Pairing alto saxophonist
Lee Konitz with pianist
Hal Galper makes for plenty of inspired moments in this 1975 studio date. Starting with an inventive reshaping of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," which transforms this swing era favorite into a driving bop vehicle, both
Konitz and
Galper listen intensely to one another and react intuitively, as if they had been playing together for a long while.
Galper's lively backing pushes
Konitz into some wild changes on this familiar work. "Sweet and Lovely" has a
Monk-like humor to it, while "Stella by Starlight" strays far from its roots as the leader offers a stunning unaccompanied introduction. Each artist has a solo feature:
Galper's "Villainesque" is an enchanting modal masterpiece, while
Konitz's "Soliloquy" sounds like a complex variation of the chord changes of the standard "All the Things You Are."