ENDEIT
Lennie Tristano
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · 1919–1978

Lennie Tristano

American jazz pianist and composer (1919–1978)

Born
19 March 1919
Chicago
Died
18 November 1978
New York City
Country
United States
Record labels
Atlantic Records
Discography
13 albums

Biography

Lennie Tristano was a jazz musician who played piano. Lennie Tristano was born on 19 March 1919 in Chicago and died on 18 November 1978 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Atlantic Records. The discography here lists 13 albums, from “Holiday in Piano” (1953) to “The Duo Sessions” (2020).

Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation. Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New York City in 1946. He played with leading bebop musicians and formed his own small bands, which soon displayed some of his early interests – contrapuntal interaction of instruments, harmonic flexibility, and rhythmic complexity. His quintet in 1949 recorded the first free group improvisations. Tristano's innovations continued in 1951, with the first overdubbed, improvised jazz recordings, and two years later, when he recorded an atonal improvised solo piano piece that was based on the development of motifs rather than on harmonies. He developed further via polyrhythms and chromaticism into the 1960s, but his music was infrequently recorded.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Holiday in Piano 1953
The Jazz Keyboards 1955
Lennie Tristano 1956
The New Tristano 1962
Descent Into the Maelstrom 1978
New York Improvisations 1983
Note to Note 1993
Concert in Copenhagen 1997 · Live
I Can't Get Started 2006
Live at the Café Bohemia 2008 · Live
Chicago April 1951 2014 · Live
The Duo Sessions 2020
Out of Mind

Standards written by Lennie Tristano

TitleKeyFormGroove
Wow F major ABCA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Ablution A♭ major ABCD · 36 Medium swing
Lennie-Bird G major A · 16 Medium-up swing
Lennie's Pennies C minor AB · 32 Up-tempo swing
April G major ABA · 48 Medium-up swing
Two Not One A♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing

Teacher of

Alan Broadbent b. 1947 · New Zealand jazz pianist, arranger, and composer William Russo 1928–2003 · American musician (1928–2003)

Historic 78 rpm records

  • SPECULATION LENNIE TRISTANO · John La Porta · Billy Bauer · Arnold Fischken ·… archive.org ↗
  • THROUGH THESE PORTALS... LENNIE TRISTANO · John La Porta · Billy Bauer · Arnold Fischken archive.org ↗
  • Lennie Tristano Lennie Tristano · Clyde Lombardi · Bob Leininger · G. Clifford ·… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • Out On a Limb Lennie Tristano Trio · Lennie Tristano · Billy Bauer · Clyde… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • I Can't Get Started Lennie Tristano Trio · Lennie Tristano · Billy Bauer · Clyde… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • OUT ON A LIMB LENNIE TRISTANO TRIO · Lennie Tristano · Billy Bauer · Clyde… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • I CAN'T GET STARTED LENNIE TRISTANO TRIO · Lennie Tristano · Billy Bauer · Clyde… · 1946 archive.org ↗
  • SUBCONCIOUS-LEE LENNIE TRISTANO QUINTET · LEE KONITZ · BILLY BAUER · SHELLY MANNE ·… · 1949 archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Lennie Tristano play?

Lennie Tristano is known for playing piano.

When and where was Lennie Tristano born?

Lennie Tristano was born 19 March 1919 in Chicago.

What are Lennie Tristano's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Holiday in Piano (1953), The Jazz Keyboards (1955), Lennie Tristano (1956), The New Tristano (1962) and Descent Into the Maelstrom (1978).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.