Lennie Tristano - Lennie Tristano (1976 Japanese Atlantic Vinyl LP Mono)

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Lennie Tristano - Lennie Tristano Vinyl LP - Japanese Atlantic Mono Reissue

One of the most intellectually rigorous and harmonically advanced pianists in jazz history, Lennie Tristano receives deserved documentation on this self-titled album combining 1955 studio recordings and live performances. Released in Japan in December 1976 on Atlantic through Warner-Pioneer Corporation, this mono pressing preserves two distinct facets of Tristano's artistry: his unaccompanied explorations and his work with the brilliant alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, his most famous student and closest musical collaborator.

The album opens with four solo piano performances recorded in New York City in 1955. These tracks showcase Tristano's revolutionary approach to the instrument, characterised by linear independence between his hands, sophisticated harmonic reharmonisation, and an almost contrapuntal approach to improvisation. "Line Up", "Requiem", "Turkish Mambo", and "East Thirty-Second" demonstrate his ability to create complex, multi-layered music entirely on his own, each hand functioning as an independent voice in intricate conversation.

The second half of the album presents live recordings from the Sing Sing Room at the Confucius Restaurant in New York City during summer 1955, featuring Lee Konitz on alto saxophone, Gene Ramey on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. These four standards - "These Foolish Things", "You Go To My Head", "If I Had You", "Ghost Of A Chance", and "All The Things You Are" - reveal the telepathic musical relationship between Tristano and Konitz. Both musicians shared an aesthetic of cool detachment, sophisticated harmonic thinking, and melodic lines that seemed to float above the rhythm section's pulse.

Tristano's playing on these live tracks is remarkable for its precision and harmonic density even at rapid tempos. His touch is light yet perfectly articulated, his lines seemingly inevitable yet constantly surprising. Konitz's alto weaves through similar harmonic territory with his distinctively cool tone and long, sinuous phrases. The rhythm section of Ramey and Taylor provides steady, unobtrusive support, allowing the frontline to explore freely.

This Japanese pressing includes an LP-sized insert with track information and Japanese liner notes, providing valuable context about Tristano's place in jazz history. Made by Warner-Pioneer Corporation, this mono pressing captures the intimacy of both the solo recordings and the small club atmosphere of the live performances.

Tristano remains a somewhat obscure figure despite his immense influence on cool jazz and the development of advanced improvisation techniques. For collectors interested in the intellectual and harmonic evolution of jazz piano, this album is essential listening.