LEE KONITZ - Stereokonitz (1969-2014) RM | Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Lee Konitz has had many opportunities to record with European artists over the decades, but this session is a bit unusual, in that all the compositions are by bassist Giovanni Tommaso and Konitz doesn't stick strictly to alto saxophone. Joining them are pianist Franco D'Andrea (with whom Konitz worked on a number of Philology CDs decades later), trumpeter Enrico Rava and drummer Gegé Munari. Tommaso's charts delve into bop and cool, with Konitz primarily playing the Varitone (a form of electronic saxophone that was experimented with briefly and abandoned by reed players in the late '60s), though he does play some alto sax and also makes a rare appearance on flute (doubling on it in "Take Seven"). While the music from this 1968 session is enjoyable, even though the sound quality of the Varitone pales when compared to a regular saxophone, this remains one of Lee Konitz's more obscure recordings from the '60s, even if this European LP was finally reissued on CD (again, only in Europe) three decades later. Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1    A Minor Blues    4:37
2    Five, Four And Three    3:32
3    Kominia    4:44
4    Midnight Mood    3:49
5    Terre Lontane    5:25
6    Take Seven    3:13
7    Giovanni D'Oggi    4:20
8    Tune Down    4:51
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone [Sax alto], Electronic Wind Instrument [Varitone], Flute [Flauto] – Lee Konitz
Contrabass [C. basso], Arranged By [Arrangiamenti di], Written-By – Giovanni Tommaso
Drums [Batteria] – Gegè Munari
Piano – Franco D'Andrea
Trumpet [Tromba] – Enrico Rava

ARCHIE SHEPP - Little Red Moon (1986) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 By 1985 Archie Shepp's tone on tenor had declined quite a bit from just a few years earlier. This should have been a strong set for the sidemen (trumpeter Enrico Rava, keyboardist Siegfried Kessler, bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Clifford Jarvis) are excellent and the repertoire is both diverse and challenging. However Shepp fouls up "Naima" by playing his out-of-tune soprano, talks and sings on the 18-minute "Little Red Moon" more than he plays tenor and his sax sounds quite sloppy on "Whisper Not" and "Sweet Georgia Brown." Despite some good moments from the supporting cast, this is one to skip. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Little Red Moon 17'59
Archie Shepp
2     Impromptu 4'00
Archie Shepp    
3     Naima 7'51
John Coltrane    
4     Whisper Not 9'08
Benny Golson    
5     Sweet Georgia Brown 6'59
Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard
Credits
Bass – Wilbur Little
Drums – Clifford Jarvis
Piano, Synthesizer – Siegfried Kessler
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Vocals [Vocal] – Archie Shepp
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Enrico Rava