by Scott Yanow
Billed as the &Lee Konitz Terzet& (without ever defining what &Terzet& is), this fine trio set features Konitz on alto, tenor, soprano and even a vocal, plus pianist Harold Danko and bassist Jay Leonhart. Konitz states in the liner notes that &we played in a club for one week and found a way to create nice instant arrangements on familiar tunes...& That pretty well describes this music, for even the so-called originals by the trio have a close relationship to a familiar standard. The repertoire is certainly a bit offbeat for these modernists, particularly such songs as &I Want to Be Happy,& &Sweet Georgia Brown& and &Penthouse Serenade,& but the musicians come up with fresh statements on all of the tunes. A continually interesting set, like most of Lee Konitz's recordings.