Now, A Jazz Moment...

MUSIC: "Loverman," CD: A Proper Introduction to Lee Konitz: Palo Alto, Proper Records Intro CD 2025 (cut 13)

Lee Konitz: I'm not a religious person, formally. But I feel blessed in some non-formal-religious way! (chuckles)

NEA Jazz Master Lee Konitz is one of the pre-eminent alto-saxophonists of the "Cool Jazz" movement. He's known for his penchant for exploring, his unorthodox phrasing, and his generally subdued approach.

Lee Konitz: I was never what they call a hot player in the traditional terms of high energy. I try to play energetically as I feel, but I'm not trying to exploit that. I'm not a muscle, macho type. You might tell by looking at me. (chuckles) Anyway, I continue to try to play the sound that I'm hearing, and it changes quite a bit. And people say, "Oh, I can still recognize you from the first note." So it's not just a sound, and I'm happy to hear that verified, you know.

MUSIC: up and fades

This Jazz Moment with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz was created by the National Endowment for the Arts.