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Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian: Live at Birdland

ECM

Living jazz musicians don’t come any more iconic than alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian, each of whom are more than 70 years old and is groundbreaking on their instrument. Toss in the 40-ish Brad Mehldau, one of the most gifted and innovative pianists on the planet, and compelling music was bound to happen at this 2009 live gig from New York’s Birdland. The quartet takes its time here, allowing the melodies—most of them reliable standards—to gradually unfold and blossom naturally. Solos are low-key but populated with unanticipated twists that often break away from the stated theme, and while there isn’t an attempt to flirt with the avant-garde, the music is wholly contemporary. Whether interpreting Sonny Rollins or Miles Davis, the four put an individualistic spin on each tune, and the late George Shearing’s “Lullaby of Birdland” is nearly unrecognizable at times, as the musicians explore the song’s nuances.