Alto Summit Explained

Alto Summit
Type:Album
Artist:Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright
Cover:Alto Summit.jpg
Released:1968
Recorded:June 2–3, 1968
Studio:MPS Tonstudio, Villingen, Black Forest, West Germany
Genre:Jazz
Length:45:39
Label:MPS
MPS 15 192
Producer:Joachim E. Berendt
Chronology:Lee Konitz
Prev Title:The Lee Konitz Duets
Prev Year:1967
Next Title:European Episode
Next Year:1968

Alto Summit is an album by saxophonists Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright recorded in West Germany in 1968 and released on the MPS label.[1] [2] [3] [4] The album was released in the US on Prestige Records.[5]

Critical reception

Scott Yanow of Allmusic said "This unusual album teams together the altos of Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright (along with pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen) on a variety of challenging material. There are four pieces for the full septet (including one that pays tribute to both Bach and Bird), a pair of quintet performances and a ballad medley that ends in a complete fiasco (it has to be heard to be believed). Despite the latter, everyone fares well on this summit meeting".

Track listing

  1. "Native Land" (Curtis Amy) – 6:13
  2. "Ballad Medley: Skylark/Blue and Sentimental/Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You/Body and Soul" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer/Count Basie, Jerry Livingston, Mack David/Andy Razaf, Don Redman/Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton) – 11:15
  3. "Prompt" (Benny Bailey) – 5:40
  4. "The Perils of Poda" (Phil Woods) – 5:12
  5. "Good Booty" (Pony Poindexter) – 8:14
  6. "Lee O's Blues" (Leo Wright, Lee Konitz) – 4:30
  7. "Lee's Tribute to Bach and Bird" (Johann Sebastian Bach/Charlie Parker) – 4:20

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/0472115871-discography.pdf Lee Konitz discography
  2. Di Filippo, R., Enciclopedia del Jazz: Lee Konitz accessed November 28, 2016
  3. http://www.mps-music.com/portfolio-items/lee-konitz-pony-poindexter-phil-woods-leo-wright-%E2%80%8E-alto-summit/ MPS Records: album entry
  4. http://sudo.3.pro.tok2.com/Quest/cards/M/MPS/AltoSummit_x.html Spiral Quest: album entry
  5. http://www.jazzdisco.org/prestige-records/catalog-7600-series/#pr-7684 Prestige Records Catalog: 7600 series