Lennie Tristano & Warne Marsh - Intuition (1956) [1997 The Blue Note Collection]

This CD brings back a formerly rare set by Warne Marsh, plus seven classic performances that serve as the high point of Lennie Tristano's career. Oddly enough, the Tristano date is programmed second. First is a full-length album which matches Warne Marsh with the cooler but complementary tone of fellow tenor Ted Brown (plus pianist Ronnie Ball, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Jeff Morton). The original eight selections are joined by four alternate takes recorded in mono. Marsh and Brown blend together well, Ball has several creative solos, and most of the "originals" are based closely on familiar standards. However, the main reason to acquire this CD is for the seven remarkable Tristano tracks which feature his finest group (consisting of the pianist/leader, altoist Lee Konitz, Marsh on tenor, guitarist Billy Bauer, bassist Arnold Fishkin, and either Harold Granowsky or Denzil Best on drums). Tristano's music was unique and even more advanced than most bop of the late '40s. While he confined the rhythm section to very quiet timekeeping, the vibrato-less horns and Tristano himself played very long melodic lines, constantly improvising. The stunning unisons performed by Konitz and Marsh (particularly on "Wow") still sound remarkable today, as does the interplay of the two horns on "Sax of a Kind." "Intuition" and "Digression" were the first recorded free improvisations in jazz, but are quite coherent due to the musicians' familiarity with each other. Due to the Lennie Tristano performances, this CD reissue (which has over 75 minutes of music) is essential for all jazz collections. - AllMusic Review

Tracks:

1 –Warne Marsh Smog Eyes
2 –Warne Marsh Ear Conditioning
3 –Warne Marsh Lover Man
4 –Warne Marsh Quintessence
5 –Warne Marsh Jazz Of Two Cities
6 –Warne Marsh Dixie's Dilemma
7 –Warne Marsh Tschaikovsky's Opus #42, Third Movement
8 –Warne Marsh I Never Knew
9 –Warne Marsh Ear Conditioning (Mono Master)
10 –Warne Marsh Lover Man (Mono Master)
11 –Warne Marsh Jazz Of Two Cities (Mono Take)
12 –Warne Marsh I Never Knew (Mono Take)
13 –Lennie Tristano Wow
14 –Lennie Tristano Crosscurrent
15 –Lennie Tristano Yesterdays
16 –Lennie Tristano Marionette
17 –Lennie Tristano Sax Of A Kind
18 –Lennie Tristano Intuition
19 –Lennie Tristano Digression