Konitz Lee, *13 October 1927 Chicago, †15 April 2020 New York, American saxophonist (alto) and jazz composer. He initially learnt to play the clarinet, and later studied the saxophone under L. Honig. Following a period of working with dance bands, performing with J. Wald and studying at Roosevelt College, he joined C. Thornhill’s band (1947), with whom he made his first recordings (Anthropology, Yardbird Suite). In 1949–1950, he took part in sessions with M. Davis’s Nonet (the album Birth of the Cool, 1957). By this time, he was already working with the pianist L. Tristano, who had a decisive influence on his musical development and playing style. In 1949, alongside Tristano, W. Marsh, S. Manne and others, he recorded his debut album Subconscious-Lee (1955). In 1951 he performed in Europe; between 1952 and 1953 he played in S. Kenton’s orchestra; and from 1954 he led his own bands in New York and Boston. In 1957, he took part in the recording of Miles Ahead by M. Davis and G. Evans’s orchestra; in the same year, he collaborated with G. Mulligan’s quartet. In 1961, he recorded Motion, one of the most important albums of his career. After a break of several years, he returned to performing and recording – the album The Lee Konitz Duets was highly acclaimed by critics. In the 1970s, he collaborated with Ch. Mingus, D. Brubeck, A. Hill and B. Evans; in the following decade with M. Roach and A. Farmer; and later with musicians of the younger generation, including the pianists B. Mehldau and D. Tepfer. In 2000, his album Lee Konitz, The Axis String Quartet – Play French Impressionist Music From The 20th Century was released. He remained active almost until the very end, recording his final album at the age of 92. He performed in Poland on several occasions (in 1998 in Wieliczka, in 2006 and 2008 in Krakow, in 2009 in Kalisz, and in 2015 in Wrocław).
Konitz was one of the leading saxophonists of cool jazz and, at the same time, the most intriguing figure amongst the musicians associated with L. Tristano. Initially, he was influenced by L. Young and C. Parker; later, he became one of the few saxophonists to develop an individual style, independent of Parker’s aesthetic. His music is dominated by the linear structures specific to the Tristano school – in his improvised passages, he favoured elaborate runs with a uniform rhythm (usually quaver) and even dynamics. His conscious restraint in terms of technical means and expression, emotional detachment, and the complex, often polyphonic texture of his pieces (collective improvisations) frequently made it difficult for Konitz to reach a wider audience. At the turn of the 1940s and 1950s, he employed a clear, vibrato-free tone; in the 1960s and 1970s, his tone became somewhat sharper; during this period, he was one of the first saxophonists to use electronic attachments (including Stereokonitz, 1968; Peacemeal, 1970). He enjoyed his greatest acclaim in the 1950s; subsequently, interest in his music waned somewhat, though he remained one of the leading alto saxophonists of acoustic modal jazz with elements of free jazz. He performed his own compositions, standards and jazz arrangements of classical music (Bartók, the Impressionists). Konitz had a strong influence on the musical development of W. Marsh, P. Desmond, A. Pepper and B. Shank.
