When I was in college the great Loren Schoenberg got us singing along with Potato Head Blues, along with Weather Bird, West End Blues and Pres on Lady Be Good and Shoeshine Boy. It burned that phrasing into our souls better than any verbal instruction could've done and I still think singing is way under-emphasized in learning jazz.
For me the formative Pops albums were Plays W.C. Handy, a 50s reissue of the Hot Fives, and The Silver Collection, an early CD omnibus of his Verve standards tracks than I read about in that Wynton Marsalis book about life as a jazz superstar (which I was sure was just around the corner for me)! It doesn't have the heat of his younger recordings but every one of them is a perfect gem of his patient, mature phrasing.
Love the insight into Konitz. I also found myself wondering: What was Lee looking for from a pianist? Who were his faves? Forgive me if you’ve already written about this!
in the early years, Lee played with pianists who comped normally, but later he wanted them to be interactive. "Let's all solo together." I think his first partner who played a lotta stuff at the same time as Lee was Martial Solal. For myself, I thought Lee was misguided about that concept, especially with full rhythm section, although it worked duo with Dan Tepfer.
When I was in college the great Loren Schoenberg got us singing along with Potato Head Blues, along with Weather Bird, West End Blues and Pres on Lady Be Good and Shoeshine Boy. It burned that phrasing into our souls better than any verbal instruction could've done and I still think singing is way under-emphasized in learning jazz.
For me the formative Pops albums were Plays W.C. Handy, a 50s reissue of the Hot Fives, and The Silver Collection, an early CD omnibus of his Verve standards tracks than I read about in that Wynton Marsalis book about life as a jazz superstar (which I was sure was just around the corner for me)! It doesn't have the heat of his younger recordings but every one of them is a perfect gem of his patient, mature phrasing.
Thanks for comment, Ian!
A lovely post, revealing and welcoming, that gave me unexpected ways into the topic—via Konitz, and Konitz-on-Turner especially!
thanks so much!
Love the insight into Konitz. I also found myself wondering: What was Lee looking for from a pianist? Who were his faves? Forgive me if you’ve already written about this!
in the early years, Lee played with pianists who comped normally, but later he wanted them to be interactive. "Let's all solo together." I think his first partner who played a lotta stuff at the same time as Lee was Martial Solal. For myself, I thought Lee was misguided about that concept, especially with full rhythm section, although it worked duo with Dan Tepfer.