A une epoque ou la plupart des saxophonistes se coulaient dans l'ombre de Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz, fort de ses convictions, a su se tenir a distance et, irresistiblement, ouvrir les portes d'un univers musical d'une grande modernite en imposant une sonorite lisse et une grande intelligence melodique.

Jean-Paul RICARD

At a time when most saxophone players were slipping into Charlie Parker's shadows, Lee Konitz - a man of conviction - kept his distance and slowly, irresistibly, opened up the doors to a new universe of music: it was grand and modern, and Konitz imposed upon it a sound that had smoothness and showed great intelligence in it's melody.

Jean-Paul RICARD

CD 1 (1947-1954) : CLAUDE THORNHILL & HIS ORCHESTRA (Columbia 1947) : YARDBIRD SUITE - LEE KONITZ with LENNIE TRISTANO (Prestige 1949) : SUBCONSCIOUS-LEE - LENNIE TRISTANO SEXTET (Capitol 1949) : WOW - MARIONETTE - DIGRESSION - INTUITION - LEE KONITZ with LENNIE TRISTANO (Prestige 1949) : MARSHMALLOW - SOUND-LEE - MILES DAVIS & HIS ORCHESTRA (Capitol 1950) : MOON DREAMS - LEE KONITZ GROUPS (Prestige 1950) : REBECCA - YOU GO TO MY HEAD - ICE CREAM KONITZ - PALO ALTO - LEE KONITZ SEXTET (Prestige 1951) : YESTERDAYS - HI BECK - LEE KONITZ/BILLY BAUER DUO (Prestige 1951) : DUET FOR SAXOPHONE AND GUITAR - LEE KONITZ with GERRY MULLIGAN (Pacific Jazz 1953) : LADY BE GOOD - LOVER MAN - LEE KONITZ (Vogue 1953) : I'LL REMEMBER APRIL - LEE KONITZ QUARTET (Storyville 1954) : ABLUTION.

CD2 (1954-1961) : STAN KENTON & HIS ORCHESTRA (Capitol 1954) - IN A HIGHER VEIN - LEE KONITZ QUARTETS (Storyville 1954) - NURSERY RHYME - FOOLIN' MYSELF - LENNIE TRISTANO QUARTET (Atlantic 1955) : THESE FOOLISH THINGS - LEE KONITZ with WARNE MARSH (Atlantic 1955) : BACKGROUND MUSIC - LEE KONITZ (Atlantic 1956) : ALL OF ME - LEE KONITZ QUINTET (Atlantic 1957) : FOOLIN' MYSELF - LEE KONITZ QUINTET (Verve 1957) : BILLIE'S BOUNCE - LEE KONITZ QUARTET (Verve 1957) : THE NEARNESS OF YOU - GERRY MULLIGAN (Pacific Jazz 1957) : DISK JOCKEY JUMP - LEE KONITZ with STRINGS (Verve 1958) : WHAT'S NEW? - LEE KONITZ meets JIMMY GIUFFRE (Verve 1959) : CORK 'N' RIB - LEE KONITZ (Verve 1959) : YOU DON't KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - LEE KONITZ (Verve 1961) : I REMEMBER YOU.

DIRECTION COLLECTION : ALAIN GERBER, TEXTE : JEAN-PAUL RICARD, PRODUCTION DeLeGUeE : JEAN BUZELIN