Search - Lennie Tristano :: Lennie Tristano Quintet - Live in Toronto 1952

Terrific Live Tristano

macflecknoe | Astoria, NY USA | 11/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the most remarkable of the Lennie Tristano recordings that Jazz Records has been making available on CD over the last few years. It captures the quintet in the Summer of 1952 with better sound than any of the other live Tristano recordings that have come out recently (which is not saying much, I admit, but really, it's perfectly listenable). Every track is interesting, although to my ear the standout is "You Go to My Head," a regular vehicle for Tristano at that time. It begins with Konitz and Marsh drawing slow arabesques over the leader's piano, referring to the melody in glancing fashion only. After one chorus, the saxes lay out, and Tristano builds a solo that develops through an increasingly remote block chord passage, then switches to an exaltedly lyrical single-note line. Toward the end, Konitz quietly picks up one of the leader's motifs, and together the group bring the number to a peaceful close. In spite of the cliches about Tristano's alleged intellectualism, recordings like this one convincingly make the case for his idea of jazz as a spontaneous and unsentimental expression of feeling. Nowadays, with young musicians like Mark Turner paying tribute to Tristano and his disciples, this performance sounds anything but dated, and it is startling to remember that it took place fifty years ago. No one who cares about Tristano's music should miss it."

Wonderful music

Arthur Hampton | Rohnert Park, CA USA | 11/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A long time ago I sold all my lps because I wasn't using them and couldn't afford the space for them. I was sure I would never see this concert on cd and it was my one regret. But here it is! Tristano sounds great on this date but the interplay between Marsh and Konitz is astounding. The level of communication is downright scary.This is a must have cd."