Alone Together—Lee Konitz/2 LP Blue Note Records Classic Vinyl Edition

Even among Blue Note Records fantastic Classic Vinyl reissue series, alto legend Lee Konitz’s Alone Together stands apart from the hard bop and soul jazz heavy catalog. In fact, it’s Konitz’s only record for the storied label. Brad Melhdau and Charlie Haden, the two musicians joining Konitz for this date, aren’t exactly Blue Note regulars either, further adding to the mystique of this title. Recorded in 1996 during the peak of the CD era, this album was never pressed on vinyl until recently. 

So, what do you get when you round up Lee Konitz, Charlie Haden and Brad Melhdau for a last minute live gig in Los Angeles? Alone Together is a multi-generational meeting of brilliant, yet disparate, jazz minds. Konitz was already an elder statesman of jazz by this time, having contributed his cool yet intensely expressive voice to the immortal Birth of the Cool sessions and numerous classic bop records since. 

Haden came up at the forefront of the avant garde jazz scene, about a decade later than Konitz.

On landmark recordings such as The Shape of Jazz to Come with Ornette Coleman, Haden helped push jazz to the limits of tonality (and mainstream comprehension for that matter). Some years later his career circled back to more bop oriented playing with groups like Quartet West. 

Brad Melhdau is the x-factor on this record, at the time a young virtuoso with a unique approach to improvisation blending jazz with elements of classical structure. Far from a hard swinging bop pianist, Melhdau is a classically trained player who tends to express complex musical ideas. He was early in his career when this session took place but Melhdau was already off and running with his Art of the Trio series of albums as a leader. 

As Konitz explained in the liner notes, he wasn’t a fan of ‘virtuosity for its own sake’ and had mixed feelings about Meldhau joining the session, which was originally slated to be a duo with Haden. Thus, the stage was set for an explosion of creative tension. Any creative disagreements were apparently resolved the first night of the two night live run as no friction is obvious on the record, which consists of performances from that second night. 

The setlist of tried and true standards could have easily turned into a snooze but freedom from the constraints of a session theme allowed the musicians to be present and immerse themselves in the songs. The strategy worked and the tunes served as a springboard for masterful improvisation throughout.

Lee Konitz (1927-2020) Photo credit: The Guardian

I discovered Alone Together when Kamasi Washington’s rollicking take on ‘Cherokee’ from his breakthrough The Epic sent me on a quest to hear older versions. The ‘Cherokee’ here is a far cry from Washington’s or even some other upbeat classic recordings like, say, Clifford Brown’s. Even without a drummer there is still structure to the tune and it never drifts too far from the melody. Like all the tracks here, Konitz makes this chestnut his own by taking his time and injecting his brand of playful irreverence into the song. This formula is consistent throughout the set, and the positive results are realized in the details.  

My favorite example of Konitz’s humor (which had me picking up the arm for an instant replay) is the unmistakable NPR All Things Considered jingle snuck into ‘What is This Thing Called Love.’ Hilarious.

Konitz’s effortless playing is the star of the show but his accompaniment is spectacular. Meldhau provides interesting support on the keys with generous space for Konitz to explore. He takes advantage of his piano solos to go off on his own explorations. Each one is a unique vignette but he always ties them up neatly before smoothly transitioning back to the trio. 

Rhythmic contribution from Haden feels both complete and ephemeral at the same time. He seems to be absolutely everywhere he needs to be but without a wasted note. The shortest song here is 11 minutes long so Haden gets plenty of solo time to stretch out, making this set a treat for jazz bass aficionados. 

The streaming version of Alone Together sounds excellent, particularly through headphones. The vinyl, though, is more than worth the commitment for the extra sense of realism relative to the digital version. 

The music jumps off the record with plenty of space and a deep dark background. The acoustic contribution from the venue is minimal. It’s the opposite of a basement bar like the Village Vanguard where it’s easy to hear patrons packed like sardines clinking glasses and shuffling chairs. There’s so much life in the music; none of that charm is missed.

Comparing this Blue Note Classic reissue to a few from the Tone Poet series the only obvious difference in the physical product is the lack of gatefold jacket with extra high resolution photos. Alone Together is a double disc with both LPs inside a single slip jacket. The stunning cover design featuring a mid-century chevron motif painting by Kenneth Noland deserves mention as well.

Overall this title is a fine representation of the Classic reissue series. For $35, just 17 bucks per disc, it’s an incredible value.

As the first vinyl pressing of Alone Together, the Blue Note Classic reissue is already the definitive release of this title. Blue Note impresses again as this set checks all the boxes: audiophile sound, pristine vinyl, solid packaging, and superb value. Essential for fans of any of the three musicians and Blue Note collectors in general. Grab one before they’re gone.