The Lee Konitz Duets is one of the most fascinating documents of the amazingly productive career of a great American saxophonist. In a remarkable day of recording, Konitz collaborated in tandem creations with nine musicians representing a wide range of styles from early jazz to post-bop. Through all of these tracks, Konitz embodies the jazz tradition, including its self-nourishing compulsion to change and expand. Among the album’s delights are tributes to Louis Armstrong and Lester Young, an uncannily empathetic saxophone duet with Joe Henderson, and a series of variations on “Alone Together” that goes beyond the boundaries of jazz into a music that knows no category.

with Marshall Brown, Joe Henderson, Richie Kamuca, Jim Hall, Dick Katz, Karl Berger, Eddie Gomez, Elvin Jones, Ray Nance