Lee Konitz, Frank Wunsch

A definite highlight of our duo collaboration was our performance at the 1995 Frankfurt Jazz Festival - CD, The Frankfurt Concert. Lee knew all the standards, but in his last25 years he always played the same ones, drawing from a repertoire of about 25 pieces. He once told me, ''Frank, if I live to be a hundred, I'll still be able to play new linesevery day on All The Things You Are.'' In the recording of our concert from the LOFT in Cologne, which is documented on this CD, Lee begins with Alone Together, has theaudience sing the keynote, whistles and sings and plays around the melody on the saxophone. Lydian Adventure is my solo improvisation, with occasional echoes of AllThe Things You Are and my piece Lydia. Out of the Deep is our version of How Deep is the Ocean. On Body and Soul, Lee begins one of his famous solo cadenzas at theend, but then breaks it off, for reasons that are no longer clear. But I find this version to be inspired and worthwhile, even without the cadenza, and I worked on the endingin the studio with Christian Heck. Unfortunately, it's not totally satisfying, but that's all I could get out of it. You're a Weaver of Dreams segues into a free improvisation thatleads to Subconscious-Lee, Lee's famous take on What is This Thing Called Love. Thingin' is based on All The Things You Are, with the harmonies set a tritone lower at themiddle section. It's You is Lee's variation on It's You Or No One.The LOFT was packed that night. Charlie Mariano was there and a lot of students and lecturers from the conservatory. They seemed to like what they heard. I hope, dearlisteners, that you, too, will get a lot of pleasure from this music!