The Art of Improvisation; The Instrument; The Material. Embedded within each of the chapters is a series of brief interviews with musicians, most of whom have worked on the bandstand with Konitz or recorded with him, including John Zorn, Phil Woods, Mike Zwerin, George Russell, Clare Fischer, Sal Mosca, Alan Broadbent, Sonny Rollins, Rufus Reid, Ornette Coleman, Harold Danko, Wayne Shorter, Paul Bley, John Tchicai, Greg Osby, Martial Solal and Evan Parker. Although this is fundamentally a book of interviews, Andy Hamilton provides scene-setting introductions to each of the chapters, explanatory links between subsections, and brief comments that help the reader better to contextualise the interview material. His contributions are considerable, but they're done with such a light touch the attention remains firmly on Konitz throughout.

Although Konitz broke with the Tristano school, Tristano's foremost `disciple', tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh, remained in a strong creative partnership with him until the late 1970s. Marsh is undoubtedly the saxophonist whom Konitz admires most, and Konitz's aesthetic, sound and approach to improvisation owe perhaps more to Marsh than any other player. He contrasts Marsh's approach with that of several other major players, including Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, whose solos relied to some degree on pre-prepared material. Throughout the book, there's much useful discussion about the philosophy of music-making.

Konitz is a great talker, with lots of interesting things to say about his own music and the music of Marsh, Tristano, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Parker, Coltrane, Charles Mingus and a host of others, and the book is peppered with valuable comments about `the jazz life'.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The art of conversation, November 4, 2007

By	Fred Hess (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Your Konitz book is really fabulous!!! Your last comment was
correct, it is a major addition to the literature. The way you
organized it makes it easy to read, and there's so much historical
information, as well as, a real look into Lee's thinking and approach to
life and music. I was truly hooked after the first chapter and just couldn't put it down. Andy, you really earned five stars for this one.