# CD review: Lennie Tristano – The Duo Sessions (1967-1976) – 2020: Video, Photo, CD cover

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2020/07/08/cd-review-lennie-tristano-the-duo-sessions-1967-1976-2020-video-photo-cd-cover/
- Published: 2020-07-08T00:18:36+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**One of the most original voices in jazz, Lennie Tristano paved the way for modern
generations with his groundbreaking innovations and dedication to teaching. Recordings
of Lennie Tristano have served as essential listening for jazz fans and musicians
alike since his recording debut as a leader in 1946. **

His singular voice on his instrument and his expansions in the worlds of harmony
and rhythm forever changed the musical vocabulary of the Jazz musician.

Jazz doesn’t have many éminences grises. Either a musician’s influence is widely
acknowledged, as in, for example, Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker, or a reputation
is maintained by way of a subtler stylistic bleed-through, which is common.

There are differences of opinion about the importance of pianist Lennie Tristano.
His adherents hail the school Tristano developed as an important alternative to 
the bebop modality. His denigrators find his approach somewhat cold and hyper-intellectualized,
its reverberations limited. Most jazz musicians and critics — myself included — 
fall somewhere in between.

As a teacher, Tristano was indisputably prolific and admired. While pianists Teddy
Wilson and Mary Lou Williams took traditional jazz mentoring to a higher level in
the late ’30s and ’40s, Tristano evolved a systematic pedagogy, which put him in
the first wave of those who codified the kind of jazz instruction that became available
in places like the Schillinger House (later the Berklee School, then College, of
Music), Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), and the Lenox
School of Jazz. Between the ’40s and the ’70s Tristano taught over a thousand students.
His most famous pair  — with whom he would play for many years — were saxophonists
Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz.

Tristano arrived in New York City in the mid-’40s and his recordings from that time
prove that he was already a virtuoso. He’d thoroughly imbibed the lessons of Art
Tatum. However, he made use of chromatic harmony in a way that Tatum never did; 
and he was much more interested in engaging in conversations with his sidemen than
Tatum was. Tristano was also adept in the use of double time and had mastered the
block-chord style. As the ’40s moved on, the pianist continued to build on his ideas
about harmony, rhythm, and the interactivity of group improvisation. He asserted
a singular voice on piano and, as a leader, extended that distinctive voice to his
ensembles which, along with the “Birth of the Cool” vision of Miles Davis and co.,
constituted the main alternatives to Bird/Diz/Monk’s bebop.

On the plus side of Tristano’s column is the fact that he was an early adopter of
new recording technology. “Sidney Bechet’s One Man Band,” which the saxophonist 
recorded in 1941 and on which he plays every instrument, is acknowledged as the 
earliest (pre-tape) overdubbing effort in jazz. (The American Federation of Musicians,
fearing lost revenue for musicians, banned overdubbing for years). Guitarist Les
Paul, a pioneer in audiotape manipulation, had a hit in 1950 with _How High the 
Moon_. Tristano made a trio recording in 1951 and, after the session, overdubbed
himself on piano. We have to wait until Bill Evans’s “Conversation With Myself” 
in 1963 before we hear a similar effort. Tristano’s multitracked 1953 recording “
Descent into the Maelstrom” was notable for more than technical reasons, but I’ll
get to that later.

Those who question the elevation of Tristano into an eminence grise point to the
somewhat truncated emotional sensibility of his music. From a technical standpoint,
he often plays in the middle and lower-upper registers of the keyboard, especially
when performing with a drummer at fast tempos. His repertoire is, for the most part,
based on jazz standards, often done as contrafacts. That is, new melodies are constructed
on top of the harmonies of standards — a time-tested way to avoid paying royalties
for the right to record a song. The listener, familiar with the tunes as written,
knows where a melody should either rise to a climax or rest, and how the harmony
should support the melody. But the new lines that Tristano creates usually have 
nothing to do with these familiar harmonic-melodic contours. Of course, he may not
have deliberately chosen to deny the listener a satisfactory emotional release. 
Or he may have been indifferent to traditional emotional payoff. Tristano worked
to free himself from the musical constraints of bebop, and in the process he built
a rich musical vocabulary. But, because he accepted the fixed boundaries of the 
shared language of the day, his music often occupies a somewhat neutral no-man’s-
land.

This release_ — Lennie Tristano: The Duo Sessions_  — consists of 16 previously 
unreleased recordings made after Tristano’s last public appearance in 1968. The 
pianist has a history of performing in ensembles of various sizes: this recording
features duets, with tenor saxophonist Lenny Popkin, pianist Connie Crothers (the
only piano duo ever recorded by Tristano), and drummer Roger Mancuso.

The first set features Tristano with Lenny Popkin and the first tune is “Out of 
a Dream,” based on “You Stepped Out of A Dream.” Popkin is a light-toned tenor saxophonist,
solidly in the Lester Young-Warne Marsh lineage. In this song — as in all the tunes
in this set — Tristano’s accompaniment is very active. Popkin follows the pianist
down many winding harmonic byways and there is some back and forth in the line playing.
Tristano’s solo exudes a nice free quality. He seems more willing at this point 
to suspend time and follow riffs into new permutations. It was also a surprise to
hear a Thelonius Monk influence, which isn’t noticeable in Tristano’s earlier recordings.
Note that on several tunes in this set, including this one, the song fades out during
a solo.

“Ballad”: It’s a strange sensation to be listening to a tune that is a ballad in
terms of tempo, but which, for several choruses, doesn’t have the other qualities
of the genre; it’s more an exploration of the _idea _of a ballad. The harmony is
seriously stretched. Finally, in the last chorus, the duo settles into more familiar
points of tension and relaxation. Again, I hear Monk in Tristano’s touch — in eighth-
note playing, not in his chording. Tristano does have a contrafact based on the 
chords to “I Should Care” called “Ballad_,”_ but here the tune has been so deconstructed
that I didn’t recognize it as such.

“Chez Lennie Is All the Things You Are”: Tristano plays imaginative and forceful
accompaniment and Popkin is clearly old friends with these chord changes. As in 
most of the tunes in this set, there are moments when the two of them take off on
abbreviated flights together. In the pianist’s solo there are on occasion a few 
bars that sound like they might be played by any competent jazz pianist. But then
some unique Tristano fillip emerges to take the listener back into his distinctive
language.

“Inflight” is “Back Home in Indiana.” It has no piano solo, and “Ensemble” features
a chase sequence of a kind. “Melancholy Stomp” is “Melancholy Baby” taken up-tempo.
It provides the best example of interplay between the two musicians. Tristano really
dissects the chords. They make use of a few guideposts; sometimes they finish phrases
and go right to the next without a “turnaround” — they are altering chords all the
time, stopping time. There are some stretches of out-and-out bi-tonality. As mentioned,
most of the tracks from this set end precipitously or fade out, but this tune proffers
a satisfying ending.

Next are two tracks featuring Tristano and pianist Connie Crothers titled “Concerto,
Parts 1 and 2.” The audio is muddy. I assume that this was originally recorded in
mono and it’s mixed so that we hear the two pianos in both tracks, which makes it
difficult to tell which pianist is playing. There’s a free opening with one piano,
then both enter, one in melodic fragments, the other playing insistent chords. A
brief transition brings in a slower section. One has the feeling that tunes or “
motifs” have been used as the through-line for this concerto, but it’s hard to tell
what they are, refracted as they are through the recording’s dense lens. Some of
the motifs seem to have been timed to be played together, although it’s possible
that the pianists simply found their way into lock step. The touch of both pianists
is similar and the sound quality and nature of the mix makes differentiating them
difficult.

“Concerto Part 2” follows a similar pattern as Part 1, although there seem to be
fewer landmarks and more impromptu stops along the way. The tune closes in a similarly
free way. There are sections of this track that are truly free; in fact, they recall
a home recording the pianist made in 1953 which I alluded to earlier entitled “Descent
into the Maelstrom_,”_ based on an E.A. Poe theme. In this liberated outing, Tristano
pulls out all the stops; this is a passionate, forward-looking dive into free playing
of the sort that Cecil Taylor later acknowledged: “I was playing my pieces with 
an eye to changing things, using what I learned from Tristano and others…”

![](https://i0.wp.com/artsfuse.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/eight_col_Tristano-
600x375.jpg?resize=600%2C375&ssl=1)

Pianist Lennie Tristano — he worked to free himself from the musical constraints
of bebop. 

The final set of duets presents Tristano with drummer Roger Mancuso. I’d characterize
the audio for this set as being of “good rehearsal tape” quality. Throughout these
tracks, Mancuso excels doing a swing style. Sometimes, as in this session, when 
Tristano plays with a drummer who supplies an up tempo, he sticks even closer than
usual to the middle register of the piano, and that limits his expressive possibilities.
The first tune, “Palo Alto Street,” is based on “It’s All Right With Me,” and on
it Mancuso takes his only drum solo. It’s only slightly elaborated beyond basic 
timekeeping, but whenever Tristano used a drummer that is what he wanted — timekeeping.

“Session” is based on the chords to “What Is This Thing Called Love?” Mancuso provides
interesting support, giving Tristano a solid foundation to work with. A nice swinging
feel develops — a relaxed vibe. There will be some who might miss having a bass 
player, but I don’t agree. Be prepared for the ending of this and a number of other
tunes to be cut off.

“Changes” is “Out of Nowhere” and “My Baby” is another go-round with “My Melancholy
Baby.” “Imagery” is based on “You Stepped Out of A Dream” and “That Feeling” is “
That Old Feeling.”

“Minor Pennies,” known on other recordings as “Pennies In Minor” is “Pennies from
Heaven,” taken by Tristano in a minor, as opposed to a major, key. Maybe it’s raining
half-pennies? The muted approach adds an overcast feeling to this sunny standard.
The pianist is a powerful force here, albeit one who seems to want to usher us gently
into the dark side.

Tristano’s performances on this recording are representative, but listeners familiar
with his earlier work may find a few surprises: the increased influence of Monk,
more dead stops and playfulness with riffs as well as the pursuit of free playing
in the duos with Crothers, heard in “Descent into the Maelstrom.” Drummer Mancuso
performs expertly while the blowing of saxophonist Popkin is fluid and thoughtful.

Tristano’s exploration of counterpoint, polyrhythms, chromaticism, group interaction,
and superimposed harmonies created a unique musical language. The pianist’s enthusiasts
will no doubt take issue with the qualifications I’ve raised here, and I may not
spark the curiosity of those who are not familiar with the Tristano canon to want
to find out what the fuss is or isn’t about. But I hope they are intrigued enough
give Tristano a try. His playing may not be all things to all people, but the question
of whether it touches the heart can only be answered by listening to the music.

01. Out Of A Dream (feat. Lenny Popkin)
 02. Ballad (feat. Lenny Popkin) 03. Chez
Lennie (feat. Lenny Popkin) 04. Inflight (feat. Lenny Popkin) 05. Ensemble (feat.
Lenny Popkin) 06. Melancholy Stomp (feat. Lenny Popkin) 07. Concerto, Pt. 1 (feat.
Connie Crothers) 08. Concerto, Pt. 2 (feat. Connie Crothers) 09. Palo Alto Street(
feat. Roger Mancuso) 10. Session (feat. Roger Mancuso) 11. Changes (feat. Roger 
Mancuso) 12. My baby (feat. Roger Mancuso) 13. Imagery (feat. Roger Mancuso) 14.
That Feeling (feat. Roger Mancuso) 15. Minor Pennies (feat. Roger Mancuso) 16. Home
Again (feat. Roger Mancuso)

**Lennie Tristano – Piano**
 **Lenny Popkin – Tenor saxophone** **Connie Crothers–
Piano** **Roger Mancuso – Drums**

![Lennie Tristano: The Duo Sessions – Dot Time Records](https://i0.wp.com/www.dottimerecords.
com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/tristano-cover-3000x3000-1-scaled.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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