He was also the first person in jazz history to teach improvisation, to create a school of thought on jazz, to help players to be extraordinary players and to be unique voices. Bird was a huge fan of his in part because he was a true original, not copying other styles of those who came before. He was a monster talent and a rare gem (and a very funny and warm person too...my mother has told me such wonderful stories about her time with him)

He was just such an utterly amazing genius! Who other than Lennie could have used that hard rhythmic walking bass left hand on a tune like Tangerine and make it work so very beautifully?!

Just outstanding. Lennie and his protege student Dave Frank were the inspirations for me to really take LH walking basslines seriously in my practice time. Such an underrated piano player of that era. Charlie Parker LOVED playing with this man. No wonder either! Still boggles me that he was blind while doing this.

Of all the years I had been digging into the well of obscurity, he was nowhere on my radar. Trevor Dunn mentioned his name on "What's in your bag?" and I'm fuckin blown away. I didn't even know he was blind until I read the comments section

I'm so happy that everyone is enjoying this so much! The owner of rights to this footage could have had this removed by now, but they've left it here for over three years, so if you see this and dig it, look into maybe purchasing the DVD of Lennie's entire "Copenhagen Concert." It's fairly easy to come by. I originally posted this vid as an informational/educational thing to turn new people onto Lennie, and I see that it's working pretty well...

In my early stages of my musical career ..I took some lessons from Lennie in Queens. NYC...i thought i knew how to play keyboards..Lennie taught me differently...he taught me that the left hand was equally as important as the right hand..and that you should not depend on the drummer to set up the dynamics of any tune...do it your self......Aside from Keith Jarret...he is the choice of top of the list for me......i owe him so much for my success as a keyboard player

A master in so many ways. Thoroughly satisfying to sit quietly, and let it just let it wash over you -just listen and wander off. Good old Lennie; pure class.

Always fascinating to watch him play anything solo.

Just look at his left hand! It is living its own life, and because of this left hand we are lucky to be a part of this moment, 55 years ago.

you have no idea how much it means to me to get to see this legend play...

I just finished reading a great biography of Lennie by Eunmi Shim called, "Lennie Tristano: His Life and Music," which even includes some transcriptions. The book talks a lot about how much Lennie hated dealing with the music industry (in particular club owners), and makes you question how much who the industry promotes has to do with who we think of as "legends."

I wish I could like this twice.

Yes, Lennie was more or less completely blind by age nine or ten. I just didn't want to define him as a "blind pianist." It is quite remarkable, though. He also played drums, saxophone, clarinet and tenor guitar. Of all musicians I've been exposed to, he is probably my favorite.

Like Dave McKenna- a pianist who never need a bass player. What an inspiration to listen to Lenny!

Bahaha. Three cheers for Tristano. What a distinctive touch. He was never afraid to hammer away. Swinging as hard as he could in a strict metric framework. I love watching how his hands have eyes of their own as they find their way across the keyboard. A tremendous teacher, but always with a very very pointed attack -- his freely improvised section has no real melodic motion; just harmonic and PAINED insistence. It's fantastic. His piano method is so informed by blindness it's unreal.

You can hear many of Bill Evans ideas developing from this. Evans by all means was brilliant and developed his own sound - but you could see his sound developing out of exactly what Tristano is doing here.

Lennie is so underated by youngsters

There is simply nothing else like this.

GRAZIE MILLE PER QUESTO DOCUMENTO

Wow , this is perfect very wonderfull. Dynamic perfect. And an execution plastic. This is an example of what means power of plasticity when moving. It's more than a very good execution! It' fire on board!

Lenie Tristano - Tangerine (Copenhague 65') GRACIAS POR COMPARTIRNOS ÉSTE BONITO VIDEO! UN GRAN PIANISTA Y JAZZISTA HOY, YA POCO VALORADO!!

He was an absolute Master of the keyboard. He was the inspiration for Bill Evans and many others. His technique was so masterful both hands that on the Complete Atlantic box set they had to put a note that "This is not overdubbed" because they knew people wouldn't believe he'd played it straight. Also, he didn't pre-conceive here. This is pure improvisation on chord changes created in the moment. Thanks for posting it!

Each pianoplayer must love Tristano, one of the most underestimated jazzpianists. Thanks very much for posting this great solo of the master.

DIRETTAMENTE DA AVERSA, PROVINCIA DI SALERNO !!!!!!!!! IL PIU' GRANDE PIANISTA D TUTTI I TEMPI

Outstanding and incredibly underrated player. I hear what handdancin was saying, great comment, and I hear the influence of stride piano and boogie woogie, but also a lot of modern ideas and western classical such as Debussy, like right after 2:19, and, yes, I hear Monk. The influence, judging by chronology, was probably mutual. Like his disciples Konitz and Marsh and like a lot of great bop and post bop players, he is both cerebral and very very soulful. Thanks for posting this, blown away!

I was lucky enough to have an interview with lee konitz forty two years ago and lee said do you hear that piano player in the background? ( it was lennie tristano)....I learned so much from that man!

I keep coming back to this.. Very grateful for its existence. Thank you for posting this so many years ago.

I have been waiting so long for Lennie to show up here, I have searched for him from the first day! What a joyous Thanksgiving, I am very grateful! Thank You 317East32nd, Thank youtube! RIP Lennie, love always

My father was a student of Lenny for many years and was strongly influenced by him. Other than the music itself, these jazz guys are pretty joyless creatures. I’m glad some appreciate that music…it cost a lot.

After you cover the logic of the lines and the bass-lines, and after you cover how hard it swings, deal with the dynamics. He never played two notes in a row at the same volume level. That's an important lesson in itself.

omg those chords at 2:30 ....chills

this guy is too innovative to be neglected like this,you just never know where he is going to take you , absolute freedom

Now I get the Dave Frank connection. Both men are remarkable teachers/practitioners.

Absolute Genius! nothing else to add...

Excelente música y material!!! Muchísimas gracias por compartir!!!!!!!!!!! Saludos cordiales!

When I first heard him in the '60s It seemed he had a brain for each hand.

Breathtaking that he never loses the thread.

Excellent work, incredible playing.

A gem of a performance!

Awesome! Don’t forget Lennie’s student Sal Mosca and Sal’s student the great, the unknown Billy Lester.

First time I've searched for Lennie online tho his CDs have been in my collection for 25 years. and I'm reminded he's one of the few pianists who seriously worked walking bass lines. Dave McKenna has carried on that tradition but alas, few others

So nice to remember this huge inspiration!

FRESH AS CAN BE - LONG LIVE LENNIE! THX M

What bloody amazes me is that a human being can do this at all" Same for Oscar.

Beautiful.Thanks .

Brilliant. Walking bass lines and he kept it swinging.

freaking awsome i just closed my eyes and he took me through a story 5 stars

one of very underrated harmonic master

Darn, this dude rules!!! Why on earth is a great genius like this not worldfamous, at least not in my world? Have some records to buy now., that's 4 sure. Cool stuff!!!

Fantastic !

lennie is so awesome. amazing sense of timing. i have a sealed copy of the real tristano as well as one i play. thanks so much for his videos

Speechless. Wow.

I heard Wally Bower passed away this month . . . . a great teacher . . . i loved hearing him occasionally play standards in [a classical] theory class, Lush Life . . .

nice stuff, very inspiring! thanks for the upload

Outstanding

Error in my precedent answer. I've "Scene and variations" with Carol, Bud, Tania. Please will excuse me, they are in the seem album "The new Tristano"

Excelent control, tempo and swing.. Very correct musician. Very good teacher.

Art in movement

Amazing video!

I admire this very much (y)

Can't believe this is here. Thank you for Posting!!!

Faut pas croire mec, le jazz c'est avant tout une discipline, avec la dose d'écoute, de recherche et d'entrainement. Les gens pensent souvent que c'est "Ah le jazz faut l'avoir dans le sang, le mec il souffle dans sa trompette et c'est génial, ca lsort tout seul" mais en fait c'est tout une science

GENIUS THX

Lennie's playing is hot! the warmth of his feeling and the fire of his line! And I have to contest the description of his music as "intellectual". Yes, it is brilliant-- and mind-blowingly complex, but it is not coming from intellectual thought, per se--- it's coming out of his spontaneous feeling for the music. And this concept requires a quiet thinking mind to be realized. to me, this music is deeply HUMAN

Superb 💕 💕 💕

SO good

A former piano teacher of mine studied with Tristano in the 50's. Wish some of that technique and theory rubbed off on me. Lots of notes and exercizes on paper, but not on the piano. Thanks for the post.

cool, fun to walk the bass like this, not many soloists do

Yes, that's quite a tempo. From a radio broadcast pitting the boppers against the "figs." The entire Tristano/Parker CD compilation is phenomenal.

Thanks 317East32nd and many thanks to you paul for sharing this awesome legendary piece. Ben

Brilliant

this sounds almost like reharmed changes for "i love you"

I've been watching the entire concert... I never noticed before how often he "feels" for his place on the keyboard (being blind). You can watch him count black keys... I have to assume this slows him ever so slightly, as he has to figure out where the keys are before he can play what he's already conceived...

Masterpiece 🎹

Pure genius

You'd be hard pressed to find better piano playing on youtube... Brilliant. Thanks!

#BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE 101! 😎

wow!!!

wow!

that middle part thooooo!!!

@317East32. Thanks for a great upload. Got wind of it on tip while checking out Ahmad Jamal's works at another channel. Hadn't heard of Mr Tristano or his works before, but I am now a new fan. It seems that here and at other yt links.folks that like to display thier supposed level of insigtht of an artist by "dissing" other artists are faux intellectuals/sad people. If Tristono in fact "dissed" Monk, for whatever the reason, that was something Tristano had to live and die with. Ce la vie!

In addition to his obvious talent and intellect, the guy had long fingers!

He was also the teacher of Lee Konitz and Wayme Marshe.

Flat fingered technique seemed to probably be more akin with the bop players like monk, Elmo hope, Herbie Nichols and Bud. Conversely, playing Chopin, Ravel, Debussy and Scriabin would also call for a flatter hand on certain compositions . The sound is warmer on a flatter hand if done properly..

Out stacking funding -- absolutely

I loveee Jazz

That technique bro

Joe Satriani's teacher so I had to see/hear who this Lennie is. Wow, what musicianship!

You said it!

came here from reading about Satriani, pretty sure i'm not the only one

Nice 😎✨

I dunno how to react to the "gangsta" part. . . but I do have a recording of Sal Mosca playing piano with Warne Marsh at the Village Vanguard in '81, and it's great stuff.

Gran musico, creo que Bill Evans lo admiraba

I swear I've played that ascending scale of flat nines thinking how awesome it sounds and I had not seen this video before. 4:14 great video

Cool. Very COOL.

Excellence

wow.

Harmonic vocabulary!

Check out the Satriani video where he talks about that. Tristano told a young Satriani he might be good in 20 years or so!

Anyone know if Con Con from Maelstrom is a contrafact? if so on what tune?