Lee Konitz & Dave Douglas Quintet

Lee Konitz is a pioneer and elder statesman of the cool jazz movement. A revered alto-saxophonist hailing from Chicago, Konitz began his career with the virtuosic composer Lennie Tristano whose classicist approach to jazz would prove instrumental in Konitz’s own musical development. Going on to work with another jazz luminary interested in borrowing from classical traditions, he became one ninth of Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool nonet. The group responded to the furious energy of ‘40s bebop with a less hurried and softer sound, and their 1949-50 sessions produced some of the defining music of the era.
Since the early days of his career, Konitz has been prolific. His discography is so extensive that it defies summary. He’s released countless albums, experimented with a range of styles, and worked with a dizzying array of talent including Charles Mingus and Gil Evans. Yet for all this variety, it is possible to speak of a distinctive Konitz style. He is an inveterate improviser, with a gift for spontaneity. His sound is dry, without being distant, and he is able to craft songs that feel at once lively and restful.
On May 3 and 4, he is joined onstage at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club by the Dave Douglas Quintet, a group named for the much-celebrated trumpeter at its helm. A talented and progressive group in their own right, they are set to prove the perfect foil to one of jazz’s great talents.