LENNIE TRISTANO and WARNE MARSH - Intuition (1996) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 This CD brings back a formerly rare set by Warne Marsh, plus seven classic performances that serve as the high point of Lennie Tristano's career. Oddly enough, the Tristano date is programmed second. First is a full-length album which matches Warne Marsh with the cooler but complementary tone of fellow tenor Ted Brown (plus pianist Ronnie Ball, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Jeff Morton). The original eight selections are joined by four alternate takes recorded in mono. Marsh and Brown blend together well, Ball has several creative solos, and most of the "originals" are based closely on familiar standards. However, the main reason to acquire this CD is for the seven remarkable Tristano tracks which feature his finest group (consisting of the pianist/leader, altoist Lee Konitz, Marsh on tenor, guitarist Billy Bauer, bassist Arnold Fishkin, and either Harold Granowsky or Denzil Best on drums). Tristano's music was unique and even more advanced than most bop of the late '40s. While he confined the rhythm section to very quiet timekeeping, the vibrato-less horns and Tristano himself played very long melodic lines, constantly improvising. The stunning unisons performed by Konitz and Marsh (particularly on "Wow") still sound remarkable today, as does the interplay of the two horns on "Sax of a Kind." "Intuition" and "Digression" were the first recorded free improvisations in jazz, but are quite coherent due to the musicians' familiarity with each other. Due to the Lennie Tristano performances, this CD reissue (which has over 75 minutes of music) is essential for all jazz collections. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1    Warne Marsh–    Smog Eyes 3:32
Written-By – Ted Brown
2    Warne Marsh–    Ear Conditioning 5:13
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
3    Warne Marsh–    Lover Man 4:28
Written-By – Davis, Sherman, Ramirez
4    Warne Marsh–    Quintessence 4:14
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
5    Warne Marsh–    Jazz Of Two Cities 4:32
Written-By – Ted Brown
6    Warne Marsh–    Dixie's Dilemma 4:20
Written-By – Warne Marsh
7    Warne Marsh–    Tschaikovsky's Opus #42, Third Movement 3:59
Traditional
8    Warne Marsh–    I Never Knew 5:00
Written-By – G. Khan, T. FioRita
9    Warne Marsh–    Ear Conditioning (Mono Master) 5:14
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
10    Warne Marsh–    Lover Man (Mono Master) 4:29
Written-By – Davis, Sherman, Ramirez
11    Warne Marsh–    Jazz Of Two Cities (Mono Take) 4:39
Written-By – Ted Brown
12    Warne Marsh–    I Never Knew (Mono Take) 5:09
Written-By – Kahn, T. FioRita
13    Lennie Tristano–    Wow 3:19
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
14    Lennie Tristano–    Crosscurrent 2:48
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
15    Lennie Tristano–    Yesterdays 2:45
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
16    Lennie Tristano–    Marionette 3:04
Written-By – Billy Bauer
17    Lennie Tristano–    Sax Of A Kind 2:59
Written-By – L. Tristano, W. Marsh
18    Lennie Tristano–    Intuition 2:27
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
19    Lennie Tristano–    Digression 3:04
Written-By – Lennie Tristano     
Credits :
1-12
Bass – Ben Tucker
Drums – Jeff Morton
Piano – Ronnie Ball
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh
13-19
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Arnold Fishkin
Drums – Denzil Best (tracks: 16 to 19), Harold Granowsky (tracks: 13, 14),
Guitar – Billy Bauer
Piano – Lennie Tristano
Notas.
Tracks 1 to 8 are stereo, all other selections are mono.
The Warne Marsh album that begins this CD was issued in mono as "Jazz Of Two Cities" (Imperial LP 9027) and in stereo as "Winds Of Marsh" (Imperial LP 12013). The mono and stereo takes of "Jazz Of Two Cities" and "I Never Knew" are completely different. The second saxophone solo on "Ear Conditioning" and the piano solo on "Lover Man" differ on the stereo and mono masters. Both versions of these four tunes are therefore included here.
Tracks 1 to 4, 9 & 10 recorded on October 3, 1956 at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles.
Tracks 5 to 8, 11 & 12 recorded on October 11, 1956 at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles.
Tracks 13 & 14 recorded on March 4, 1949 in New York.
Tracks 15 recorded on March 14, 1949 in New York.
Tracks 16 to 19 recorded on May 16, 1949 in New York.

LEE KONITZ | WARNE MARSH - Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh (1955-1998) Atlantic Original Sound | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Altoist Lee Konitz and tenor-saxophonist Warne Marsh always made for a perfect team. Even by the mid-'50s when they were not as influenced by Lennie Tristano as previously (particularly Konitz), their long melodic lines and unusual tones caused them to stand out from the crowd. On this LP reissue Konitz and Marsh co-lead a particularly strong group that also includes pianist Sal Mosca, guitarist Billy Bauer, bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Kenny Clarke. Their renditions of "originals" based on common chord changes along with versions of "Topsy," "There Will Never Be Another You" and "Donna Lee" are quite enjoyable and swing hard yet fall into the category of cool jazz. This set is worth searching for, as are all of the Konitz-Marsh collaborations. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Topsy 5:29
Edgar Battle / Eddie Durham
2     There Will Never Be Another You 4:49   
Harry Warren
3     I Can't Get Started 3:58
Vernon Duke
4     Donna Lee 6:17
Charlie Parker
5     Two Not One 5:35
Lennie Tristano
6     Don't Squawk 7:20
Oscar Pettiford
7     Ronnie's Line 3:10
Ronnie Ball
8     Background Music 5:45
Warne Marsh
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Oscar Pettiford
Drums – Kenny Clarke
Guitar – Billy Bauer
Piano – Ronnie Ball (tracks: 7), Sal Mosca (tracks: 2, 4 to 6, 8)
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh

LEE KONITZ - At Storyville (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This excellent set gives one a definitive look at altoist Lee Konitz at a period of time when he was breaking away from being a sideman and a student of Lennie Tristano and asserting himself as a leader. With pianist Ronnie Ball, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Alan Levitt, Konitz explores a variety of his favorite chord changes, some of which were disguised by newer melodies such as "Hi Beck," "Subconscious Lee," and "Sound Lee." Among the other high points of this well-recorded set are "Foolin' Myself" and a lengthy exploration of "If I Had You." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Introduction by John McLelland 0:52
2     Hi Beck 7:38
Lee Konitz
3     If I Had You 11:19
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Ted Shapiro
4     Subconscious Lee 5:34
Lee Konitz
5     Sound Lee 6:39
Lee Konitz
6     Foolin' Myself 6:01
Jack Lawrence / Glenn Tinturin / Peter Tinturin
7     Introduction by John McLelland 0:45     
8     Ablution 4:43
Lee Konitz
9     These Foolish Things 4:09
Harry Link / Holt Marvell / Jack Strachey
10     End Announcement by John McLelland 0:39
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Percy Heath
Drums – Alan Levitt
Piano – Ronnie Ball
Notas.
Recorded at the Storyville Club in the Copley Square Hotel, Boston, 5th January 1954.