Post by KotO on Apr 17, 2020 14:37:39 GMT
www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52322691
The saxophonist, who was known for his ground-breaking improvisational style, played with greats like Charles Mingus, Bud Powell and Ornette Coleman.
But he was perhaps best known as one of the musicians on Miles Davis's landmark album Birth Of The Cool.
His family confirmed to NPR he had died in New York from pneumonia related to the coronavirus.
Born 1927 in Chicago, Konitz studied clarinet early on, then switched to the alto saxophone, developing an individual style characterised by a willingness to take daring harmonic risks.
His uninflected tone set him apart from the dominant style of the 1950s, established by Charlie Parker - who he counted as a close friend.
"I knew and loved Charlie Parker and copied his bebop solos like everyone else," Konitz told The Wall Street Journal in 2013.
"But I didn't want to sound like him. So I used almost no vibrato and played mostly in the higher register. That's the heart of my sound."
The saxophonist, who was known for his ground-breaking improvisational style, played with greats like Charles Mingus, Bud Powell and Ornette Coleman.
But he was perhaps best known as one of the musicians on Miles Davis's landmark album Birth Of The Cool.
His family confirmed to NPR he had died in New York from pneumonia related to the coronavirus.
Born 1927 in Chicago, Konitz studied clarinet early on, then switched to the alto saxophone, developing an individual style characterised by a willingness to take daring harmonic risks.
His uninflected tone set him apart from the dominant style of the 1950s, established by Charlie Parker - who he counted as a close friend.
"I knew and loved Charlie Parker and copied his bebop solos like everyone else," Konitz told The Wall Street Journal in 2013.
"But I didn't want to sound like him. So I used almost no vibrato and played mostly in the higher register. That's the heart of my sound."