No one has worked harder to elevate the art of the jazz duo than Lee Konitz. His 1967 session, The Lee Konitz Duets, was a seminal statement. This much-later duet session with trombone master Albert Mangelsdorff pales in comparison. Konitz has long espoused the belief that horn players can swing without a rhythm section, yet much of the time Mangelsdorff insists on serving as a faux bass -- really, tuba -- player. And when he uses his patented technique of singing into his horn while creating chords, he functions as a very simple guitar player. That said, anything with these two masters on it has its pleasures. Konitz creates tasty lines with souffle-like lightness, and when Mangelsdorff breaks free he provides some gruff, complementary solos. His use of mute on "Creole Love Call" offers a break from the session's monochromaticism. Konitz also brings some fetching originals to the session, notably "A Minor Blues in F" and "Cher Ami," which feature the kind of freewheeling counterpoint that would have been welcomed throughout The Lee Konitz Duets. - David Dupont
Tracks
01. Hot Hut (Albert Mangelsdorff)
02. She's Wild as Springtime (Lee Konitz)
03. Inclination (Albert Mangelsdorff)
04. I Wonder What She's Doing Right Now (Lee Konitz)
05. Creole Love Call (Duke Ellington)
06. About Time We Looked at This (Lee Konitz)
07. A-Minor Blues in F (Lee Konitz)
08. Matti's Matter (Albert Mangelsdorff)
09. Cher Ami (Lee Konitz/Albert Mangelsdorff)
10. En Passant (Albert Mangelsdorff)
11. Bloas (Lee Konitz)
ALBERT MANGELSDORFF trombone
LEE KONITZ alto saxophone
Recorded on June 8-10, 1983 at MPS-Studio VS-Villingen
Enja Records - enja CD 5059-2 Germany