I first heard Lee in Chicago '64-'65, and for the last time 5-6 years ago in Santa Cruz, CA, touring with a kickass young EU rhythm section. He was loving it, and playing great!
Lee is awesome. I met Lennie & Warne but unfortunately Lee was not a part of that gig that day. PRES is as Lee says definitely cool in fact PRES coined the phrase "Cool" in PRES SPEAK along with a whole bunch of Ivey divey expressions.
Cool always meant harmonically complex to me. Odd chords, like Brubeck did after studying with the French Impressionist composer, Darius Milhaud. (Debussy started it all 100 years ago) Cool was FRESH, like a third stream of water in a shady creek. However, whites weren't the only purveyors. What about Art Farmer? The MJQ? and, MILES.
That's a great point. You did have a number of Black players who performed in the 'Cool Jazz" style, like the ones you mentioned, and also Chico Hamilton and Milt Jackson.
Lee is full of Jewish guilt. Music doesn't belong to any race. Tristano said " No one owns a corner in a Jazz Market", and he believed he had as much validity as any black player. Too bad Lee didn't learn THAT from Lennie.
vova47 Well, Konitz was a witness to the effect of racism and he was also spared that affliction. When you stand next to people, play music with them, listen to their art at close quarters, study their genius, travel, get high, socialize and maybe even make love together, and you see each one of them singled out for legalized and de facto abuse, while your racial status exempts you, it's hard not to feel guilty sometimes. Everything you ever got away with and a lot of things you take for granted were sufficient reason to jail or even lynch your best friends. As for what Konitz is full of, I'm sure I couldn't say. On the other hand...
The interviewer -- an extremely gifted musician in his own right -- is all but morally obligated to ask that question. Konitz is a major figure in this music, and a major figure at the strange racial nexus that defines so much of what this music is. To leave "the race question" out of this interview would be to elide history. Awkward as that question might be...
It's a very relevant question, and elicited several great responses from Lee. Race has been the dominant issue in our country for four centuries, and it still is!
I first heard Lee in Chicago '64-'65, and for the last time 5-6 years ago in Santa Cruz, CA, touring with a kickass young EU rhythm section. He was loving it, and playing great!
one of the masters. very insightful and honest.
Whomever Lee Konitz played with sounded better because of Lee.
Modest and insightful.
Lee is awesome. I met Lennie & Warne but unfortunately Lee was not a part of that gig that day. PRES is as Lee says definitely cool in fact PRES coined the phrase "Cool" in PRES SPEAK along with a whole bunch of Ivey divey expressions.
Rest Easy Lee. Regards to the Cats on Cloud 9!
on the money words of insight....
Cool always meant harmonically complex to me. Odd chords, like Brubeck did after studying with the French Impressionist composer, Darius Milhaud. (Debussy started it all 100 years ago) Cool was FRESH, like a third stream of water in a shady creek. However, whites weren't the only purveyors. What about Art Farmer? The MJQ? and, MILES.
That's a great point.
You did have a number of Black players who performed in the 'Cool Jazz" style, like the ones you mentioned, and also Chico Hamilton and Milt Jackson.
Dig.
Whatever happened to the days when an interviewer would ask cogent, direct questions?
Lee is full of Jewish guilt. Music doesn't belong to any race. Tristano said " No one owns a corner in a Jazz Market", and he believed he had as much validity as any black player.
Too bad Lee didn't learn THAT from Lennie.
vova47 lol agreed. PRES was inspired by Frank Trumbauer and Jimmy Dorsey, both white and Bird was inspired by PRES & Jimmy Dorsey.
vova47 Well, Konitz was a witness to the effect of racism and he was also spared that affliction. When you stand next to people, play music with them, listen to their art at close quarters, study their genius, travel, get high, socialize and maybe even make love together, and you see each one of them singled out for legalized and de facto abuse, while your racial status exempts you, it's hard not to feel guilty sometimes. Everything you ever got away with and a lot of things you take for granted were sufficient reason to jail or even lynch your best friends. As for what Konitz is full of, I'm sure I couldn't say. On the other hand...
I think that’s a valid point.
I don’t remember ever reading a racial criticism of a black person who writes in the classical, non-jazz music idiom.
The interviewer wants to talk about race and Lee wants to talk about music. How sad.
And the “dude” asking the questions is inarticulate to boot.
The interviewer -- an extremely gifted musician in his own right -- is all but morally obligated to ask that question. Konitz is a major figure in this music, and a major figure at the strange racial nexus that defines so much of what this music is. To leave "the race question" out of this interview would be to elide history. Awkward as that question might be...
Morally obligated??? Give me a break.
It's a very relevant question, and elicited several great responses from Lee. Race has been the dominant issue in our country for four centuries, and it still is!