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 its 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 DÉLÉGUÉE : JEAN BUZELIN