The veteran alto saxman isn't doing
gospel music anymore, but the staff at
Chesky set
Konitz and the other members of his quartet up in the perfect acoustic environment of St. Peter's Church in the Chelsea area of New York City. Sonics aside, this is a solid, though fairly laid-back date which displays the formidable ensemble and solo talents of each member. Drummer
Bill Goodwin and acoustic bassist
Steve Gilmore provide an increasingly swinging rhythm line for
Konitz to dance over on an inventive arrangement of
"How Deep Is the Ocean." Guitarist
Peter Bernstein adds some subtle
Wes Montgomery style harmony lines, but the band plays it close to the vest for most of the tune.
Bernstein's crisp improvisational solo section is the highlight. With the exception of that tune, a smoky rendition of
"Skylark," and
Lenny Tristano's
"317 East 32nd Street," the collection offers a glimpse of
Konitz's strong composing skills. One of the most remarkable aspects of this date is the joyful give and take interaction between
Konitz's alto and guest tenor saxman
Mark Turner on the bouncy
"317 East 32nd" and the
ballad "Eyes," which the two co-wrote. On the latter,
Konitz and
Turner sometimes engage in a witty repartee, and sometimes they fuse for a cool horn section effect. In his liner notes,
Konitz says that the nature of this music is filled with possibilities to be creative. Working with cohorts like this, there's no possibility of anything else. ~ Jonathan Widran
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