Lee Konitz, the celebrated jazz saxophonist and last surviving performer on Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool sessions, has died.
He was 92. Konitz’s son Josh confirmed to NPR that the cause of his father's death was pneumonia related to COVID-19. Born in 1927 in Chicago, Konitz studied clarinet early on, then switched to alto sax, an instrument he mastered like no other.
Konitz enjoyed stints with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra and Stan Kenton’s Orchestra, and worked with pianist Lennie Tristano, Stan Kenton, Warne Marsh, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell and Bill Evans.
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