Round and Round and Round
Someday My Prince Will Come
Luv
Nancy
Boo Doo
Valse Hot
Lover Man
Bluesette
Giant Steps
Lee Konitz (alto and soprano saxophones),
Fred Hersch (piano), Mike Richmond (bass)
Adam Nussbaum (drums)
rec. 1988
This tight-knit band, recorded
back in 1988 for MusicMasters, proves as noteworthy
now in this Nimbus re-release as it did twenty
years ago. It was Konitz with rhythm section,
if that’s not too derogatory way to describe
the superb trio of Fred Hersch, Mike Richmond
and Adam Nussbaum. Konitz as ever proves a
musician of fluid creativity, of harmonic
sophistication, and tonal eloquence. His interaction
with Nussbaum on Round and Round and Round
proves an especially creative example
of nudging and time keeping. Hersch cooks
on Luv where Konitz sounds positively
exultant. The keening Lester Young influence
is most apparent on Nancy.
Konitz plays around with
the tempo of Boo Doo, playfully and
creatively increasing or decreasing the rhythmic
attack with verve - abetted by Richmond’s
vibrant bass playing. As one can see each
track contains rhythmic, harmonic or melodic
points of difference and interest quite sufficient
to keep one fascinated. Valse Hot is
another example of the way that moods and
textures are varied, parried, restated and
expanded. We find Hersch at his most chordally
resplendent here, responding to the deeper
textures with some consummate playing.
Konitz always manages to
keep the familiar, the expected and most certainly
the clichéd at bay. In Lover Man
we find him at his fluid, most harmonically
allusive and never giving in to the maudlin;
not least because he takes a quickish tempo.
His melodic variations on Lover Man show
how constantly alert he is in his playing,
how quicksilver is his musical database, how
instant his responses to melodic structures
and to the idea of substitutions. Throughout
in fact he also proves – if proof were needed
– how unaffected he is as a musician but how
complex are the structures he builds; a great
player, beautifully recorded.
Jonathan Woolf
A great player, beautifully
recorded ... see Full Review
CD Reviews
NIMBUS
RECORDS NI 2703 [54:14]
