Verve UMV2563 – Recorded 29 August 1961
Lee Konitz (alto saxophone); Elvin Jones (drums); Sonny Dallas (bass)
I Remember You / All of Me / Foolin’ Myself / You’d be So Nice to Come Home To / I’ll Remember April
There was considerable surprise when it was realised that Lee Konitz and Elvin Jones had recorded together in 1961. ‘Motion’ was recorded together with Elvin Jones drums and Sonny Dallas bass. ‘Motion’ initiated a critical debate: here was the epitome of cool playing with Elvin Jones who at that time played with John Coltrane. Jones’ tumultuous drumming was redefining swing; the two seemed incompatible. They weren’t.
Lee Konitz, was one of the few alto saxophone players who emerged in the 1940s and resisted the influence of Charlie Parker. Konitz not only resisted but developed his own cool sound that influenced Bud Shank and Paul Desmond. At first, Konitz was heavily influenced by pianist Lennie Tristano. after emerging from the Claude Thornhill band where he worked with Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans. Konitz was an important voice in ‘The Birth Of The Cool’ band and has always insisted that Mulligan deserves the credit for that band rather than Miles Davis. A sixteen-month stint with Stan Kenton helped Konitz to refine his sound as he battled with the Kenton brass. After leaving Kenton, Konitz played as a soloist with rhythm sections across the world. He had integrity and was quietly uncompromising. His style of playing was not always popular and at times he left music and took other work.
The absence of a piano player on ‘Motion’ is crucial. Konitz valued freedom, spontaneity. He wanted his light, lyrical, plaintive tone to be free to explore melodies. Paul Desmond’s sound was described as like a dry martini. Konitz is more iced vodka. His admiration of Lester Young was lifelong and he admired both Lester’s melodic structures as well as his tone. Konitz played a limited number of standard tunes throughout his career. He just wanted to see how many variations he could invent.
Elvin Jones was in the process of liberating drumming with ever shifting accents. Jones often imposed contrasting time signatures on the standard 4/4, the tyranny of the ride cymbal was broken and the drum was freed to hold a conversation with Konitz. At the time of the recording Jones was working with John Coltrane. Coltrane encouraged the drummer to play loud. When ‘Motion’ was first issued it was thought that the recording engineers had put Jones into the background of the studio to moderate his sound. That did Jones an injustice, Jones was forward and able to balance his own sound. Less forceful than he was with Coltrane but just as intense: the accents are incisive and pertinent. You can hear clearly how Jones inspires and directs Konitz at times.
Sonny Dallas held the trio together by being rock steady. His holding of the pulse is an essential component of the session. It is sad to read that Dallas was unhappy with his work, so unhappy that he asked to be released from the contract with Verve.
It is often thought that improvisation is at the heart of jazz. That is not always the case. Konitz believed in spontaneity, melody, the avoidance of cliche, the power of the individual. ‘Motion’ is testimony to all of that. Konitz believed that repetition is the enemy in improvisation and Konitz’ life and music has been an illustration of this core belief. The influence of Lennie Tristano gave Konitz an independent streak, independent enough to eventually break with Tristano and independent enough to follow his own beliefs through a lifetime of music making.
The absence of a piano player on ‘Motion’ is liberating: no one is there dictating a chordal structure. Konitz is free to move anywhere he wishes and is free to indulge in the conversation with the drummer. The choice of Elvin Jones was a further illustration of the way that he had broken with the influence of Tristano who believed that drumming should be almost metronomic. It is difficult to think of a drummer who is less metronomic.
Konitz and his belief in spontaneity and his tendency to take interesting diversions can sometimes be challenging to follow. Konitz once said that his way of preparing for a performance was ‘to not be prepared.’ He’d said that he wanted to play original music rather than giving an audience what they wanted to hear.
This was a new laconic Konitz: instead of the music unfurling and unspooling seamlessly Konitz’ improvisation here is jagged and shifting. A good example is ‘You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To’, Konitz alters his timbre and rhythm all within a few bars. He refrains from overstating the theme. He avoids cliché and builds a number of variations that inject new Konitz life into the standard. Konitz excavates the tunes rather than referring to chords or the surface of the melody. He does this with all the pieces.
‘Motion’, a remarkable unique, revolutionary album, is just one in a vast discography that Konitz produced over the years.
Lee Konitz (alto saxophone); Elvin Jones (drums); Sonny Dallas (bass)
I Remember You / All of Me / Foolin’ Myself / You’d be So Nice to Come Home To / I’ll Remember April
There was considerable surprise when it was realised that Lee Konitz and Elvin Jones had recorded together in 1961. ‘Motion’ was recorded together with Elvin Jones drums and Sonny Dallas bass. ‘Motion’ initiated a critical debate: here was the epitome of cool playing with Elvin Jones who at that time played with John Coltrane. Jones’ tumultuous drumming was redefining swing; the two seemed incompatible. They weren’t.
Lee Konitz, was one of the few alto saxophone players who emerged in the 1940s and resisted the influence of Charlie Parker. Konitz not only resisted but developed his own cool sound that influenced Bud Shank and Paul Desmond. At first, Konitz was heavily influenced by pianist Lennie Tristano. after emerging from the Claude Thornhill band where he worked with Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans. Konitz was an important voice in ‘The Birth Of The Cool’ band and has always insisted that Mulligan deserves the credit for that band rather than Miles Davis. A sixteen-month stint with Stan Kenton helped Konitz to refine his sound as he battled with the Kenton brass. After leaving Kenton, Konitz played as a soloist with rhythm sections across the world. He had integrity and was quietly uncompromising. His style of playing was not always popular and at times he left music and took other work.
The absence of a piano player on ‘Motion’ is crucial. Konitz valued freedom, spontaneity. He wanted his light, lyrical, plaintive tone to be free to explore melodies. Paul Desmond’s sound was described as like a dry martini. Konitz is more iced vodka. His admiration of Lester Young was lifelong and he admired both Lester’s melodic structures as well as his tone. Konitz played a limited number of standard tunes throughout his career. He just wanted to see how many variations he could invent.
Elvin Jones was in the process of liberating drumming with ever shifting accents. Jones often imposed contrasting time signatures on the standard 4/4, the tyranny of the ride cymbal was broken and the drum was freed to hold a conversation with Konitz. At the time of the recording Jones was working with John Coltrane. Coltrane encouraged the drummer to play loud. When ‘Motion’ was first issued it was thought that the recording engineers had put Jones into the background of the studio to moderate his sound. That did Jones an injustice, Jones was forward and able to balance his own sound. Less forceful than he was with Coltrane but just as intense: the accents are incisive and pertinent. You can hear clearly how Jones inspires and directs Konitz at times.
Sonny Dallas held the trio together by being rock steady. His holding of the pulse is an essential component of the session. It is sad to read that Dallas was unhappy with his work, so unhappy that he asked to be released from the contract with Verve.
It is often thought that improvisation is at the heart of jazz. That is not always the case. Konitz believed in spontaneity, melody, the avoidance of cliche, the power of the individual. ‘Motion’ is testimony to all of that. Konitz believed that repetition is the enemy in improvisation and Konitz’ life and music has been an illustration of this core belief. The influence of Lennie Tristano gave Konitz an independent streak, independent enough to eventually break with Tristano and independent enough to follow his own beliefs through a lifetime of music making.
The absence of a piano player on ‘Motion’ is liberating: no one is there dictating a chordal structure. Konitz is free to move anywhere he wishes and is free to indulge in the conversation with the drummer. The choice of Elvin Jones was a further illustration of the way that he had broken with the influence of Tristano who believed that drumming should be almost metronomic. It is difficult to think of a drummer who is less metronomic.
Konitz and his belief in spontaneity and his tendency to take interesting diversions can sometimes be challenging to follow. Konitz once said that his way of preparing for a performance was ‘to not be prepared.’ He’d said that he wanted to play original music rather than giving an audience what they wanted to hear.
This was a new laconic Konitz: instead of the music unfurling and unspooling seamlessly Konitz’ improvisation here is jagged and shifting. A good example is ‘You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To’, Konitz alters his timbre and rhythm all within a few bars. He refrains from overstating the theme. He avoids cliché and builds a number of variations that inject new Konitz life into the standard. Konitz excavates the tunes rather than referring to chords or the surface of the melody. He does this with all the pieces.
‘Motion’ was re-released in the 1990s as a Verve Elite 3 CD issue, with additional tracks incorporating Nick Stabulas on drums from earlier sessions.
