Lee Konitz (born October 13, 1927) is an American composer and alto saxophonist.
We all learn from each other, and I never really hung out with guys in that way, so I missed out.
You just keep playing. If someone special comes along and organizes it in a new way, then you'll have another approach and everybody will jump on it to try to learn.
Out of Coltrane's whole history, there are things which I think are great from all the periods.
Benny Goodman was one of the big influences as a clarinet player. That's why I wanted the clarinet.
I always felt as a horn player, a jam session wasn't satisfying enough for me. I should have been a rhythm section player, actually.
That's kind of my goal: to build a new row of meaningful tones.
Sound is the first thing that we tune into.
Many people do think it's naive to improvise in front of paying customers. I'm not saying one way is better than another.
I listen to classical music very much. There's a lot of jazz that I don't enjoy listening to.
As long as there are people trying to play music in a sincere way, there will be Jazz.
I could stop and say, Well that was a D minor, G seven, but I really don't want to know that. I just want to know that there's a combination of notes that makes a sound.
A first love always occupies a special place.
I understood that if I wanted to work, the saxophone was the main instrument. The clarinet was what we call a double.
Bernstein grew up in my building in New York. He's a very, very fine player. When he was a kid, he came by to find out what was going on in the world of jazz.
It's very demanding to make up your own music.
I have been able to get a small audience. It's not the huge audience, but it's enough to make it possible to play. I appreciate that.