The veteran German jazz pianist Walter Lang welcomes alto sax great Lee Konitz for this special duo session. While they had worked together on-stage several times, this marks their first CD together. It is a bit unusual to hear Konitz focusing almost exclusively on another musician's material without adding a few of his own quirky reconstructions of standards, but all goes well, as the two players fit hand in glove. The meandering opener, "Monk's Cottage," has a recurring call-and-response theme. "The Good Way" has a classical air, with Konitz making a late entrance in a very lyrical setting. The ballad "Ashiya" has a melancholy air, with Lang's piano behind Konitz suggesting a lonely person pacing the floor in despair. The lush romanticism of "Valse Élégance" and the elegant "Casa do Tom" are also highlights. The two musicians collaborated on two brief interludes and the closing "Epilogue." - Ken Dryden
Tracks
01. Monk's Cottage
02. The Good Way
03. Open Water
04. Interlude I
05. Ashiya
06. Soft Wind Blowing
07. Way Too Early
08. What A Treat
09. Valse Elegance
10. Casa Do Tom
11. Interlude II
12. Farewell
13. Epilogue
LEE KONITZ alto saxophone
WALTER LANG piano
Recorded July 20-21, 2007 at Bavaria Music Studio, Munich, Germany
Pirouet - PIT3026