Now, A Jazz Moment...

MUSIC: "All The Things You Are," CD: A Proper Introduction to Lee Konitz: Palo Alto, Proper Records Intro CD 2025 (cut 23)

Lee Konitz: The saxophone is the so-called easiest instrument of all to just pick up and noodle on and get some kind of a sound.

Nea Jazz Master Lee Konitz has spent decades honing his distinctive sound on alto saxophone. But he sometimes wonders if he picked the wrong instrument...

Lee Konitz: I think the tenor saxophone would've been more complimentary cause it's closer to my vocal range... To sing along with Charlie Parker, you've got (booweeoo (singing)) in that register; the tenor is more (boo dee, doot, doot, dee). And some of my favorite improvisers were tenor players -- Lester Young and Warren Marsh and people like that.

MUSIC: up and fades

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