Ethan Iverson: Costumes Are Mandatory

The career of saxophonist Lee Konitz has been a long one even by the standards of jazz. To be still active at 85 is remarkable; to be nipping at the heels of the avant garde is little short of miraculous. At the other end of the career arc is pianist Ethan Iverson, best known for his role with post-modernist jazz trio The Bad Plus. Their witty musical exchange on the subject of the saxophonist's mentor, pianist Lennie Tristano, connects the jazz of the 1940s with the cutting edge of the today without compromising the values of either. Konitz is as melodically inventive as ever and, with support from bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, this is one of those rare records that will satisfy fogey and futurist alike.