Lee Konitz Quartet

Lee Konitz Quartet

Lee Konitz is an American jazz group associated with the alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, whose work is closely linked with cool jazz. Konitz begins on clarinet and studies classical music before switching to alto saxophone.

Early career

In the mid to late 1940s, Konitz plays in the bands of Jerry Wald and Claude Thornhill, appears on jazz dates with Miles Davis, and studies with Lennie Tristano, with whom he also records. In the early 1950s he works for a time with Stan Kenton. He leaves that band before the end of 1953, by which point he has established his name and an international reputation.

Later work and teaching

From the mid-1950s onwards, Konitz generally leads his own bands, recording and performing publicly, and also makes a brief return to work with Tristano. He becomes increasingly involved in teaching, running clinics and workshops, giving private tuition, and conducting worldwide correspondence courses.

Recordings and ensembles

In the mid-1970s, Konitz records several albums with Warne Marsh, which gain immediate critical and commercial popularity. He also forms a nine-piece band modelled on the group led by Miles Davis in which he had played three decades earlier.