Altoist
Lee Konitz and tenor-saxophonist
Warne Marsh always made for a perfect team. Even by the mid-'50s when they were not as influenced by
Lennie Tristano as previously (particularly
Konitz), their long melodic lines and unusual tones caused them to stand out from the crowd. On this LP reissue
Konitz and Marsh co-lead a particularly strong group that also includes pianist
Sal Mosca, guitarist
Billy Bauer, bassist
Oscar Pettiford and drummer
Kenny Clarke. Their renditions of "originals" based on common chord changes along with versions of "Topsy," "There Will Never Be Another You" and "Donna Lee" are quite enjoyable and swing hard yet fall into the category of cool jazz. This set is worth searching for, as are all of the
Konitz-
Marsh collaborations. ~ Scott Yanow