Alto Summit
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Alto Summit
| type = Album
| artist = Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright
| cover = Alto Summit.jpg
| alt =
| released = 1968
| recorded = June 2–3, 1968
| venue =
| studio = MPS Tonstudio, Villingen, Black Forest, West Germany
| genre = Jazz
| length = 45:39
| label = MPS
MPS 15 192
| producer = Joachim E. Berendt
| chronology = Lee Konitz
| prev_title = The Lee Konitz Duets
| prev_year = 1967
| next_title = European Episode
| next_year = 1968
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Pony Poindexter
| type = Album
| prev_title = Annie Ross & Pony Poindexter
| prev_year = 1966
| title = Alto Summit
| year = 1968
| next_title = The Happy Life of Pony
| next_year = 1969
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist = Phil Woods
| type = Album
| prev_title = Greek Cooking
| prev_year = 1967
| title = Alto Summit
| year = 1968
| next_title = Round Trip
| next_year = 1969
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist = Leo Wright
| type = Album
| prev_title = Flöte + Alt-Sax
| prev_year = 1965
| title = Alto Summit
| year = 1968
| next_title = It's All Wright
| next_year = 1972
}}
{{Extra album cover
| header = Prestige Records Cover
| type = Album
| cover = The Alto Summit.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption =
}}
}}
Alto Summit is an album by saxophonists Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright recorded in West Germany in 1968 and released on the MPS label.[https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/0472115871-discography.pdf Lee Konitz discography] accessed November 29, 2016Di Filippo, R., [https://enciclopediadeljazz.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/lee-konitz-discography/ Enciclopedia del Jazz: Lee Konitz] accessed November 28, 2016[http://www.mps-music.com/portfolio-items/lee-konitz-pony-poindexter-phil-woods-leo-wright-%E2%80%8E-alto-summit/ MPS Records: album entry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129145735/http://www.mps-music.com/portfolio-items/lee-konitz-pony-poindexter-phil-woods-leo-wright-%E2%80%8E-alto-summit/ |date=2016-11-29 }} accessed November 29, 2016[http://sudo.3.pro.tok2.com/Quest/cards/M/MPS/AltoSummit_x.html Spiral Quest: album entry] accessed November 29, 2016 The album was released in the US on Prestige Records.[http://www.jazzdisco.org/prestige-records/catalog-7600-series/#pr-7684 Prestige Records Catalog: 7600 series] accessed November 29, 2016
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
}}
Scott Yanow of Allmusic said "This unusual album teams together the altos of Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright (along with pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen) on a variety of challenging material. There are four pieces for the full septet (including one that pays tribute to both Bach and Bird), a pair of quintet performances and a ballad medley that ends in a complete fiasco (it has to be heard to be believed). Despite the latter, everyone fares well on this summit meeting".{{AllMusic|first=Scott |last=Yanow |class=album |id=mw0000317865 |title=Alto Summit – Review |accessdate=November 29, 2016}}
Track listing
- "Native Land" (Curtis Amy) – 6:13
- "Ballad Medley: Skylark/Blue and Sentimental/Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You/Body and Soul" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer/Count Basie, Jerry Livingston, Mack David/Andy Razaf, Don Redman/Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton) – 11:15
- "Prompt" (Benny Bailey) – 5:40
- "The Perils of Poda" (Phil Woods) – 5:12
- "Good Booty" (Pony Poindexter) – 8:14
- "Lee O's Blues" (Leo Wright, Lee Konitz) – 4:30
- "Lee's Tribute to Bach and Bird" (Johann Sebastian Bach/Charlie Parker) – 4:20
Personnel
- Lee Konitz (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7), Pony Poindexter (tracks 1-5 & 7), Phil Woods (tracks 1-5 & 7), Leo Wright (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7) – alto saxophone
- Steve Kuhn – piano
- Palle Danielsson – bass
- Jon Christensen – drums
References
{{reflist}}
{{Lee Konitz}}
{{Phil Woods}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Pony Poindexter albums