Jonquil (2004)

"A beautiful little album from Lee Konitz -- one that seems to have even more sensitivity than usual, thanks to the presence of a string quartet! The sound here is quite unusual -- a mix of small combo jazz with slight added strings -- in a way that's hardly like any "with strings" jazz recording of previous decades, and which instead has the added instruments nicely ingrained in the overall feel of the set. Given that the arrangements here are done by Axel Hagen, the guitarist in the group, there's often a rhythmic quality to the string work -- supported by Hagen's own guitar, which is a bit like Billy Bauer at times -- setting the stage nicely for Lee's always-sharp work on alto and soprano sax, plus tenor and flute from Marco Kegel. Titles include "Lee's April", "Darn That Dream", "Movin Around", "Stardust", and "Jonquil"." (Amazon)