One of the most important
contributors to a very cool and restrained form of jazz was the brilliant,
blind composer, pianist and teacher, Lennie Tristano. A "school" of
players was built in Tristano's shadow, and a few whom he influenced were Warne
Marsh, Lee Konitz, Alan Broadbent, and Gary Foster. In the case of Foster, he's
been acclaimed as a "do anything" alto player for decades. But early
on he came under Lennie's spell. And this two CD set proves that present day
Gary Foster is still drawn to the Tristano connection. His tenor playing
partner here is Mark Turner. Although he's more contemporary, he demonstrates
great skill with the Tristano repertoire. The bassist Putter Smith is a
longtime member of the aforementioned Broadbent trio. As such, he too is well
acquainted with Lennie's musical journey. The drummer is Joe La Barbera, a master
in the LA jazz panorama. Recorded live way back in 2003, this first ever [?]
release features long cuts (a total of just seven selections on two CD's!). So
if you're a Lennie admirer, you'll recognize titles like Marsh's
"Background Music", Konitz's "Subconscious Lee", Tristano's
"Lennie's Pennies" and perhaps his best known composition "317 East 32nd Street".
Turner and Foster are just about perfect in interplay AND polished and groovy
in generous solo adventures. Although Lennie was a pianist, it makes sense that
there's no piano here because Marsh and Konitz often recorded in a pianoless
setting. Kudos to Tom Burns and Capri Records for this masterful glimpse into a
very important segment of jazz history.
Capri Records; 2 CDs; 2019;
appx. 52 min. and 37 min.
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